China has confirmed for the first time that it provided on-site technical support to Pakistan during its war with India last year.
During the conflict, a Chinese-made fighter shot down at least one of India’s French-made fighters.
On Thursday, the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV broadcast an interview with a Chinese engineer Zhang Heng, from the Aviation Industry Corporation of China’s (AVIC) Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, who provided technical support to Pakistan during the war.
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Pakistan’s air force includes Chinese-made J-10CE jets, one of which is reported to have shot down at least one French-made Rafale fighter jet during the conflict.
It was both the first time that the Chinese model was reported to have downed an enemy aircraft, and the first time a Rafale had been shot down.
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“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 [122 degrees Fahrenheit]. It was a real ordeal for us, both mentally and physically,” said Zhang.
Zhang told CCTV that what drove his team was the “desire to do an even better job with on‑site support,” and to ensure their equipment could “truly perform at its full combat potential”.