The JF 17 jet was developed by China and Pakistan.
More than 100 JF-17s were in service with Pakistan.
The number of countries that are interested in the jet is growing.
The JF 17 fighters of the Pakistan Air Force performed aerial demonstrations at the air show.
At the same time, China was showing off the JF-17 at the annual China International Aviation and Aerospace exhibition in Zuhai, China.
China and Pakistan are trying to market their fourth- generation fighter jet to other countries.
According to Aviation Week, there are only three countries in which the JF-17 is in service.
By the end of the decade, Aviation Week data shows that the JF-17 would be the most widely operated Chinese combat jet in service overseas.
The JF-17 first flew in 2003 and was developed by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex. The single-seat, single- engine jet is also known as the FC-1 Xiaolong in China and as the JF 17 thunder in Pakistan.
The JF-17 can perform a number of missions, including aerial intercept and ground attack, with a service ceiling of 50,000 feet. It can carry 7,000 pounds of weapons on seven hardpoints and is armed with a single gun.
Pakistan now produces most of the JF-17s, even though the first few were made in China. The majority of the aircraft are made in Pakistan and China.
Pakistan introduced it into service in 2007. The jet is meant to replace Pakistan's aging fleet of attack and fighter jets.
The JF 17 is the main engine of the PAF. They are said to have been used to down an Iranian-made drone in southwestern Pakistan.
There was an air-to-air skirmish between Pakistan and India in February of 2019. The jet was shot down by a Pakistan F-16.
Since it's introduction, the JF 17 has been upgraded many times. The Block III features several improvements, including an additional hardpoint, a quad redundant digital fly-by-wire system, and an active electronically scanned radar array.
Pakistan's air force plans to acquire at least 50 of the Block III JF 17 jets, which arrived in January. One of China's most advanced air-to-air missiles was carried by the jets.
Pakistan has the most JF 17s. Nigeria has three andMyanmar has six.
The JF 17 is cheaper than almost every other fourth- generation jet on the market. It's attractive to countries with low defense budgets that want multirole combat jets because of the add-ons.
It's not cutting edge, but it's a reliable performer, according to a senior international and defense researcher.
It doesn't need the most sophisticated engines and parts because it's not designed to compete with the F-22. It's a cheap multirole budget aircraft that is most appealing to developing countries that want to bomb their own people or carry out basic defense against similar-type countries.
Several countries are interested in the JF 17 Egypt is interested in acquiring JF-17s as part of expanded defense cooperation with Pakistan, and Iraq has reportedly agreed to purchase at least 12. For a long time, Azerbaijan has said that it wants JF-17s, and now both Argentina and Bolivia are looking at the jet.
Argentina wants to increase its fighter production. It could make the jet more appealing to its neighbors if it were to be built domestically.
China could increase its share of the market for " value arms", weapons that are less sophisticated but still effective, if JF 17 sales are expanded.
It may not translate into greater dependence on Chinese military hardware if you sell more JF 17s. Many countries still want higher-end Western-built aircraft and are wary of becoming dependent on a single supplier, which is why they operate a mix of US, European, Russian, and Chinese aircraft.
The strategy is common in the developing world. Even though that does complicate their ability to operate all these foreign systems, most countries want to have diverse suppliers.
Business Insider has an article on it.
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