The J-10 bears many similarities to the Israeli Air Force’s Lavi jet. Designed to perform very similarly to the F-16, Israel’s homegrown jet would serve as a mainstay of the service for many years. When the Lavi’s production line was nixed, Israel began exporting the fighter, including to China.
China’s Not-So-Superior J-10 Jet Is Based On U.S. DNA
It takes little imagination to envision China’s grand ambitions for expanded global influence, as having attack-power projection fortifies their current efforts to expand into many areas of Africa, the Middle East and of course Southeast Asia.
It has long been believed that China was no longer developing its new J-31 fifth-generation stealth fighter purely for international sales but as a domestic platform as well. By extension, it has also been believed that China has been fast progressing with a carrier-launched FC-31 twin-engine stealth fighter jet intended to rival America’s F-35 jets.