PLAAF Bayi Aerobatic Team Shows-Off New Mount

Our Bureau - : Feb 2, 2026 - : 6:53 pm

The Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force’s (PLAAF) Bayi Aerobatic Team is participating at the Singapore Airshow for the first time with their new J-10C aircraft. The seven-aircraft display team is marking its 13^th overseas appearance and only the second participation in the Singapore Airshow after attending the 7th in February 2020.

The Chinese aerobatic team switched to flying the J-10C aircraft in 2023.

The J-10C will be flown with new manoeuvres making their debut at the show. The display manoeuvres have been expanded to include a six-aircraft formation barrel roll, a five-aircraft fly-past, and an axis rotation manoeuvre performed by the Aircraft No.6. The seven J-10C aircraft were supported on their journey to Singapore via aerial refueling by a YY-20A tanker aircraft

China's J-10C fighter jet has been in the news after its export version, the J-10CE, was employed in combat hostilities against India by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in May 2025. Chinese state-owned media has claimed that J-10CE fighter jet made its first real combat achievement in May 2025 by shooting down multiple fighter jets in air combat without any losses.

The all-weather, single-engine, single-seat J-10 CE is a multi-role fighter jet. While earlier J-10s carries PL-12 Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missiles (BVRAAM) as their primary medium-range air-to-air missiles and PL-5E Close Combat Missiles (CCM). The newer J-10C is equipped with the PL-15 BVRAAMs which feature medium and long-range variants and the PL-10 CCM. The maximum range of the PL-15E is claimed to exceed 200 km, while the PL-10 is touted to have a excellent manoeuvrability. The J-10 CE also features an active phased array radar as fitted on the J-10C. The J-10CE also has a greater weapon payload capability as compared to the J-10C. This is due to the fact that the J-10CE can carry multiple weapons at one point by attaching double or even triple racks.

The J-10 made its maiden flight in 1998, and has undergone several upgrades since then, with improved on-board weapons, new radars and avionics. The J-10B, the first variant featured several modifications with a change in the nose section from a conical shape to an elliptical cross-section. The air inlet has changed to a clamshell air inlet. A metal film coating was applied to the cockpit canopy and an additional Infrared Search and Track (IRST) system was installed.