The Pakistani Thunder fighter jet air forces are lining up to buy

When Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed a mutual defence pact in September last year, it was clear what Riyadh wanted from Islamabad.

A similar interest has been shown by Bangladesh, Iraq, Indonesia and the Libyan national army.

Agreements have either been signed, or soon will be, for Pakistan’s domestically produced JF-17 Thunder fighter jet.

Low in cost, high in performance, the jets were tested in combat against India as the two nuclear powers went to war in May. The JF-17 excelled against India’s French-made Rafales, and now other countries are lining up to buy their own.

The lightweight, multi-role fighter aircraft is manufactured at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC), just 50 miles from the capital, Islamabad.

Its Block II variant is a 4.5-generation fighter jet equipped with an advanced radar and beyond-visual-range missiles capable of air-to-air and air-to-surface combat missions. They are fitted with Chinese-made PL-10E high off-boresight air-to-air missiles.

It has advanced avionics, an active electronically scanned array (Aesa) radar and electronic warfare systems, representing an upgrade from the US F-16 and Russian Su-27, which were primarily built for speed and dogfighting.

The Pakistan air force (PAF) says the jet offers high manoeuvrability at medium and low altitudes and combines firepower, agility and survivability, making it “a potent platform for any air force”.

The Aesa radar enables it to simultaneously track multiple targets and provides more visibility at longer distances. It does not feature stealth technology, so sits in the same category as Sweden’s Gripen, France’s Rafale, the Eurofighter Typhoon and China’s J-10.

Except it is far cheaper.

The estimated price of the JF-17 is between $25m-$30m (£18.6m-£22.3m).

The Rafales cost more than $90m (£66.8m) per unit, while the Gripen is priced at more than $100m (£74.3m). Typhoons are around $117m (£86.9m) and J-10s are around $50m (£37.1m). US F35 Lightning IIs cost $109m (£80.9m).

The other appeal of the JF-17s is that they have already proven themselves in combat: with India in 2019 and 2025.

In February 2019, Pakistan shot down an Indian fighter jet and captured its pilot, Group Captain Abhinandhan Varthaman, who was released two days later after the US and China intervened. The short conflict also resulted in the deaths of of five Indian air force officers and a civilian in India-administered Kashmir.

In the four-day conflict in May last year, Pakistan claimed to have shot down six Indian aircraft including three French-made Rafales. India has admitted losses, but it has not provided specific numbers of jets lost in the conflict.

The PAF says JF-17 Thunder took part in the formations that engaged Indian aircraft and was used to strike India’s Russian-made S-400 air defence system with a hypersonic missile. India has denied there was any damage to its defence system.

The fighting stopped abruptly on May 10 after Donald Trump announced a “full and immediate ceasefire”. Pakistan later nominated the US president for the Nobel Peace Prize, crediting him with defusing a potential nuclear confrontation. Mr Trump also stated a number of times that six to eight jets were shot down, highlighting PAF’s performance.

The jet’s capabilities and competitive pricing had been noticed years before by smaller militaries.

In 2015, Myanmar became the first country to buy the JF-17. Seven out of 15 have been delivered so far and the delay has been attributed to the sanctions on Myanmar’s military junta.

In 2021, Nigeria bought three JF-17 jets. In February 2024, Azerbaijan signed a deal to buy 16 jets for $1.5bn (£1.1bn). In November, it unveiled five JF-17 during its Victory Day parade.

But analysts say the May conflict boosted the JF-17’s appeal, particularly after the French-made Rafales were shot down.

Deals agreed with six countries

On Jan 6, Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, Pakistan’s Air Chief Marshal, and Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan, his Bangladeshi counterpart, met in Islamabad and discussed “potential procurement” of the JF-17 Thunder aircraft.

Now, Pakistan’s military media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations, says that a deal to sell JF-17 Thunder fighter jets to Bangladesh is imminent.

On Monday, Reuters reported that Indonesia’s defence minister met Pakistan’s air force chief in Islamabad to discuss a potential deal that includes the sale of JF-17s. One source cited by the news agency said Jakarta would buy more than 40 jets.

Iraq has also shown “keen interest” in making purchases.

These agreements come less than a month after a $4bn (£3bn) deal with the Libyan national army for more than a dozen jets.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are in talks to convert about $2bn (£1.5bn) of Saudi loans into a JF-17 fighter jet deal.

Aamir Masood, a retired air marshal and analyst, said Pakistan was in talks about or had finalised deals with six countries to provide equipment including JF-17s and electronic systems and weapons systems for the jets. He said those countries included Saudi Arabia, but could not confirm any details about the negotiations.

Pakistan is currently under a $7bn (£5.2bn) International Monetary Fund programme, its 24th, which followed a short-term $3bn (£2.2bn) deal that helped avert a sovereign default in 2023. It secured the fund’s support after Saudi Arabia and other Gulf allies provided financial and deposit rollovers.

Christopher Clary, a non-resident fellow with Stimson’s South Asia program and associate professor of political science at the University of Albany said: “The JF-17 has had some real export success. If Pakistan can develop a real defence export industry, that will help with international status and hard currency. It will also provide economies of scale for its own defence acquisitions of indigenous or co-produced hardware.”

Last week, Pakistan’s defence minister said the success of its weapons industry could transform the country’s economic outlook.

Khawaja Asif told broadcaster Geo News: “Our aircraft have been tested, and we are receiving so many orders that Pakistan may not need the International Monetary Fund in six months.”

[Source: Daily Telegraph]