Since the Pakistan Air Force installed the J-10CE, the status of the F-16, which was once the absolute main force, has plummeted and has now become a companion in most military operations. The recent conflict on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border has more intuitively demonstrated the profound transformation of this equipment pattern.

In early November 2025, the Pakistani-Afghan border situation was sharply escalated. The Pakistani Air Force deployed JF-17 ¡°Dragon¡± fighter jets, F-16 fighter jets and winged dragon drones, launched intense bombardment of target militants in Nanjinghar province and Kunar province in Afghanistan, destroying multiple facilities including 19 border posts. In the ¡°border clearance¡± operation, the ¡°Dragon¡± and the F-16 although jointly appeared, the actual role was different ¨C ¡°Dragon¡± took over the main combat mission, the F-16 only patrolled the border airspace, and did not participate in cross-border bombing.

The "shackles" of the F-16 and the "home field" of the Xiaolong

The Pakistan military disclosed after the operation that the air strike targeted training camps and ammunition depots of the Pakistan Taliban (TTP). The week before, the TTP launched three cross-border attacks from Afghanistan, killing 18 civilians in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. Pakistani intelligence confirmed that the attackers were all from armed positions in Afghanistan.

During the 24-hour continuous combat, 12 "Xiaolong" Block III fighters took off from Peshawar Air Force Base and carried out strikes in six batches. In the first wave of attacks, the CM-400AKG supersonic air-to-surface missile carried by the fighter plane accurately hit three arsenals near Jalalabad, causing a serial explosion that was clearly visible 30 kilometers away.

Subsequent batches used the "low-altitude penetration + laser-guided bombing" mode to destroy 5 training camps and 12 communication base stations, eliminating a total of 89 militants. A spokesman for the Pakistani Air Force made it clear that "Xiaolong's all-weather combat capability and precision strike performance are the key to the efficient completion of the mission".

In contrast, the F-16 is in a rather awkward position. Although the Russian media mentioned the F-16's participation in the operation, the Pakistani military confirmed that it was only responsible for local air defense patrols. This restriction stems from the export terms of the United States-since the introduction of the F-16 in the 1980s, the United States has always required that the fighter can only be used for Pakistan's local defense, and it is strictly forbidden to participate in cross-border operations.

Whether it was the conflict in India and Pakistan in May, or the strike on Afghanistan, the F-16s were not able to go into combat because of this "locklock", gradually becoming the defense model of "home care".

Pterosaur UAV undertakes reconnaissance and precision knife replenishment tasks during operation. Through the battlefield images returned in real time, the drone provides target guidance for the "Xiaolong" and also carries out targeted killings of fleeing militants, forming a coordinated combat system of "manned aircraft + drone". This set of combat mode with Chinese-made equipment as the core has become a distinctive feature of this operation.

The "ace" attribute of the J-10 and the marginalization of the F-16

The absence of the J-10CE is not due to lack of performance, but due to its positioning as a "strategic trump card." As the core force of the Pakistan Air Force in responding to the Indian threat, the deployment of the J-10CE has always focused on high-end confrontation in the South Asian subcontinent.

In the air battle in May 2025, the fighter used PL-15E missiles to shoot down two Indian fighter jets, including the French "Rafale" fighter jets. This record made it a "reassurance" for the Pakistani Air Force to fight against powerful enemies.

This positioning difference is due to the performance and freedom of use of the two fighter jets.The J-10CE was developed by China¡¯s Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, which began its research and development in the 1980s and served in the early 2000s, undergoing several technological iterations.

The CE model exported from Pakistan is equipped with advanced phase control radar, detects mechanical scanning radar far beyond the F-16, and with the PL-15E missile can over-the-range strikes from 145 kilometers away.

Although the F-16 has rich practical experience, it is limited by congenital shortcomings. Pakistan currently has more than 40 F-16C/D Block52s, equipped with Pratt Whitney F100 engines. The maximum speed is Mach 1.8 as the J-10CE, but the avionics system is outdated.

More importantly, the political restrictions of the United States, in addition to the prohibition of cross-border operations, the maintenance and upgrading of the F-16 must be approved by the United States, which greatly restricts the operational flexibility.

This double gap in performance and freedom has driven Pakistan to accelerate the transformation of "de-Americanized" equipment. In June 2021, Pakistan ordered 25 J-10CEs for the first time, and in March 2022, the first batch of 6 were stationed at the Minhas base; in 2024, another 14 orders will be added, bringing the total to 50. In contrast, the F-16 has not been purchased since 2010, and existing models can only maintain combat power through limited upgrades.

Deepening and Prospect of China-Pakistan Equipment Cooperation

Pakistan¡¯s recognition of China¡¯s fighter jets is evident in high-level interactions.On September 14, 2025, Pakistani President Zardari visited China¡¯s Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, becoming the first foreign leader to visit.

In the production workshop, Zardari personally boarded the J-10CE cockpit and gave a thumbs up for a group photo. Its office subsequently issued a statement saying that the J- 10 and the Xiaolong fighter jets "significantly enhanced the strength of the Pakistan Air Force" and praised China's aviation industry as "a symbol of China-Pakistan friendship."

With the J-35E hidden fighter entering the mass production phase, it is widely believed that Pakistan will become a potential buyer of the fifth generation.

At present, Israel's F-35I has been operating in Pakistan's neighboring airspace, and the Pakistani Air Force is facing strategic pressure from the hidden fighter aircraft. Although the J-20 is not exported due to technical sensitivity, the J-35E export restrictions are expected to be gradually eased, forming a "high-medium-low" matching system with the existing J-10CE, Halong Block3.

Pakistan now has a squadron of J-10CE and two squadrons of Qingdao Block3, which are able to cope with conventional threats; if the J-35E is introduced, it will completely break the regional hidden fighter monopoly.

However, due to the expansion of the scale of J- 20 equipment in China, the demand for J- 35 has been relatively relaxed. Giving priority to exporting to Pakistan is not only in line with commercial logic, but also helps maintain the strategic balance in South Asia.

In the Ba¡¯a border conflict, the ¡°absence¡± of the J-10CE is precisely demonstrating its strategic value ¨C it has become a core force in Pakistan¡¯s response to high-end threats, rather than a universal equipment for conventional border strikes.

In contrast, the once famous F-16 gradually faded out of the main force sequence due to political shackles and performance gaps. This change in the equipment pattern is not only the inevitable result of the iteration of military technology, but also a vivid footnote of the deepening of China-Pakistan strategic cooperation.

Source of information:

Ba'a Border Conflict Details and Hurricane Fighter Aircraft Performance: News - In 24 Hours, Hurricane Bombings, Afghan Border Crossing Out of Control

Reports related to Pakistan's purchase of J-10CE: China Aviation News Network-Pakistan purchases additional J-10CE, China-Pakistan aviation cooperation further deepens

Details of Zardari's visit to Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group: Xinhuanet-Pakistani President Zardari visits Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group

Performance comparison data between J-10CE and F-16: World Wide Web-Pakistan Air Force exercise data: J-10CE to F-16 exchange ratio 1: 8