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Argentina is considering procurement of JF-17 fighter jets: Argentine Embassy in China. Argentine defence minister and ambassador to China discuss

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Argentina is considering procurement of JF-17 fighter jets: Argentine Embassy in China
Global Times
By Liu Xuanzun
Published: Mar 15, 2023 10:36 PM

A JF-17 fighter jet attached to the Pakistan Air Force flies towards the designated airspace during an air-to-ground offensive operation drill conducted by two Chinese JH-7 fighter bombers and two Pakistani JF-17 fighter jets on Sept. 20, 2017, which is part of the Shaheen VI  joint training exercise launched by the air forces of China and Pakistan on Sept. 8 and scheduled to conclude on Sept. 27, 2017. Photo: eng.chinamil.com.cn

A JF-17 fighter jet attached to the Pakistan Air Force flies towards the designated airspace during an air-to-ground offensive operation drill conducted by two Chinese JH-7 fighter bombers and two Pakistani JF-17 fighter jets on Sept. 20, 2017, which is part of the "Shaheen VI " joint training exercise launched by the air forces of China and Pakistan on Sept. 8 and scheduled to conclude on Sept. 27, 2017. Photo: eng.chinamil.com.cn

The Argentine Embassy in China said on Tuesday that the South American country is considering procuring the JF-17 aircraft, with Chinese analysts saying on Wednesday that the fighter jet jointly developed by China and Pakistan is the best choice for Argentina in terms of performance and availability.

Argentine Ambassador to China Sabino Vaca Narvaja recently held a work meeting with Argentine Defense Minister Jorge Taiana and his team in Buenos Aires to promote cooperation with China in the field of national defense, the embassy said in a social media post on Weibo on Tuesday.

During the Airshow China 2022 held in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province, Narvaja spoke with representatives from the China National Aero-Technology International Engineering Corp about the possibility of Argentina procuring the third-generation JF-17 aircraft jointly developed by China and the Pakistan Air Force, the embassy said.

Other defense cooperation with China includes the possible procurement of 8x8 armored vehicles from Chinese arms firm NORINCO, according to the post.

Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation expert, told the Global Times on Wednesday that Argentina has long been seeking to procure new fighter jets to replace its aging and shrinking warplane fleet, but because of the issue of the Malvinas Islands, the UK has blocked Argentina's aircraft procurement attempts on the international market.

The UK can lobby Western countries not to sell through diplomatic means, and it can also deter countries like South Korea and India, because their fighter jets use UK parts, including ejection seats, Fu said.

China's position on the issue of the Malvinas Islands is consistent, and China firmly supports Argentina's legitimate claim to exercise full sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands, the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Chinese Embassy in the UK stated last year.

That is why the JF-17 is the most available fighter jet to Argentina, Fu said.

According to public information, the JF-17 has developed into three generations, often referred to as the Block 1, the Block 2 and the Block 3.

The Block 3 is equipped with very advanced systems including an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, a combination of China's top beyond-visual-range and short-range missiles, as well as avionics and flight control systems. The previous blocks are less costly but still perform well, analysts said.

But any deal depends on Argentina's decision, Fu said.

 
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They have been saying that for quite a while.
 
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I remember it's the first time reported by Chinese government mouthpiece officially from high ranking Argentina government official.
There was news (unverified) last week that the UK threatened Argentina with consequences if they buy JF-17s.
 

Argentina revives possibility of Chinese fighter jet purchase, renewing Beijing’s hopes for JF-17 in South America​

  • Argentine defence minister and ambassador to China discuss potential procurement of JF-17 fighters and armoured vehicles, according to embassy
  • The announcement comes just months after Latin American country’s president pulled plans to buy warplanes


Published: 8:30pm, 16 Mar, 2023

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China’s JF-17 is reportedly a front-runner to fill the Argentine Air Force’s gap in fighter jets. Photo: Xinhua

Argentina is considering buying Chinese JF-17 fighters after a similar deal was halted last year, renewing Beijing’s hopes of expanding the reach of its military equipment in South America, where it is competing for influence with the US.

Sabino Vaca Narvaja, Argentina’s ambassador to China, held a meeting with Argentine Defence Minister Jorge Taiana in Buenos Aires recently to discuss plans to cooperate with Beijing on defence, according to a Weibo post by the country’s embassy on Tuesday.

The plan could see Argentina procure JF-17 aircraft along with 8x8 armoured vehicles made by China North Industries Corporation (Norinco) to “meet the needs of the Argentine military to maintain unity and stability”, the embassy said.

The announcement came months after Argentine President Alberto Fernandez said his country would not make any immediate military aircraft purchases.

“Argentina has to allocate its resources to more important things than the purchase of military aircraft,” Fernandez told the Financial Times in December.

The JF-17 Thunder, jointly produced with Pakistan, is a lightweight single-engine multirole jet with a top speed of Mach 1.6 and combat radius of up to 1,400km (870 miles).

It is reportedly a front-runner to fill the Argentine Air Force’s gap in fighter jets, with other potential candidates including India’s Tejas, Russia’s MiG-35 and second-hand American F-16s from the Danish air force.

The embassy’s post mentioned discussions between Vaca Narvaja and representatives of China National Aero-Technology International Engineering Corporation about the possibility of procuring the JF-17. The talks took place during an air show in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai last November, according to the embassy.

Taiana and Vaca Narvaja also discussed the progress of military personnel exchanges between Beijing and Buenos Aires, the Weibo post said.

Over the past two years, Chinese and Argentine representatives have reportedly visited each other to negotiate the terms of an agreement on the JF-17, including partial assembly of the fighter by an Argentine manufacturer.

India has also been in talks with Argentina about a possible sale of Tejas aircraft, manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited chairman CB Ananthakrishnan said in February, according to India Today.

Any deal with Argentina would be subject to a British arms embargo – put in place after the 1982 Falklands war – that has prevented the Latin American country from acquiring weapons with British-made components.

HAL has reportedly been working to replace all British components in the Tejas fighter with Indian-made parts.

Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation expert, said the JF-17 contained a British-made ejection seat, but added that “we can replace it with a domestic one – there’s no problem about that”.
“The key is whether Argentina has the economic strength to buy.”


 
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They have been saying that for quite a while.
Fighter aircraft are not chocolates that you buy on a whim.

This shows how countries are moving away from sanction prone weapons
 
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With 100% inflation in Argentina, I think this is a seriously stupid decision. They should worry about their economy rather than buying any fancy jets.
 
They have been saying that for quite a while.
Major purchases like this take a long time, especially when the nation is broke and dealing with internal political divisions like Argentina is.

Personally I think the decision has already been made. It's just that the Argentinians are try to either extract a better deal, or they're trying to get into a better political/financial situation where they can justify it to the public.
 
With 100% inflation in Argentina, I think this is a seriously stupid decision. They should worry about their economy rather than buying any fancy jets.

Inflation or no inflation they need to defend themselves


I think they want the JF17 but are just stuck diplomatically and politically
 
China and Argentia enjoy good relations, I don't think Argentina’s ambassador to China would officially make this statement to fool China around if they haven't decided about the purchase. Global Times is the Chinese government mouthpiece.
 
With 100% inflation in Argentina, I think this is a seriously stupid decision. They should worry about their economy rather than buying any fancy jets.
With no defence there is no economy.
People who waffle about economy don't understand that only strong nations prosper
 

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