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Author Topic: Pakistan and China sign deal for joint production of JF-17 Thunder jet fighters  (Read 5876 times)

Offline tigershark

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Pakistan and China sign deal for joint production of JF-17 Thunder jet fighters
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China have finally signed the deal for joint production of JF-17 Thunder jet fighters.

The Air Marshall of PAF, Tanveer Mehmood Ahmad has disclosed that the deal envisages initial of 42 such aircraft with a total expenditure of U$ 600 million, while a total of 250 of final aircraft for PAF would cost U$. 3 billion.

The deal signed by president PAC Kamra, Air Marshall Khalid Chaudhry and CATC (Chinese Aviation Industries) during an event in Air Headquarters of Chaklala Air Base, and was participated by Air Marshall Tanveer Mehmood Abbas and Chinese ambassador, besides many other high-ranking officers.

On the occasion, Air Marshall PAF informed that Pakistan was flown for the first time on 23rd March 2007, and so far it owned eight of these lethal aircraft.

He also informed that Pakistan would receive its first ever AWAC (Advance Warning Air Craft) in 2010, while until 2015 this very pact would also be helpful for replacement of ageing Mirage and F-7P jet fighters.

Talking to media, the Chinese president of CATC assured of every possible Chinese help to complete the said defense project within the scheduled framework, while the JF-17 would definitely fly within this year after being tested.

Source
http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=142008

Offline tigershark

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I find it odd that this project is dragging like it is Pakistan only has a handful of F-16 Fighting Falcons. (complete name) The bulk of PAF I think are ROSE upgraded Mirage III's and Chinese made J-7 fighters.  Pakistan kind of needs this JF-17 and J-10 to start coming along. 

If India has 20 or 30 Su-30 MKI trained up as deep strikers Pakistan's might have to think differently.  There Block-52 are fine aircraft and their pilots are trained pretty well from what I can read on them. 

I think one of the reasons India would never buy the F-16 Fighting Falcon is it would takes years to get good and they wouldn't want to behind Pakistan's pilots.

 



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