Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 52 Fighting Falcon vs Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) J-10C
Full specs: Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 52 Fighting Falcon Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) J-10C
Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 52 Fighting Falcon and Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) J-10C are both fighter aircraft, compared here on public specifications. The Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 52 Fighting Falcon leads on range (4,220 vs 2,950 km). Several China-origin figures here are manufacturer or state claims with limited independent verification, so treat this comparison as directional.
Compare systems side by side
Search above to add up to five systems. You’ll get a per-spec winner, relative bars, a normalized spec profile and an honest verdict, every number from public sources.
Building a fleet? Try the Force Builder →
Full data
Full spec sheet
| Performance | ||
| Max speed (km/h) | 2,120 km/h | 2,200 km/h ✓ |
| Max speed (Mach) (Mach) | 2 Mach ✓ | 1.8 Mach |
| Range (km) | 4,220 km ✓ | 2,950 km |
| Combat radius (km) | 550 km | 1,100 km ✓ |
| Service ceiling (m) | 15,240 m | 18,000 m ✓ |
| Thrust-to-weight | 1.1 ✓ | 1 |
| Firepower | ||
| Hardpoints | 9 | 11 ✓ |
| Weapons payload (kg) | 7,700 kg ✓ | 6,000 kg |
| Physical | ||
| Length (m) | 15.06 m | 16.9 m |
| Empty weight (kg) | 8,570 kg | 9,750 kg |
| Combat weight (kg) | 12,000 kg | 19,277 kg |
| Crew | 1 | 1 |
| Propulsion | ||
| Thrust (kN) | 129 kN | 142 kN ✓ |
| Program | ||
| Unit cost (USD) | $30,000,000 ✓ | $40,000,000 |
| Units built | 4,600 ✓ | 500 |
| Operator countries | 25 ✓ | 2 |
Frequently asked questions
Which is faster, Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 52 Fighting Falcon and Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) J-10C? +
The Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) J-10C is the fastest of the 2 compared here, at 2,200 km/h.
Which has the longer range? +
The Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 52 Fighting Falcon has the longest range at 4,220 km.
Which carries the larger weapons payload? +
The Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 52 Fighting Falcon carries the largest weapons payload at 7,700 kg.
Which is cheaper? +
The Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 52 Fighting Falcon has the lower public unit-cost figure at 30,000,000 USD. Treat this as directional, defense pricing varies by contract and configuration.
Which has the higher max speed (mach)? +
The Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 52 Fighting Falcon has the higher max speed (mach) at 2 Mach.
Which has the higher combat radius? +
The Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) J-10C has the higher combat radius at 1,100 km.
Is the Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 52 Fighting Falcon better than the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) J-10C? +
On the public specs we track, the Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 52 Fighting Falcon leads on 4 of 6 headline metrics, see the full spec sheet for the metric-by-metric breakdown.
Where does this comparison data come from? +
Every figure in the table is sourced from public manufacturer pages, defense-ministry releases and reference publications, and is verifiable on each system's spec page. WeaponSpecs does not accept vendor placement.
Keep exploring
