Specifications of the Chinese Chengdu J-10 Fighter Jet Ordered by Indonesia

The budget for the purchase of the Chinese-made Chengdu J-10 fighter jet has been approved by Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa. He stated that the purchase budget reaches US$9 billion, or around Rp149 trillion.

"US$9 billion, if I'm not mistaken, or more. I forget the figure. But it's been approved, so everything should be ready," Purbaya said when met at Wisma Danantara on Wednesday (October 15).

The Chengdu J-10 fighter jet is often referred to in the West as the "Vigorous Dragon." Initially, this fighter jet was designed as an air-superiority jet for China, which would be formidable in situations of complete air dominance, as reported by Military Factory on Thursday (October 16, 2025).

This allows China to control the skies and conduct air missions such as strikes and reconnaissance, with minimal risk and resistance from opponents.

However, the Chengdu J-10 was recently revised for all-weather use, day or night, with the advantage of its lightweight body. Its power is claimed to be comparable to fourth-generation systems from Russia and the West.

The Chengdu J-10 was designed by the Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute (CADI), a research institute under the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation (CAIC).

This fighter jet adopts the "tailless delta-canard" aerodynamic layout, originally developed for the canceled J-9 fighter. The aircraft features horizontal control surfaces that are advanced into canards in front of the wings.

When the aircraft pitches up, instead of pushing the tail down, which reduces overall lift, the canards lift the nose, thereby increasing overall lift.

Thanks to the canards' ability to capture fresh airflow rather than air waves behind the main wings, the aircraft can achieve better control with smaller control surfaces, resulting in lower drag and weight.

The Chengdu J-10 is powered by a single Russian Lyulka-Saturn AL-31FN turbofan engine producing a maximum static thrust of 11,700 kgf.

The most significant difference between the AL-31FN and AL-31F is the arrangement of certain components and mechanisms due to the limited engine bay space on the Chengdu J-10.

The AL-31F was designed for twin-engine aircraft like the Su-27. For the AL-31FN variant on the Chengdu J-10, prominent engine components such as the gearbox and pumps are mounted opposite those on the AL-31F.

The AL-31FN was originally expected to be replaced by a domestically developed and manufactured engine in China, the WS-10A (WoShan-10A) Taihang turbofan engine, which produces 129 kN (13,200 kgf or 29,101 lbf) of thrust.

However, the PLAAF delayed the integration of the WS-10 into the aircraft due to engine development difficulties.

Russia has offered to provide China with a version of the AL-31FN, which produces 12,500 kgf of thrust and has a service life of 2,000 hours.

The Chengdu J-10's fixed armament includes a Type 23-3 twin-barreled 23mm cannon mounted internally on the left side of the nose landing gear. This gas-powered cannon has a combat weight of 50.5 kg, a length of 1,530 mm, and a maximum rate of fire of 3,000-3,4000 rounds/minute.

The cannon fires 23X200 mm high-explosive/incendiary rounds weighing 320 g, with tracer and armor-piercing rounds, at a muzzle velocity of 715 m/s. The cannon is electrically driven using a 27V 8A DC current.

The Chengdu J-10 has 11 external weapons storage stations, three under each wing and five under the fuselage.

For air superiority and interception missions, the J-10 can carry a combination of medium-range air-to-air missiles (MRAAMs) and short-range air-to-air missiles (SRAAMs). The J-10 can also carry laser-guided bombs (LT-2), glide bombs (LS-6), and unguided bombs.

Chengdu J-10 Fighter Jet Specifications

This fighter jet has a maximum speed of up to 2,200 km/h and a maximum range of 3,200 km.

Its maximum takeoff weight is 19,277 kilograms. Its dimensions are 16.4 meters long, with a wingspan of 9.75 meters, and a height of 4.78 meters.

Electronic systems used include an unnamed phased array radar and an NRIET KLJ-10 multi-mode fire control radar.

The installed electronic equipment (pods) include the Hongguang-I infrared search and track pod, the BM/KG300G self-protection jamming pod, the KZ900 electronic reconnaissance pod, the Blue Sky navigation/attack pod, and the FILAT (Forward-Oriented Infrared Laser Attack Targeting) pod.

The aircraft is powered by a single Saturn-Lyulka AL-31FN or WS-10A Taihang turbofan.

Currently, the Chengdu Jet-10 is used by China and Pakistan. Following Purbaya's budget approval, Indonesia will be the next country to utilize the Chengdu J-10.