The first JF-17 Thunder squadron was inducted into the PAF in 2009. The induction 150 of state of the art Pak-China built JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft, will enhance operational capability of pakistan Air Force. With improved performance for ground attack and air defense, Pakistani air power should be able to destroy the terrorist net works in North Waziristan, and elsewhere in FATA along the Pak-Afghan border. With electronic and visual detection systems and precision weapons, stocks of illegal munitions hidden by the criminals in caves could be blasted, and terrorist hideouts leveled. Its enhanced air-land and air defense capability will be assets to ward-off external aggression. The news that the PAF could buy over 250 JF-17 Thunders therefore is welcome. It is a beautifully designed, affordably priced, jointly built multi-role fighter aircraft, which should attract customers from all over the world. The decision to sell Pak manufactured JF-17 Thunder fighters abroad will enable several African, Latin American and Asian countries, including Middle Eastern and Central Asian countries to place orders now to benefit from early orders for this fine fighting machine. The JF-17 is a joint Chinese-Pakistani project that aimed to reduce pakistan's dependence on western countries for advanced fighters. By fielding a low-cost multi-role lightweight fighter with modern electronics PAF has taken a big leap and bold step to bridge the numerical and qualitative gap with the Indian Air Force, which remains a primary threat. The West dominated arms market would be challenged in days to come by China, India and pakistan subject to their ability to master aviation technology, and manufacture quality defense products, especially aircraft. During the recent Farnborough Air Show in England two JF-17 Thunder fighters on display were admired by the thousands of defense experts and received high accolades from specialists. Farnborough is show case of the world aviation industry. The Air Staff took a bold decision to fly out two JF-17 Thunder fighters to the UK, and put them on display at Farnborough. It is therefore a matter of satisfaction that several countries including Turkey have evinced interest to procure and buy JF-17 Thunder fighters from pakistan. China will soon decide to procure the JF-17 Thunder fighter for the PLAAF-The Peoples Liberation Army Air Force. Beijing needs to expedite its decision to induct the JF-17 Thunder fighter into the Peoples Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). If China delays procurement, other nations could do the same. Though the Pak-China made JF-17 Thunder should be evaluated and assessed on merit. China offered to sell twenty JF-17 Thunder fighters to the Myanamar (Burma) Air Force. The generals led government observed that the MAF will buy it after PLAAF inducts it for operational use. After pakistan signed an agreement for the first 42 operational JF-17 Thunder aircraft, pakistan Aeronautical Complex -PAC was seeking additional agreements with Western firms for avionics and weapons upgrades. Fed up with Western foot dragging pakistan has decided instead to install advanced China made avionics including radars, and BVR missiles. The excessive delay in India's competing Tejas fighter is because of project delays in the procurement of foreign component, especially engines. Dependence on the West must be cut to the minimum to give a boost to the indigenous manufacture of aircraft. The excellent pakistan and China cooperation has helped on schedule manufacture and supply of Thunder fighters to the PAF. http://www.china-defense-mashup.com/?p=9176
Will the export version have Russian engines or Chinese? Most probably Russian engines and Chinese Avionics.
JF-17 is underpowered machine and presently no good than Mig-21Bis. Even though with it, it might suit many poor nations but Turkey i don not think one which is inducting F-35 will buy this cheap all alluminium fighter(or something).
china will never bye junk fighter -17 , and so no other country except pak will operate this junk, year ago they there where comparing with our lca , 2 months back they started comparing with mig 29, today they are comparing with su-30 mki tomorrow they will start comparing with FGFA.
Agreed. its just a value for money thing, nothing else. Any airforce looking to soar high their numbers can definitely go for it. But that is all.
Not yet saya, with recent induction of Chinese missiles like SD-10 and still not sure about their Engine performance, till how long Russia is gonna supply engine for it. Still that weapons suite recently purchased require tests to formally induct.
how funny they have not fully tested this fighter still they want to sell it to others. BTW if they dont have radar then how they tested SD 10 ???
Russians are only supplying limited engines that the Chinese are using for their own planes ,what engines will be used in Pak's planes??This plane will never be sold to any other country except Pakistan ; Russians are not going to except 4 million for an engine and lose 50 million for a plane.
The JF-17 is the other crown jewel for the pakistanis after their nukes. They just can't stop talking about it. Its as if they have created a 6th gen plane. Poor guys have so little to talk about their country that they make sure they keep singing about this junk. But it could be of use to countries that need junk to have a semblance of an air force. African countries I guess a target.
Its the cheapest fighter that poor nations can afford. Chinese made cheap stuff usually means inferior quality. But when it comes to the quality and performance standards when in comparison to other 4th gen fighters it seems nowhere. It seems that it is getting attention coz Pakistan being a poor country is planning to induct 250 of them.
Yes, they think to use WS-10 as soon as possible but still the chinese are not able to produce enough thrust on that engine, so they have to stick with the Russian Engine for some time.
Actually, they're trying to use upgraded version of WS-10.. Might be WS-10 A which gives a thrust of 132KN..
I know one can be biased. But calling JF-17 no better than Mig21Bis is like saying F-22 no better than F-15.
WS10 is an engine being used on J11B, and will eventually power J10. It is dimensionally a lot bigger than RD33/93, thus no possibility for use on JF-17. China has developed a RD93 clone called WS13, its the one JF-17 will eventually use. Right now engine supply is no problem as Russia has just reassured China supply of more RD93. Certain people try to drive a wedge between China and Russia by saying that JF-17 would take Mig29's market's share. But truth is Russia has moved on from Mig29 to Mig35 which is larger, a lot more capable and a lot more pricier than Mig29 ever was. Thus JF-17 is not really competing with any russian aircraft at the moment. And deal to supply RD-93 is signed and dusted, it is money in the bank, on the other hand any prospect of selling Mig35 to another country is till up in the air. There is good chance that Russia will not sell a single Mig35, with or without the competition from JF-17.
I know one can be biased but thinking of JF-17 better than Mig-21Bis is just like saying Mig-21BIS is better than Mig-21Bison. Go get a decent BVRAAM like R-77 coupled with something which is even close to EL-2032 first then think about comparing it with Mig-21Bison.
WS-10 is their attempt to clone the AL-31, that engine is far too large for the JF-17. You thinking about WS-13 which is their attempt to clone the RD-93.
