China is beginning to challenge Russia\u2019s dominance in the Central\nAsian arms market. The latest sign comes from Uzbekistan, a country that\nhas long relied on Soviet-made fighter aircraft.<\/p>\n
Uzbekistan has reportedly received four J-10CE fighter jets and has\nan agreement to bring in up to 24 units from China. Although neither the\nUzbek nor Chinese governments have officially announced the deal or the\ndelivery, circulating photographs are believed to show J-10CE aircraft\nbuilt for the Uzbek Air Force. If confirmed, the procurement could\nrepresent one of the largest shifts from Russian to Chinese weaponry in\nCentral Asia.<\/p>\n
The J-10CE is the export version of the J-10C, produced by Chengdu\nAircraft Industry Group, a leading Chinese aviation company. Pakistan\nwas the first country outside China to operate the aircraft. The jet is\nequipped with modern radar and can carry long-range air-to-air missiles.\nIt offers a major upgrade over the MiG-29 and Su-27 aircraft currently\nused by the Uzbek Air Force. The ageing Soviet-era fleet increasingly\nrequires replacement and a more reliable supply of spare parts.<\/p>\n
Procuring fighter jets does not end when the aircraft arrive.\nUzbekistan will also need pilot training, technicians, maintenance,\nsoftware updates, spare parts and missile supplies. By choosing the\nJ-10CE, Uzbekistan will be linked to China\u2019s defence systems for the\naircraft\u2019s service life, which could span decades.<\/p>\n
China is benefiting from Russia\u2019s declining ability to supply weapons\nabroad. Data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute\nshows that Russia\u2019s arms export volume fell by 64% in the 2021-2025\nperiod compared with 2016-2020. Russia\u2019s share of global arms exports\nalso dropped from 21% to just 6.8%. In contrast, China\u2019s arms export\nvolume grew by 11%, with its global share edging up from 5.5% to 5.6%.\nThe gap between the two now stands at just 1.2 percentage points. Russia\nremains the world\u2019s third-largest arms exporter, while China is in fifth\nplace.<\/p>\n
The war in Ukraine has forced Russia to prioritise weapons and\nammunition production for its own military needs. International\nsanctions have also hampered access to certain components and lengthened\nproduction and delivery times. These pressures increase the risk of\nsupply delays and spare parts shortages for countries using Russian\nweaponry. The shift in buyers is already visible in India, where\nRussia\u2019s share of arms imports fell from 51% in 2016-2020 to 40% in\n2021-2025.<\/p>\n
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan\ninherited Soviet military standards. For years, their aircraft, armoured\nvehicles, air defence systems and ammunition have depended on Russia. A\nWilson Center study shows Russia controls around 52% of the Central\nAsian arms market. China\u2019s share remains below that but has risen from\n1.5% to 13%. China offers aircraft, drones, military vehicles and air\ndefence systems at relatively more affordable prices than some Western\nproducts.<\/p>\n
Competition is also coming from other countries. Turkey is expanding\nsales of its Bayraktar TB2 drones, while Italy supplies aircraft and\nhelicopters. The growing range of options makes it easier for Central\nAsian states to modernise their arsenals without relying entirely on\nMoscow.<\/p>\n
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are not only seeking new suppliers. Both\nare also beginning to build domestic defence industries. Uzbek President\nShavkat Mirziyoyev has asked his military to increase the use of\nartificial intelligence, unmanned systems, robotic technology and cyber\ncapabilities. \u201cThe nature of modern warfare has fundamentally changed,\u201d\nMirziyoyev said at a meeting of Uzbekistan\u2019s Security Council in January\n2026.<\/p>\n
Uzbekistan has developed the Lochin HA-341 surveillance drone with a\nrange of around 50 kilometres. The country also has the Lochin HA-251,\nwhich can carry a payload of up to 10 kilograms. Kazakhstan has built a\ndrone production facility that produced around 100 units in its first\nthree months of operation in early 2026. The country has also\nestablished a Defence Industry Development Fund worth around US$1\nbillion to finance the production of ammunition, armoured vehicles and\nweapons systems.<\/p>\n
Domestic industry is not yet able to replace imports of fighter jets\nand air defence systems. However, drone, vehicle and ammunition\nproduction can help maintain supplies when foreign deliveries are\ndisrupted.<\/p>\n
China\u2019s closeness to Central Asia is not built solely through arms\nsales. Trade between China and the five countries in the region reached\nUS$106.3 billion in 2025, up 12% from the previous year. Chinese exports\nto Central Asia reached US$71.2 billion, while imports totalled US$35.1\nbillion.<\/p>\n
In Uzbekistan, Chinese energy company Sinopec is exploring\ncooperation with Uzbekneftegaz to develop oil and gas in the Ustyurt\nPlateau. Sinopec has also obtained approval to run energy projects worth\nmore than US$6 billion in western Uzbekistan. In Kazakhstan, oil exports\nvia the Kazakhstan-China pipeline network surged 43% to 916,000 tonnes\nin the first half of 2026.<\/p>\n
The scale of trade, investment, energy and infrastructure ties gives\nChina a broader pathway to offer defence technology and equipment.<\/p>\n
Despite China\u2019s growing influence, Russia\u2019s position in Central Asia\nhas not been erased. Moscow still maintains significant presence in the\nregion.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/russia-increasingly-pressured-as-china-begins-to-dominate-the-arms-market-1787403092", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }