Bangladesh drafts agreement for Chinese fighters, Turkish attack helicopters

A Bangladeshi government committee has prepared draft documents for negotiations over two planned acquisitions: Chinese J-10CE multirole fighters and attack helicopters, Zahed Ur Rahman, information and broadcasting adviser to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, said on August 25, 2026. 

The adviser said the Bangladesh Air Force was pursuing several modernization projects, including fourth-generation multirole combat aircraft, other fighters, attack and VIP helicopters, and unmanned aerial systems.  

The procurements would be pursued during fiscal 2026-27 if the necessary funding were available, or taken up in the following budget otherwise, according to Bangladeshi accounts of the briefing.  

Reported requirement ranges from 20 to 24 J-10CEs 

Figures reported in October 2025, when the interim government of Muhammad Yunus was advancing the file, put the package at 20 J-10CEs for approximately $2.2 billion.  

The proposed expenditure included approximately $1.2 billion for the aircraft and a further $1 billion for training, spares and other associated costs. Implementation was planned across fiscal 2025-26 and 2026-27, with payments continuing until fiscal 2035-36. 

In June 2026, Daily Waadaa reported, citing an unnamed senior government official, that Bangladesh intended to acquire 24 aircraft at approximately $40 million per airframe and hoped to sign an agreement by August.  

Neither Dhaka nor Beijing has confirmed whether the current requirement is for 20 or 24 fighters. 

The official communiqué issued after Tarique Rahman’s June 2026 visit to China referred only to plans to deepen defense cooperation through exchanges, visits and training. It did not mention the J-10CE or any aircraft purchase. 

Attack-helicopter project appears to involve Turkish T129 

T129 ATAK multirole attack helicopter. (Credit: Steve Lynes / Wikipedia)

The attack-helicopter element appears to concern Turkish Aerospace’s T129 ATAK rather than a Chinese type, according to a report by the Times of Bangladesh.  

The Bangladesh Armed Forces Division said Turkish Aerospace flight-test director Arif Ates met Principal Staff Officer Lieutenant General SM Kamrul Hassan in Dhaka on January 13, 2026, to discuss bilateral opportunities and defense cooperation.  

However, neither the Bangladesh Air Force nor Turkish Aerospace has publicly announced a T129 order. 

Rafale claim runs ahead of public evidence 

Zahed tied Bangladesh’s interest in the J-10 to the May 2025 India-Pakistan clash, saying Indian Rafale fighters had been shot down by Chinese-built J-10s. He described the aircraft as having performed well against what he called one of the world’s most advanced 4.5-generation fighters. 

That characterization runs ahead of the public record. Indian authorities have not confirmed a Rafale loss.  

The 2025 annual report of the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission assessed that three Indian aircraft were likely downed in total and that not all of them may have been Rafale jets. French Air and Space Force Chief of Staff General Jerome Bellanger said in July 2025 that India had lost a Rafale, a Sukhoi and a Mirage 2000. 

If a contract follows, Bangladesh will join Pakistan and Indonesia as an export customer for the type. The Bangladesh Air Force combat fleet is currently built around Chinese F-7 interceptors and Russian MiG-29s. The post Bangladesh drafts agreement for Chinese fighters, Turkish attack helicopters appeared first on AeroTime.

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