Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) J-10C vs Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen
Full specs: Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) J-10C Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen
Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) J-10C and Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen are both fighter aircraft, compared here on public specifications. The Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen leads on range (4,000 vs 2,950 km). Several China-origin figures here are manufacturer or state claims with limited independent verification, so treat this comparison as directional.
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Full data
Full spec sheet
| Performance | ||
| Max speed (km/h) | 2,200 km/h ✓ | 2,124 km/h |
| Max speed (Mach) (Mach) | 1.8 Mach | 2 Mach ✓ |
| Range (km) | 2,950 km | 4,000 km ✓ |
| Combat radius (km) | 1,100 km | 1,500 km ✓ |
| Service ceiling (m) | 18,000 m ✓ | 16,000 m |
| Thrust-to-weight | 1 | 1.05 ✓ |
| Firepower | ||
| Hardpoints | 11 ✓ | 10 |
| Weapons payload (kg) | 6,000 kg ✓ | 5,300 kg |
| Physical | ||
| Length (m) | 16.9 m | 15.2 m |
| Empty weight (kg) | 9,750 kg | 8,000 kg |
| Combat weight (kg) | 19,277 kg | 16,500 kg |
| Crew | 1 | 1 |
| Propulsion | ||
| Thrust (kN) | 142 kN ✓ | 98 kN |
| Program | ||
| Unit cost (USD) | $40,000,000 ✓ | $85,000,000 |
| Units built | 500 ✓ | 60 |
| Operator countries | 2 | 3 ✓ |
Frequently asked questions
Which is faster, Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) J-10C and Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen? +
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 Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen has the longest range at 4,000 km.
Which carries the larger weapons payload? +
The Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) J-10C carries the largest weapons payload at 6,000 kg.
Which is cheaper? +
The Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) J-10C has the lower public unit-cost figure at 40,000,000 USD. Treat this as directional, defense pricing varies by contract and configuration.
Which has the higher max speed (mach)? +
The Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen has the higher max speed (mach) at 2 Mach.
Which has the higher combat radius? +
The Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen has the higher combat radius at 1,500 km.
Is the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) J-10C better than the Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen? +
On the public specs we track, the Saab AB JAS 39E Gripen 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.
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