British aviation periodical "Jane's Defence Weekly" reported that China plans to reveal soon the J-10 warplane, dubbed the "Chinese Lavi" because of its great resemblance to the Lavi plane developed for the Israel Air Force by Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI). The Israeli government halted development of the Lavi at the end of the 1980s.
Chinese manufacturer Chengdu Aircraft Industrial Corporation manufactures the J-10.
Development of the Lavi was canceled because of cost overruns and pressure from the US, which financed part of the development. The Lavi was the last warplane developed in Israel. Foreign reports in recent years stated that IAI had delivered the Lavi manufacturing plan to China.
The US severely criticized Israel in the late 1990s, claiming it was delivering advanced aviation technology to China, and the two countries confronted each other on the issue of radar technology for the new Chinese plane.
The US administration asserted that the radar, developed by Elta Electronic Industries of the IAI group, was based on technology developed with US financing. The US demanded that supply of the radar to China be subject to US approval. Former Ministry of Defense director general and current Ambassador of Israel to the United States David Ivry had to prove to the US administration that the technology supplied to China was purely Israeli.
"Jane's Defence Weekly" added that the J-10 also includes Israeli-manufactured armaments. The armaments in question are probably Rafael (Armament Development Authority)-manufactured air-to-air missiles of the Python family.
IAI declined to comment on the report.
Published by Israel's Business Arena on March 21, 2002