The JF-17 Thunder is a lightweight single-seat multirole supersonic combat aircraft which is jointly developed by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and the Chinese Chengdu Aircraft Industries Corporation.
About 50 percent of the on-board equipment and avionics for the third generation fighter is manufactured in Pakistan at the Kamra plant, while the rest of its parts come from China.
PAF to order 40 JF-17 Thunder Block-2 fighter jets. Twin seat JF-17-B prototype to fly next year. First export order signed. #JF17Update
— Pakistan Defence (@defencepk) 15 ноября 2015
According to Pakistani Air Vice Marshal Arshad Malik, a total of 60 JF-17 Thunder fighters have already been purchased by the Pakistan Air Force, which he said will procure 40 more such planes in the future.
Number of countries show interest in buying Super Mushshak training aircraft and JF-17 Thunder fighter jets.
— Dr Barkat SOOMRO (@DrBarkatSoomro) 9 ноября 2015
He said that the JF-17 Thunder fighters "will soon be deployed into combat." Malik added that during the next few years, the JF-17 fighters will be equipped with advanced data links, electronic combat capability and new guided weapons.
Wake-up call for India! 3 PAF JF-17 Thunder fighter jets a China-Pak joint venture taking part in the Paris Air Show pic.twitter.com/A7UCZHomWP
— aloysius (@aloysius34) 21 июля 2015
After the modernization, the JF-17 will most likely make forays into the international market, where it will replace Cold War-era second generation fighter jets such as the Soviet-made MiG-21, the US-made F-5 and the French-made Mirage III and Mirage 5.
