The Pakistani military has confirmed that it was acquiring J-10 fighter from China. Pakistan’s Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed confirmed that 25 of the new jets would carry out a flypast during Pakistan’s Republic Day celebration on March 23, 2022. The Minister added that the acquisition of J-10 was to counter India’s acquisition of 36 Dassault Rafale fighters. At a press conference, the Pakistan’s Army spokesperson Major General Babar Iftikhar, said that, “This is a step to upgrade our Air Force fleet and get the best possible technology available because we know what kind of technology is being acquired on the other side.” The J-10, a single-engine aircraft, is similar to the US-built F-16 and was unfurled by China in 2006.