Bangladesh has expressed a potential interest in procuring JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft from Pakistan, according to a statement from the Pakistan military. The development came during a meeting between the air chiefs of both countries, focusing on strengthening operational cooperation and institutional synergy.
A Russian defence expert says the reported sale of RD-93 engines to Pakistan for integration into the JF-17 will actually benefit India, dismissing criticism of the Indian government by the opposition.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif claims several countries are in talks with Pakistan to acquire its fighter jets following last year's conflict with India. The JF-17 Thunder is reportedly a key focus.
In its annual report to Congress on Tuesday on 'Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2025', the US Department of War said the People's Liberation Army (PLA) is actively considering and planning for additional military facilities.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has once again thanked former US President Donald Trump for resolving the India-Pakistan conflict in May, despite India's consistent denial of third-party intervention.
At least a dozen Pakistani military aircraft including F-16 jets were destroyed or damaged in Indian strikes during Operation Sindoor, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh said on Friday while describing Islamabad's claim of India's losses as "fanciful stories".
'The JF-17 is the aircraft of today and the Tejas is the aircraft of tomorrow.'
It is learnt that the Chinese JF-17 was cheaper but could not match the technical parameters of the Tejas Mk-IA variant and the offer of maintenance of the Su-30 fleet as proposed by India.
Pakistan and China have launched the production of a new variant of the JF-17B 'Thunder' multi-role combat jet to be inducted into the Pakistan Air Force by April next year.
China supplied more than $20 billion worth of arms to Pakistan. These include 20 J-10CE and JF-17 Block III fighter aircraft, Wing Loong drones, frigates, submarines, Hongqi HQ-9P surface-to-air missiles, 240 PL-15E air-to-air missiles, LY-80 air defence systems, ZDK early warning aircraft and other weapons.
Pakistan on Monday rolled out its first indigenously assembled version of the JF-17 combat jet developed jointly with China.The JF-17 Thunder jet was rolled out at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex in Kamra, the country's main facility for building and maintaining combat aircraft. The Pakistani air force plans to make the first JF-17 squadron which will officially become operational between 2010 and 2012.
Pakistan has raised two squadrons equipped with the JF-17 Thunder combat jet that was developed jointly with China and plans to have a third squadron by early next year.
The Pakistani Air Force inducted the first squadron of JF-17 Thunder multi-role combat aircraft it jointly developed with China as part of its efforts to maintain a "balance" of conventional forces in the region.
The JF-17 Thunder aircraft, an advanced multi-role light combat aircraft, has been jointly developed by China and Pakistan.
Pakistan and China last week began production of the JF-17 multi-role jet, which they developed jointly, and Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed on Wednesday said the first squadron of the jets will be operational by the yearend.
India dismissed claims on Pakistan social media about 'Operation Sindoor', saying the neighbouring country has unleashed a 'full-blown disinformation offensive' with 'lies' and digital theatrics to control the narrative.
China has delivered a second advanced submarine to Pakistan, part of a larger deal to bolster the South Asian nation's naval capabilities in the Indian Ocean. The move underscores China's growing influence in the region and its strategic partnership with Pakistan.
The PAF plans to induct 250 JF-17s in the coming years.
It is learnt that the Aeronautical Development Agency, which oversees the development of Tejas, has put together a flying routine that 'significantly surpasses any aerobatics display the fighter has presented earlier'.
Glimpses from a counter-terrorism exercise conducted by the Pakistan navy's special forces in Karachi, November 21, 2024.
'They thought nobody would hit Bahawalpur and Muridke because they have nuclear weapons.' 'They used to think India cannot touch our military targets because we are a nuclear weapons country.' 'After Operation Sindoor we have called their bluff.'
The western media is going all out to prove that India suffered a major setback in Operation Sindoor and how China helped shoot down Indian fighter jets. One of the articles published in British newspaper Telegraph stated Operation Sindoor shattered the myth of India's air dominance over Pakistan. "The Pakistani Air Force, aided by Chinese targeting satellites and AWACS executed a sensor-fusion kill. The Rafales never got a lock, never even saw their adversary. When the missiles hit, it was already over," wrote the British Newspaper, The Telegraph.
'Even known names and social media handles went berserk by stating that Karachi has been attacked and an F-16 was shot down.'
'It is typical of China's strategic deception of making virtue out of necessity,' observes Rup Narayan Das.
Pakistan navy special forces conduct a counter-terrorism demonstration during IDEAS 2022, the Pakistan government's defence exhibition in Karachi, November 17, 2022
The Indian Air Force keeps moving its aircraft in both the Union Territories in the Northern sector including Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to give them the experience of flying there in their unique terrain.
'It would be a travesty if the Malaysian air force likes the Tejas, but decides against it because it sees the IAF reluctance to back the fighter.'
Prime Minister Imran Khan addressed a ceremony held at Pakistan Air Force base Minhas Kamra in Attock district of Punjab province to induct the new fighter jets.
Recent disclosures allege large scale corruption, nepotism and kickbacks by Pakistan air chief Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhuin housing land deals in Islamabad and in buying of new aircraft, points out Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.
"We estimate that Pakistan now has a nuclear weapons stockpile of approximately 170 warheads. The US Defense Intelligence Agency projected in 1999 that Pakistan would have 60 to 80 warheads by 2020, but several new weapon systems have been fielded and developed since then, which leads us to a higher estimate," the Nuclear Notebook column published in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists on September 11 said.
Pakistan plans to buy the fourth generation stealth fighter aircraft from China to boost its defence capability, according to a media report on Saturday.
It's a bold marketing move for the locally-produced light combat aircraft.
As Chinese Premier Li Keqiang wrapped up his "impressive" visit to Pakistan to firm up their economic and military ties, a Pakistan official said "numerous countries" are interested in obtaining JF-17 Thunder fighter jet jointly developed by both the countries.
Pakistan has acquired a full squadron of 25 multirole J-10C fighter jets from its all weather ally China in response to India's purchase of Rafale aircraft, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has said.
"Whether it was F-16 or JF-17 which shot down 2 Indian aircraft is immaterial," Pak military spokesman said.
"The HAMMER missiles are in the process of being integrated with the LCA Tejas and it will significantly enhance its capability to take out hardened targets from stand-off distances," government sources told ANI.
Feast your eyes on these birds!
India was U Thaung Tun's first port of call after his appointment, which should intrigue China and Pakistan, says Rajeev Sharma.
The Southeast Asian nation has been focusing on modernising its military in the face of myriad security challenges as well as decades-long territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea.
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