Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on Wednesday, inducted 14 new JF-17s fighter jets into its fleet giving a significant boost to nation’s air arsenal.
The 14 new state of the art JF-17s are Block 2 dual-seat versions and will be primarily used for training purposes and will significantly boost PAF’s capability and capacity to defend the nation.
Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Mr Nong Rong attended the induction ceremony and termed defence cooperation as a testament to Pak-China friendship.
Furthermore, PAF also announced that it has started production of Block 3 version of JF-17 fighter jets – the latest and most modern variant of the domestically produced fighter jet.
JF-17B Block 2
JF-17B Block 2 is multi-role variant of JF-17 and can be used as a (i) JF-17 conversion trainer; (ii) Lead-In Fighter Trainer (LIFT); (iii) ground-attack aircraft; and (iv) reconnaissance aircraft. The production of the first JF-17B was initiated by Pakistan and China in 2016
JF-17A Block 3
JF-17A Block 3 is a single-seat variant, projected to feature further avionics advancements such as helmet-mounted display and sight (HMD/S) system, a new single panel multi-functional display (MFD), an active electronically-scanned array (AESA) radar paired with an infrared search and track (IRST) system,
It’s cockpit features flight-control stick on the side, an NRIET KLJ-7A AESA radar, more use of composites, a new engine, and a two-seater cockpit option, with a top speed of 2.0+ Mach. Pakistani Air Force officials have described it as a “fourth generation plus” fighter jet.
