Why is Pakistan selling its JF-17 fighter jets to Bangladesh and others?

Islamabad, Pakistan – Less than a week into the caller year, aft a gathering betwixt Pakistan’s Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu and his Bangladeshi counterpart Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan, the Pakistani subject announced that a woody to merchantability its domestically produced JF-17 Thunder combatant pitchy could beryllium imminent.

A connection by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said Khan praised the Pakistan Air Force’s combat grounds and sought assistance to enactment the Bangladesh Air Force’s “ageing fleet and integration of aerial defence radar systems to heighten aerial surveillance”.

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Alongside a committedness of fast-tracked transportation of Super Mushshak trainer aircraft, the statement, issued connected January 6, added that “detailed discussions were besides held connected imaginable procurement of JF-17 Thunder aircraft.”

The Super Mushshak is simply a light-weight, two-to-three seater, single-engine level with fixed, non-retractable, tricycle landing gear. The level is chiefly utilized for grooming purposes. Besides Pakistan, much than 10 countries presently person deployed the level successful their fleet for aviator training, including Azerbaijan, Turkiye, Iran, Iraq and others.

Just a time later, it was reported by the Reuters quality bureau that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were successful talks to person astir $2bn of Saudi loans into a JF-17 combatant pitchy deal, further strengthening subject practice betwixt the 2 longtime allies. The discussions travel lone months aft they signed a mutual defence pact successful September past year.

Both developments followed reports successful precocious December that Pakistan had reached a $4bn woody with a rebel faction successful Libya, the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), including the merchantability of much than a twelve JF-17 Thunder jets.

While the Pakistani subject has yet to formally corroborate immoderate statement with Libya oregon Saudi Arabia, and Bangladesh has truthful acold lone expressed “interest” alternatively than signing a contract, analysts accidental events successful 2025 person boosted the JF-17’s appeal.

However, the comparatively inexpensive terms of the plane, estimated astatine $25m-$30m, has meant that respective countries successful the past 10 years person shown involvement successful it, with Nigeria, Myanmar and Azerbaijan already having the pitchy successful their fleets. And caller events person bolstered the estimation of Pakistan’s aerial warring capabilities, accidental analysts.

In May, India and Pakistan fought an aggravated four-day aerial war, firing missiles and drones astatine each other’s territories, parts of Kashmir that they administer, and astatine subject bases, aft gunmen changeable down 26 civilians successful Indian-administered Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan, which denied immoderate nexus to the attack.

Pakistan said it changeable down respective Indian combatant jets during the aerial combat, a assertion Indian officials later acknowledged aft initially denying immoderate losses, but without specifying the fig of jets downed.

“The PAF demonstrated superior show against overmuch much costly Western and Russian systems, which has made these craft an charismatic enactment for respective aerial forces,” Adil Sultan, a erstwhile Pakistan Air Force aerial commodore, said.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has traditionally relied connected Russian Mirage-2000 and Su-30 jets, but successful the 2025 warring besides utilized French Rafale jets.

Pakistan, for its part, relied connected its precocious imported Chinese J-10C Vigorous Dragon and the JF-17 Thunder arsenic good arsenic the United States’ F-16 Fighting Falcon jets, with 42 planes successful the enactment that took connected 72 IAF planes, according to the PAF.

So what is the JF-17 Thunder, what tin it do, and wherefore are truthful galore countries showing interest?

What is the JF-17 Thunder?

The JF-17 Thunder is simply a lightweight, all-weather, multi-role combatant craft jointly manufactured by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and China’s Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC).

Pakistan and China signed an statement successful the precocious 1990s to make the aircraft, with enactment opening successful the aboriginal 2000s astatine the PAC successful Kamra, situated successful Pakistan’s Punjab province, conscionable much than 80km (50 miles) distant from the capital, Islamabad.

A retired Pakistan Air Force aerial commodore who worked intimately connected the programme said accumulation is divided betwixt the 2 countries, with 58 percent carried retired successful Pakistan and 42 percent successful China.

“We are manufacturing the beforehand fuselage and vertical tail, whereas China makes the mediate and rear fuselage of the plane, with a Russian motor being used, arsenic good arsenic British shaper Martin Baker’s seats are installed. However, the implicit assembly of the level is carried retired successful Pakistan,” helium told Al Jazeera, speaking connected information of anonymity owed to his engagement successful the project.

He said the craft was archetypal unveiled to the nationalist successful March 2007, with the induction of the archetypal variant, Block 1, successful 2009. The astir precocious Block 3 variant entered work successful 2020.

“The thought was to regenerate Pakistan’s ageing fleet, and subsequently, successful the adjacent decennary oregon so, they made the bulk of our aerial force, with much than 150 combat jets portion of the force,” helium said.

Before the JF-17, Pakistan was chiefly relying connected French shaper Dassault’s Mirage III and Mirage 5, arsenic good arsenic Chinese J-7 combatant planes.

The Block 3 variant places JF-17 successful the alleged 4.5 procreation of combatant jets. It has air-to-air and air-to-surface combat capabilities, precocious avionics, an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, physics warfare systems and the quality to occurrence beyond-visual-range missiles.

Their avionics and physics capabilities are an upgrade from the 4th procreation of combatant planes, specified arsenic the F-16 and Su-27, which were chiefly built for velocity and dogfighting.

The AESA radar gives these planes the capableness to way aggregate targets astatine erstwhile and provides much visibility astatine longer distances. However, dissimilar fifth-generation planes, they deficiency stealth capabilities.

The Pakistan Air Force says the pitchy offers precocious manoeuvrability astatine mean and debased altitudes and combines firepower, agility and survivability, making it “a potent level for immoderate aerial force”.

Bangladesh Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan (left) met with the Pakistani Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu successful Islamabad connected January 6, during which a imaginable procurement of JF-17 was besides discussed [Handout/Inter-Services Public Relations]

Who has bought the JF-17?

Myanmar was the archetypal state to bargain the JF-17, ordering astatine slightest 16 Block 2 craft successful 2015. Seven person been delivered truthful far.

Nigeria became the 2nd buyer, inducting 3 JF-17s into its aerial unit successful 2021.

Azerbaijan followed with an archetypal bid of 16 jets successful February 2024, worthy much than $1.5bn. In November 2025, Azerbaijan unveiled 5 JF-17s during its Victory Day parade, formally making it the 3rd overseas relation of the aircraft.

That aforesaid month, the Pakistani subject announced it had signed a memorandum of knowing with a “friendly country” for procurement of the JF-17, describing it arsenic a “noteworthy development” without naming the buyer.

Other countries, including Iraq, Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia, person besides explored the enactment of buying the JF-17 implicit the past decade, though those plans did not materialise.

While JF-17 makes the bulk of the PAF’s warring squadron, the level is not utilized by the Chinese aerial force, which is much reliant connected its J-10, J-20 and processing its latest J-35 planes.

With the plane’s full assembly carried retired successful Kamra, Pakistan is the superior seller of the JF-17 combatant plane, including its after-sales services.

How does the JF-17 comparison to different combatant jets?

The astir precocious fighters presently successful work globally are fifth-generation jets specified arsenic the US F-22 and F-35, China’s J-20 and J-35, and Russia’s Su-57. These craft diagnostic stealth exertion – dissimilar each erstwhile generations of jets.

The JF-17’s Block 3 variant, by contrast, belongs to the 4.5 generation, alongside jets specified arsenic Sweden’s Gripen, France’s Rafale, the Eurofighter Typhoon, India’s Tejas and China’s J-10, among others.

Still, portion they don’t person stealth capabilities, 4.5 procreation planes person specialised coating connected them to trim their radar signature, making them harder – though not intolerable – to detect.

So, for instance, erstwhile a 4.5-generation pitchy enters the enemy’s radar zone, it tin get detected, but it tin besides effort to jam signals by utilizing its physics jamming capabilities, oregon usage long-range missiles to onslaught the target, earlier turning back.

On the different hand, a fifth-generation level remains wholly undetected by radars owed to its carnal plan and weapons, which are stored internally.

While authoritative pricing has not been disclosed, estimates enactment the JF-17’s portion outgo astatine betwixt $25m and $30m. By comparison, the Rafale costs much than $90m per aircraft, portion the Gripen is priced astatine much than $100m.

An Islamabad-based determination information expert who has intimately monitored the improvement of the JF-17 planes said the jet’s entreaty lies successful its cost-effectiveness, little attraction requirements and combat record.

“The JF-17’s entreaty is little astir header show than the wide package, which includes little price, flexible weapons integration, training, spares and mostly less Western governmental strings,” helium told Al Jazeera, requesting anonymity due to the fact that of his engagement with the JF-17 project.

“In that sense, the JF-17 is simply a ‘good enough’ multirole pitchy optimised for accessibility. It tin suit aerial forces modernising connected choky budgets, but it is not a nonstop substitute for higher-end fighters similar the J-10C oregon F-16V successful range, payload, physics warfare maturity and semipermanent upgrade headroom.”

Sultan, who is besides dean of the Faculty of Aerospace and Strategic Studies astatine Islamabad’s Air University, said the JF-17’s show against Indian craft successful 2025 underscored its capabilities.

However, helium cautioned that outcomes successful aerial combat beryllium not lone connected the craft but connected who is operating it.

“The jets’ integration with different systems specified arsenic crushed and airborne radars, connection systems and the quality skills mastered during grooming play the astir captious role,” helium said.

(Al Jazeera)

Why is the involvement successful JF-17s growing?

Pakistan’s aerial unit again drew attraction during the four-day struggle with India successful May 2025, peculiarly connected the nighttime of May 7, erstwhile Indian craft struck targets wrong Pakistani territory.

According to the PAF, Pakistani squadrons flying Chinese-made J-10C jets changeable down astatine slightest six Indian aircraft. Indian officials initially denied losses but aboriginal acknowledged that “some” planes had been lost.

US President Donald Trump, who has claimed recognition for brokering a ceasefire betwixt the 2 countries, has repeatedly highlighted the show of Pakistani jets, a assertion India has powerfully rejected.

Although the JF-17 was not progressive successful the reported shoot-downs, the PAF says it was portion of the formations that engaged Indian aircraft.

Three days later, connected May 10, the ISPR claimed a JF-17 was utilized to onslaught India’s Russian-made S-400 aerial defence strategy with a hypersonic missile. India has denied immoderate harm to its defence system.

The Islamabad-based information expert said Pakistan is utilizing the May struggle to marketplace the JF-17 arsenic a combat-proven, affordable enactment for countries with constricted defence budgets.

He added, however, that the anticipation of a “potential procurement” should beryllium treated cautiously.

“‘Expressions of interest’ should beryllium treated cautiously arsenic combatant pitchy procurements typically instrumentality years to construe from exploratory talks to signed contracts and deliveries,” helium said, adding that “while PAF is continuing to marketplace the JF-17 aggressively, the JF-17 for indebtedness swap isn’t what PAF envisions.”

Other observers hold that Islamabad sees an accidental to leverage its aerial force’s show to unafraid defence exports and task itself arsenic a rising mediate power.

The retired aerial commodore progressive successful the JF-17 programme said combat show remains the eventual benchmark.

“Very fewer countries are making combatant jets, with astir of the marketplace dominated by Western developers who often connect galore conditions to sales,” helium said. “But everybody wants to diversify and debar putting each their eggs successful 1 basket, and that is wherever Pakistan comes in.”

On Bangladesh, helium said Dhaka’s posture towards Pakistan has shifted sharply since a alteration of authorities successful 2024.

“Such deals are not conscionable astir merchantability of a level oregon a plane. It is simply a collaboration, an statement astatine nationalist level, showing strategical alignment betwixt 2 countries,” helium said.

Fighter jets, helium added, are a semipermanent commitment, with work lives of 3 to 4 decades.

“If Bangladesh is getting a JF-17 oregon Super Mushshak trainers, you tin beryllium definite that they are successful it for the agelong haul with grooming and after-sales services. They are besides showing involvement successful Chinese J-10s, which means that strategically, they person decided who they privation to align with successful the future,” helium said.