Iran wants to buy a new air force from China
This is a transcript, for the video found here:
Bullets:
Immediately following American air strikes, Iranian military officials jetted to Beijing to negotiate the purchase of J-10C fighter jets and AWACS from China.
Pakistan's air force is equipped with Chinese-built fighters and missiles, and in a recent air battle against Indian forces shot down several top-line Western-built fighter jets and drones.
Chinese defense firms build equipment that is comparable or superior in quality, at considerable cost savings head-to-head against gear from NATO countries or Russia.
What's more, other militaries are struggling to build weapons at all, given that supply chains for the most advanced munitions and systems run through China for rare earth metals, and the other BRICS countries for raw materials.
If China agrees to supply Iran, it will remake the military and diplomatic landscape of the Middle East, for decades to come.
Report:
Good morning.
Two months ago there was a firefight between Pakistan and India, an air battle that resulted in multiple Indian Air Force aircraft being shot down by Pakistani forces. Pakistan uses Chinese-built equipment, and India was flying planes built by France. This engagement was between peer nations—Pakistan and India—and the results were so lopsided that foreign governments around the world have no choice but to strongly reconsider their own strategic relationships—which countries will they be buying weapons from, and they will increasingly choose to buy Chinese-made gear.
Again, it was shocking how decisively the Pakistanis disposed of the forces India deployed against them, and that they were able to do so at enormous cost savings, compared to what the Indians spend on their defenses. Countries will conclude that they can buy better equipment, and for less money, if they buy from Chinese companies. That means they can buy a better military for less money, or build bigger and better armed forces for the same money.
Another dimension to that calculus, is that Chinese companies have access to the deep supply chains, and the rare-earth metals and magnets, that Western companies do not have. China can build advanced weapons, while American and European defense contractors are waiting for China to lift export bans on critical materials and equipment so that they can build their weapons.
This is all to say that governments now realize that Chinese are building advanced weapons, proven to work in combat, and for less money, than Western suppliers, who cannot build them at all. So for countries that are urgently hoping to upgrade and modernize their militaries, China is going to be the default choice. And so it goes, with Iran. Pakistan was flying J-10C’s made in China, and Iran now wants to buy them.
Very soon after the American air strikes on Iran, military officials from Iran got on a plane to China. The Iranians were still putting fires out, but they booked flights to Beijing so they could beat the rush, and be first in line for new Chinese planes. Iran has existing contracts to buy Russian aircraft, but are still waiting for delivery on those.
The Chinese J-10’s are equipped with the PL-15 missiles, which were used over India. Russia has been delayed in delivering their Su-35’s, which are already under contract. What’s more, the J10 is much less expensive than the Russian plane, $40 to $60 million dollars apiece less expensive.
The PL-15 air-to-air missile is mass-produced in Chinese factories by robots. Our own arsenals for missiles are being bled dry by our military aid to Ukraine and Israel, and meanwhile the PL-15’s are built in Chinese factories, 24 hours a day, in a fully automated system. China’s government made all of that public, which probably implies they are open for business, and taking orders from friendly countries besides Pakistan. Cost efficiency, and high-capacity output are key competitive advantages compared to Western defense contractors.
So if these sales go through, from China to Iran, they will scramble the defense landscape across the Persian Gulf. In addition to the J-10’s, Iran wants Chinese AWACS equipment. The analysis here assumes that China will approve the sale of their J-10’s and the AWACS, and Iranian crews are trained up to use them. On a head-to-head matchup between the J10’s and the most advanced equipment used by the IDF and the United States, Iran will not be a peer competitor.
But Iran is enormous, almost as big as Western Europe. Iran is also a long distance from Israel, let alone the United States, and so the Iranians will likely enjoy air superiority against anything except the most expensive platforms, which are coming from far away, especially when Chinese AWACS aircraft are integrated into Iran’s air defense. Iran is strongly motivated to modernize, fast—and the Chinese aircraft would be a “significant leap in air combat capability”. The combination would enable defensive and offensive air operations, and might “shift the balance of power in the Persian Gulf.” It will also deepen military, diplomatic, and economic cooperation between China and Iran.
A new global arms race is underway. NATO countries—most of them—pledged to spend up to 5% of their GDP on defense. But a pledge is one thing, and it’s another to budget the money and to spend it. And it’s yet another to build those weapons given that the supply chains for most of them run through China and the BRICS countries. The rest of the world, though, will be budgeting less money, getting more for that money, and taking delivery a lot sooner by buying from China.
This is West Lake, Hangzhou.
Be Good.
Resources and links:
Intelligence: Iran Seeks to Acquire Chinese J-10C Fighter Jets to Counter Israeli F-35I Superiority.
Iran set to buy Chinese J-10C fighter jets after Israeli drubbing
Iran Is Preparing to Buy a New Air Force from China
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/iran-preparing-buy-new-air-force-from-china-bw
China Showcases Robotic Production Of PL-15E Missiles
https://internationaldefenceanalysis.com/china-showcases-robotic-production-of-pl-15e-missiles/
SCMP, Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
CNBC, NATO allies agree to higher 5% defense spending target
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/25/nato-allies-agree-to-higher-5percent-defense-spending-target.html
BBC, Trump says NATO's new 5% defence spending pledge a 'big win'
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj4en8djwyko
New York Times, China’s Halt of Critical Minerals Poses Risk for U.S. Military Programs
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/14/us/politics/china-critical-minerals-risk-military-programs.html
Yep... I am pretty sure that the USA is thinking twice about invading China. Prior to the recent Pakistan-India conflict, it was not uncommon for Trump and his team mates to go on and on about having or going to war against ChYna... as if that would be so much fun to slap the Chinese around because the USA thought it could with ease and impunity. Now, you don't hear much of that hubris coming from the POTUS and his minions.
The 300m for the Franch "Rafale" ois closer to 288m and includes lots of other stuff, amunitions, etc. Else, no worries!