China’s fourth-generation J-10C Chengdu fighter aircraft has entered operational service with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force. The variant boasts of improvements on its predecessor, the J-10B and comes equipped with an indigenous active electronically scanned array firecontrol radar and new air to air weapon capability-the new PL-10 short range and long range PL-15 infrared-homing air-to-air missiles. Developed to be the mainstay of Beijing’s single-engine fighter fleet, the J-10B/Cs are capable of multi-role missions including air-to-air, air-to-ground and naval strike missions. Chinese analysts claim, that with three drop tanks and air-to-air missiles, the J-10B/C could have a combat radius of 1,200km, enough to perform air superiority missions in the Korean and Japanese airspace from its Yanji base in Northeastern China.