China’s J-10C Offer to Colombia Threatens to Shatter U.S. Hegemony in Latin American Skies

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — In a bold and geopolitically significant manoeuvre, China has extended a high-profile offer to Colombia for the sale of two squadrons of its advanced 4.5-generation J-10C “Vigorous Dragon” fighter jets, marking a calculated effort to carve out influence in South America’s traditionally Western-dominated defence landscape.

The J-10C—China’s most capable fourth-plus generation multirole fighter currently in mass production—has demonstrated combat efficacy in frontline deployments, particularly in the recent high-stakes aerial engagements between Pakistan and India, where it reportedly played a key role in shaping the air superiority battle narrative.

Beijing’s offer aims to replace Colombia’s aging fleet of Israeli-origin Kfir fighters, long serving as the backbone of the Fuerza Aérea Colombiana (FAC), and now approaching obsolescence after more than four decades of operational service.

The proposal was reportedly initiated during a landmark state visit by Colombian President Gustavo Petro to Beijing, where he held strategic-level discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping, signalling an inflection point in Colombia–China defence relations.

Multiple sources, including Latin American defence portal Infodefensa, confirmed the offer, which includes up to 24 J-10CE fighters—China’s export-configured variant of the PLAAF’s frontline aircraft—at an estimated price tag of USD 40 million per unit, coupled with a package of air-to-air munitions likely to include the long-range PL-15 and short-range PL-10 missiles.

The offer lands at a critical juncture for Bogotá, as the FAC faces urgent capability gaps due to its reliance on aging platforms with rising maintenance costs, diminishing combat viability, and growing dependence on foreign logistical support.

The procurement proposal not only highlights Colombia’s drive toward next-generation air power modernisation, but also serves as a geopolitical bellwether—raising questions about shifting defence allegiances and the long-term implications for U.S. influence in the Western Hemisphere.

The Colombian Air Force has operated the Israeli-built Kfir since the late 1980s, initially acquiring approximately 24 aircraft to support internal counterinsurgency operations against armed guerrilla factions such as FARC during the height of domestic conflict.

Designed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and based loosely on the Mirage 5 airframe, the Kfir was extensively modified with a General Electric J79 turbojet engine—originally used in the U.S.-built F-4 Phantom II—and equipped with modern Israeli avionics, giving it multirole operational capabilities.

In the early 2010s, Colombia undertook a major upgrade program to retrofit around 20 Kfirs to the C-10/C-12 standard, incorporating EL/M-2032 radars and beyond-visual-range (BVR) missile compatibility, including the Python-5 and Derby systems, to extend their tactical utility.

Despite these upgrades, the fleet is now regarded as logistically unsustainable and technologically outmatched in modern air combat scenarios, compelling Colombia to explore alternative procurement pathways from established vendors in the United States, France, and Sweden—and now, from China.

The J-10C, manufactured by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG), represents the most advanced iteration of the J-10 platform and has been in service with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) since 2018.

This delta-canard configured multirole fighter is powered by the domestically developed WS-10B engine and incorporates a full fly-by-wire system, enabling it to perform high-agility manoeuvres while sustaining supersonic performance under contested operational conditions.

One of the J-10C’s defining features is its AESA radar—believed to be a variant of the KLJ-7A—which allows for simultaneous multi-target tracking, enhanced low-observability target detection, and high resistance to electronic jamming.

The platform is fully capable of launching the PL-15—a long-range BVR missile equipped with an active radar seeker and a range in excess of 200 kilometres—positioning it as a credible threat to regional air superiority platforms, including Western-built fourth and fifth-generation fighters.

Complementing this is the PL-10 infrared-guided short-range missile, designed for high off-boresight engagements, along with a suite of smart munitions, precision-guided bombs, and anti-surface weapons, making the J-10C a truly multirole combat platform.

The aircraft also operates within a network-centric warfare ecosystem, with robust datalink connectivity to AEW&C assets, UAVs, and ground-based command systems, rivaling the digital battlespace integration capabilities of Western analogues.

As of 2024, over 250 J-10C fighters have been delivered to frontline PLAAF units, with deployments focused on strategic flashpoints including the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea, and the Sino-Indian border.

Colombia’s interest in the J-10C is not merely a question of hardware acquisition but represents a deeper pivot in strategic orientation, signalling a potential departure from decades-long reliance on U.S.-led defence frameworks.

Should Bogotá proceed with the purchase, it would mark an historic shift in hemispheric defence alignments, granting China its first high-end fighter jet foothold in Latin America—a region Washington has long considered its sphere of influence.

Such a development could catalyse broader interest among regional actors—including Venezuela, Bolivia, and Peru—to evaluate Chinese systems as cost-effective, high-tech alternatives to Western defence offerings, accelerating a new wave of strategic rebalancing across the continent.

From Beijing’s perspective, a successful deal with Colombia would underscore its growing status as a global arms exporter, while simultaneously eroding Western defence-industrial dominance in regions long shielded by U.S. strategic diplomacy.

However, Colombia’s pivot toward Chinese defence technology may not come without repercussions, including the risk of U.S. diplomatic pressure, potential sanctions, and reduced military interoperability with Western allies under frameworks such as the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program or NATO partnership mechanisms.

Ultimately, the J-10C offer to Colombia transcends the boundaries of conventional defence procurement and symbolizes the shifting tides of global influence—where strategic partnerships are being redrawn not just with weapons, but with ideology, alignment, and vision.

— DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA