<p >A source close to the Uzbek Defence Ministry Defence Industry Agency has reported that China has authorised the sale of an unknown class of modern fighter aircraft to the country, fuelling speculation that the Chinese JF-17 Block III, J-10C or possibly the <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/pakistan-j35-fifth-gen-before-2027" target="_blank">J-35 fifth generation fighter</a> are being planned for procurement. The Soviet successor state has emerged as a major client for Chinese military equipment, and has phased out Soviet air defence systems to procure the Chinese HQ-9B, FM-90, and KS-1C&nbsp;systems, which are be highly compatible with modern Chinese combat jets. As the country’s Soviet Su-27 and MiG-29 fourth generation fighters near the end of their service lives, it was previously reported that procurement of the Russian Su-30SM or French Rafale were under consideration. Neighbouring Kazakhstan, which has a considerably larger air force and defence budget, <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/kazakhstan-rejecting-rafale-chose-su30s" target="_blank">previously evaluated</a> the competing Russian and French aircraft before selecting the Su-30SM, which was considered more cost effective despite its much higher operational costs due to its far larger sensor suite, superior flight performance, and much longer range.&nbsp;</p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/04/09/article_67f64140969f77_43608691.jpeg" title="Uzbek Air Force MiG-29 Fighters"></p><p >Uzbekistan was one of just four Soviet successor states to have inherited the <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/final-gift-from-the-soviets-how-china-received-three-of-the-ussr-s-top-fighters-weeks-before-the-superpower-collapsed" target="_blank">Su-27 Flanker</a>, which was the country’s most capable class of air superiority fighter and is widely considered to have been the most formidable in the world in the Cold War era. Su-27s were retired without replacement by the Belarusian Air Force in 2009, with <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/su27ub-no61-special-fighter-belarus" target="_blank">only a single fighter</a> remaining in service for training purposes, due to their high operational costs. The Su-27 has largely been phased out of service in the Russian Air Force and replaced with newer ‘4+ generation’ Su-30SM and Su-35 fighters, while the large <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/su27s-flanker-how-capable-is-the-ukrainian-air-force-s-top-fighter" target="_blank">Ukrainian fleet </a>has few aircraft remaining following years of crashes, a number of <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/soviet-ukraine-top-su27s-aggressor" target="_blank">sales to the United States</a>, and over three years of combat with Russian forces. The Uzbek Air Force is reported to have retired its own Su-27s from service in 2020, making it the second service in the world only after Belarus to do so. Much like Belarus, this left the Uzbek fleet with the Su-27’s lighter and less capable counterpart the MiG-29 as its only operational fighter, with only around a dozen of the aircraft thought to be in service. Procurement of modern fighter aircraft from China would allow the Uzbek fleet to reverse this trend towards decline and contraction in its combat capabilities.&nbsp;</p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/04/09/article_67f6417e9c27a5_60374916.webp" title="Chinese J-35 Fifth Generation Fighter"></p><p >A significant possibility remains that Uzbekistan will seek to procure more than one class of Chinese fighter as part of a high-low combination, namely either the lightweight J-10C or <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/jf-17-block-3-vs-j-10c-comparing-china-s-two-advanced-new-single-engine-fighters" target="_blank">even lighter JF-17 Block III </a>alongside the much larger twin engine J-35. These would replace the MiG-29 and Su-27 respectively. The JF-17 Block III benefits from much lower procurement and operational costs and similarly advanced avionics and weapons to the J-10C, although its flight performance is far inferior and its radar is considerably smaller and less powerful. The Pakistan Air Force currently deploys both fighter classes as part of a high-low combination,&nbsp;and is planning procurement of the J-35,&nbsp;while the Bangladesh Air Force is <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/bangladesh-air-force-j10c-acquisition-consideration" target="_blank">reported</a> to be <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/bangladesh-considering-procurement-of-chinese-jf-17-block-iii-fighters-high-low-pairing-with-j-10c-planned" target="_blank">considering</a> similarly procuring the two fighters to replace its J-7s and MiG-29s. </p><p >The J-10C has proven itself capable of outperforming some of the world’s heaviest fighters in air to air combat, with the aircraft reported in 2020 to have&nbsp;<a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/china-s-j-10c-reportedly-crushed-the-russian-su-35-in-combat-exercises-how-the-firebird-came-out-on-top" >consistently outperformed</a>&nbsp;the Russian Su-35&nbsp;in simulated engagements. Although the J-10C is more sophisticated than competing Russian fourth generation fighters, and as a much smaller aircraft has far lower operational costs and maintenance needs than fighters such as the Su-27, Su-30 or Su-35, a leading disadvantage for the vast Central Asian state remains its much shorter range, which limits the ability to patrol national airspace.&nbsp;A sale to Uzbekistan would mark a second major breakthrough for Chinese fighter exports to Soviet successor states, following the <a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/azerbaijan-advanced-jf17-bliii-deliver" target="_blank">sale of JF-17 Block III</a> fighters to Azerbaijan.&nbsp;</p>