By Mizzima
On Tuesday, 31 October 2017
A JF-17 Fierce Dragon fighter aircraft with the insignia of the
Myanmar Air Force (MAF) on its tail has been conducting test flights in China's
Chengdu airport, indicating that plans to induct them into MAF by end of this
year may be on course.
That will make Pakistan a military hardware exporter because the
Fierce Dragon has been jointly developed by Pakistan and China.
Khwaja Suhail Mansoor, chairman of Pakistan’s standing committee on
defence production, claimed recently that the fiscal year that ended in July,
the value of defence exports was $98.3 million, a 55% jump from a decade back.
While the JF-17 is a major joint collaboration effort to
manufacture and sell combat planes by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and the
state-owned Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation (PAC/CAC), it has been mainly
developed by China by improving its CAC FC-1 Xiaolong air fighter.
Myanmar is the first country to buy these planes to replace its
aging combat force of 24 aging J-7 fighters and 16 A-5IIK ground attack aircraft.
MAF has a force level of 112 fighters, about 80 trainer aircraft,
25 transport aircraft, and around 140 helicopters.
In July 2015, Myanmar had signed a deal for 16 JF-17 Block II
aircraft at a unit cost of $16 million, Jane’s Defence Weekly claimed.
Myanmar may also be considering buying an additional unspecified
number of JF-17s. The Defense Ministry is tight-lipped on that.
The JF-17 Block II variant of the light multi-role and combat
fighter is an improved version of the Block I fighter and boasts of mid-air
refuelling facilities.
But, its role will largely be to provide close air support or for
defensive operations.
With China’s active help, the Pakistan Air Force is also pursuing
an ongoing effort to build and induct about 150 JF-17 fighters.
Original post: mizzima.com
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