China to deliver JF-17s to Pakistan next year

Islamabad, Apr 29 (UNI) China will deliver the first small batch of JF-17 (Thunder) aircraft to Pakistan early next year, officials here said today.

The serial production of a batch of JF-17s is to commence in China by June-July after a successful testflight of the fourth prototype of the aircraft was conducted in Chengdu yesterday, the officials added.

Pakistan Air Force (PAF) will start serial production of the aircraft in the country from June 2007 following induction of the first small batch, which may consist of four jets.

China and Pakistan have jointly produced the JF-17, which had its maiden flight in September 2003, thirteen years after the project was conceived by the two countries.

The idea was to manufacture a light-weight all-weather multi-role aircraft, which could replace ageing aircraft from the inventory of PAF, the officials said.

Established in early '70s with Chinese assistance, the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) is rebuilding and overhauling the whole range of military combat aircraft of French and Chinese origin being flown by the PAF. The Complex has now been assigned the task to manufacture JF-17s.

The light-weight multi-role aircraft with Beyond Visual Range (BVR) capability, will be equipped with state-of-the-art avionics package to provide an all weather navigation, attack and jamming capability to track and destroy multiple targets.

Pakistan's Armed Forces suffered a great deal following application of military and economic sanctions by the US in the '90s for pursuing its nuclear programme and detonating a device.

However, Chinese assistance to Islamabad in the defence field kept its military machines fighting-fit during this period.

But with the lifting of sanctions after dramatic events of 9/11, Pakistan was pledged a three-billion dollars economic and military aid package by the US, which includes delivery of F-16 aircraft, latest guns and missile systems and eight P-3C Orion surveillance aircraft.

UNI XC SC RN1949