China: November 5, 2002

Archives

China has officially admitted that they are working on a new, high-tech fighter, the F-10. While some Western experts have seen the F-10, the government has, until now, officially denied the existence of the aircraft. Part of the reason for that is the origins of the design and technology for the F-10. China is alleged to have gotten an American F-16 from Pakistan (in return for nuclear weapons technology), which was taken apart and studied carefully. Israel is said to have sold China much technology from their abandoned (because of the high cost) Lavi fighter program. The Lavi was also based on technology used in the F-16.