According to the report, CCTV aired an interview on Thursday featuring Zhang Heng, an engineer from the Aviation Industry Corporation of China’s Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, who said he had provided technical support to Pakistan during the four-day conflict in May last year.
The conflict followed India’s launch of Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, after the Pahalgam terror attack. The operation was described as a targeted military campaign aimed at dismantling terror infrastructure across the Line of Control and deeper inside Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan. More than 100 terrorists were killed during the operation.
Pakistan’s air force operates Chinese-made J-10CE fighter jets produced by a subsidiary of AVIC. During the conflict, Chinese officials claimed that one of the aircraft had shot down an Indian fighter jet. According to the report, it marked the first time the Chinese fighter model was reported to have downed an enemy aircraft in combat.
India has denied reports of losing any aircraft during Operation Sindoor.
Chinese engineers describe wartime support
Zhang told CCTV that the support team operated under difficult wartime conditions.
“At the support base, we frequently heard the roar of fighter jets taking off and the constant wail of air-raid sirens. By late morning, in May, the temperature was already approaching 50 degrees Celsius. It was a real ordeal for us, both mentally and physically,” he said.He added that his team remained motivated by the desire to improve on-site support and ensure the aircraft performed effectively during combat operations.
“That wasn’t just a recognition of the J-10CE; it was also a testament to the deep bond we formed through working side by side, day in and day out,” Zhang said in the interview.
Another engineer from the Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, Xu Da, also described his role in supporting Pakistan during the conflict.
“We nurtured it, cared for it, and finally handed it over to the user. And now, it was facing a major test,” Xu said while comparing the fighter jet to a child.
He added that the aircraft’s reported battlefield performance did not come as a surprise to the team.
“In fact, it felt inevitable. The aircraft just needed the right opportunity. And when that moment came, it delivered exactly as we knew it would,” Xu said.
Pakistan’s use of Chinese fighter aircraft
The comments by the engineers marked the first public confirmation that Chinese personnel were involved in support operations during the India-Pakistan clash over Kashmir last year, SCMP reported quoting CCTV.
The J-10CE is the export version of China’s J-10C 4.5-generation fighter aircraft and is regarded as the most advanced variant in the J-10 series. The aircraft is equipped with an active electronically scanned array radar and can carry advanced Chinese air-to-air missiles.
Pakistan remains the only known foreign operator of the J-10C fighter jets. In 2020, the country ordered 36 aircraft along with 250 PL-15 missiles from China.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, China accounted for up to 80 percent of Pakistan’s arms imports between 2021 and 2025.
Apart from the J-10CE, the Pakistan Air Force also operates the JF-17 fighter jet, which was jointly developed by China and Pakistan and serves as one of its primary combat aircraft.
