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Pakistan Promotes the JF-17C Thunder to Bangladesh
On January 15, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) announced through a press video that it will invite a technical team from the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) in the near future to evaluate the JF-17C Thunder Block-3.
The announcement came following a visit by a Bangladeshi military delegation led by Lt. Gen. S.M Kamrul Hassan, the Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division.
The invitation signifies a step in the apparent thaw in defence ties between the two countries after the fall of the government of Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. According to the PAF’s press release, the delegation expressed interest in Pakistan’s locally produced solutions, including the JF-17 Thunder.
Jointly manufactured by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the JF-17C is the latest variant of the Thunder, the PAF’s mainstay multirole fighter.
The JF-17C Block-3 incorporates several new generation subsystems, most notably the KLJ-7E active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and helmet-mounted display and sight (HMD/S) system that provide improved long-range and short-range air-to-air combat capabilities, respectively.
The JF-17C’s new air-to-air missiles include the PL-15E and PL-10E. The former offers a stated range of 145 km, while the latter can be slaved to the HMD/S to offer beyond-the-cockpit engagement options to the pilot when in within-visual-range (WVR) engagements.
The PAF’s JF-17C are reportedly powered by the Klimov RD-93MA turbofan engine, a new version of the RD-93 offering improved thrust and reliability[1]. PAC is also marketing the RD-93MA as an option alongside the older RD-93 to customers potentially interested in the JF-17.
PAC is also integrating a wider variety of air-to-surface munitions to the JF-17, such as the AZB series of precision-guided bombs (PGB) and Taimoor air-launched cruise missile (ALCM), among others. Including these munitions to the JF-17 would significantly extend the fighter’s strike reach.
[1] Alan Warnes. “JF-17C Makes Public Debut.” Air Forces Monthly. January 2024
Comments and Analysis
It seems that the main driver of involving Bangladesh in the JF-17 is the PAF leadership, which is seeking more buyers for the Thunder. Currently, PAC is focused on manufacturing JF-17Cs for the Azerbaijan Air Force, which recently confirmed ordering an undisclosed number of Thunders.
When viewed at the most basic level, it is clear that the PAF leadership has an active interest in keeping PAC’s production line warm through export orders. This approach would allow the PAF to recoup some of the overhead costs of the JF-17 through foreign currency gains and buy time as the Thunder’s next steps materialize. These new programs include the JF-17 Operational Capability Upgrade (OCU), an apparent mid-life-upgrade for the Thunder, and the more nebulous PFX program.
Thus, a potential BAF JF-17C order could add one to two years to PAC’s production line, thus extending Thunder production closer to the late 2020s. By then, the PAF might begin the work of overhauling and/or rebuilding its own older JF-17s, thereby initiating PAC’s work for the early-to-mid 2030s.
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