Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on Wednesday formally inducted the JF-17 ThunderBlock II dual-seater fighter aircraft into its fleet and also launched theproduction of Block III of the same aircraft, a significant advance in thecountry’s air defense arsenal.
According to an official release, a ceremony for the formal induction of 14JF-17 Thunder Block II, a dual-seat combat fighter aircraft, jointlydeveloped by Islamabad and Beijing, was held at the Pakistan AeronauticalComplex (PAC), the PAF’s manufacturing facility in Kamra, near capitalIslamabad.
The ceremony was attended by the country’s Air Chief Marshal Mujahid AnwarKhan and Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong, said the statementreleased by PAF.
Anwar congratulated the PAC and China National Aero-Technology Import andExport Corporation (CATIC) on the successful completion of the productiontarget in a record time and called the induction of the dual-seat fighteraircraft JF-17 Thunder in the PAF fleet a significant milestone towardsself-reliance.
Fourteen aircraft were handed over to the PAF, which will be used fortraining.
The JF-17 Thunder dual-seater is designed to improve the PAF’s operationaland training capabilities, the statement said and added: “It will furtherenhance the advanced combat training of PAF fighter pilots on thisindigenous war fighting machine.”
The production is part of the modernization of Pakistan’s air fleet tocompete with its arch-rival, the Indian Air Force, which has more than2,000 aircrafts compared to the PAF’s current strength of over 900 aircraftand helicopters.
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In recent months, India received Rafale fighter jets from France after NewDelhi paid €7.8 billion ($9.2 billion) four years ago for the purchase of atotal of 36 aircraft from French defense manufacturer Dassault Aviation.
On Wednesday, the Pakistani air chief and the Chinese ambassador alsoinaugurated the production of the latest Block III of JF-17, multirolefighter aircraft, which is believed to be equivalent to that of Rafaeljets.
The PAC in Kamra has so far delivered more than 100 home-made JF-17 Block Iand Block II aircraft to the PAF since 2009.
The single-engine multi-role jets have been jointly developed by Pakistanand China. Each one can carry up to 3,630 kilograms (8,000 pounds) ofweapons, reach speeds of up to 2,200 kilometers per hour (1,370 miles perhour) and have a combat radius of 1,350 kilometers (840 miles).
