The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has received 14 Chinese JF-17 Block-3 dual-seat aircraft to be used for pilot training as well.
During a ceremony held today where the jets were officially handed over to PAF, the jointly manufactured dual-seater JF-17 fighters were added to the air force’s fleet.
Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan attended the grand ceremony, which was also honoured by the Chinese Chief of Air Staff, the Chinese Ambassador, Nong Rong, and officials from Nigeria.
The significant development will improve PAF’s operational capabilities and national defense prospects as Block 3 with 2 Mach speed is 4.5 generation. These jets are more advanced than the F16 that Pakistan currently has available.
Features
Below are some of the JF-17 Block 3 features:
- A new and wider wide-angle holographic head-up display
- Integrated display for the cockpit, similar to the J-20 aircraft
- Advance active radar system for electronically scanned arrays
- Advance capability for weapons
Integrated with long-range air-to-air missiles PL-15, the JF-17B3 will outstrip all current air-to-air missiles from India, including the MICA used by Rafale.
It should be recalled that in December last year, the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) Kamra achieved a significant milestone by rolling out the first batch of eight JF-17 dual-seat aircraft.
