Chinese jet maker reports record sales after Pakistan-India conflict

BEIJING: AVIC Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, the Chinese manufacturer of the J-10C fighter aircraft operated by Pakistan, has posted record revenue and profit figures after the Pakistan-India military confrontation in May last year, according to a Bloomberg report.

The company’s revenue rose 15.8% to 75.4 billion yuan, or $11 billion, in 2025, while profit increased 6.5% to 3.4 billion yuan in the same year. Bloomberg cited a company statement for the figures and said these were the highest results in Chengdu’s history. It also reported that the company’s sales in the first quarter climbed by nearly 80% compared with the same period a year earlier.

The Pakistan Air Force inducted the J-10C in March 2022, a move the government at the time described as a major strengthening of the country’s ability to protect its airspace. The government had said the aircraft was capable of carrying more advanced fourth-generation air-to-air missiles, including the short-range PL-10 and the beyond-visual-range PL-15.

Combat use during May conflict

The J-10C was used in combat for the first time in May 2025, when India launched what Pakistan described as an unprovoked attack on May 6 after an attack on tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

During the 87-hour conflict, Pakistan said it brought down seven Indian fighter aircraft, including French-made Rafale jets, as well as dozens of drones. The four-day fighting also saw Pakistan use Chinese-made military systems including the HQ-9 air defence system, PL-15 air-to-air missiles and J-10C fighter aircraft, which were credited with shooting down multiple Indian planes.

The Pakistan Air Force used JF-17 Thunder aircraft to destroy India’s S-400 air defence system in Adampur with hypersonic missiles.

The fighting between the two nuclear-armed neighbours ended on May 10 under a ceasefire brokered by the United States.

Officials and later assessments

Months after the conflict, Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry praised Chinese-origin military platforms. In an interview in October last year, cited by Bloomberg, he said “Of course, lately, recent Chinese platforms, they’ve demonstrated exceptionally well”.

In November last year, a report submitted to the United States Congress also referred to Pakistan’s performance in the conflict. The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, in its review of US-China security and foreign affairs, acknowledged Pakistan’s military success over India in the war.

The commission said Pakistan had used advanced Chinese weaponry to strengthen its military advantage over India.

The latest financial results from Chengdu come against that backdrop, with the Bloomberg report linking the company’s improved performance to heightened attention around the J-10C after the Pakistan-India standoff.