Export bids for JF-17 Thunder Multirole Lightweight Fighter Aircraft

[fatman17]

PAC is churning out 4 per month (this is verified by AFM as well)

i wld challenge this as the 1st year production is 15 a/c per year.

 

[Marxist]

Sudan, Egypt or Turkey could be the first MENA region customers for the Chengdu/Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) JF-17 fighter, which is making its Western air show debut at Farnborough.

The countries jointly developed the aircraft, with the Pakistani air force receiving its first Chinese-manufactured examples in 2009. PAC also began indigenous assembly of the aircraft last year, and could incorporate Western avionics, radars and other systems into the fighter from 2012.

Two of the Pakistani aircraft are at the Farnborough show. There were hopes that the aircraft would be able to display but they are on a static park instead.

Both Pakistan and China are keen to export the fighter, which they tout as a low-cost alternative replace aged Northrop F-5s and Lockheed Martin F-16s. Pakistan could have around 28 JF-17s in service by year-end, and is planning to eventually operate up to 250.

China National Aero-Technology Import & Export, which markets Chinese-made military aviation products globally, is in talks with around six potential customers, while the Pakistani government has also held initial discussions with others.

“China wants to use the JF-17 as part of its plan to become a significant player in the global military aviation market, while Pakistan is keen for exports that will help it to reduce its unit cost at its indigenous assembly plants,” says an industry source.

“Negotiations have been ongoing for a while now and they will continue at Farnborough, which is a great opportunity to show off what the aircraft

can do.”

Industry sources add that China has held talks with countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Venezuela, while Pakistani officials have held discussions with Egypt and Turkey.

A customer that commits to a “significant number of aircraft” could get help to set up an indigenous assembly plant if it is keen to help its domestic industry, say officials. This is similar to the arrangement with Pakistan for the JF-17 and a Chinese deal with Egypt for the Hongdu K-8 trainer and light attack aircraft several years ago.

According to flightglobal, getting a suitable engine could be a potential hurdle, however, with Russia unwilling to allow China to use the Klimov RD-93 engine beyond the aircraft’s current buyers. China’s Guizhou Aircraft has been developing the WS-13 Taishan for the fighter for the past 10 years, and a JF-17 reportedly made a test flight using the new powerplant in March. But it is understood the company is still not ready for mass production of the engine.

Arabian Aerospace - Sino-Pak fighter on the radar for MENA forces

 

[Babur Han]

@nabil05

Aselpod is unlikely to be integrated on JFT as basic technology is American and is produced under license in Turkey so Yanks will not allow but if they do, it should be on par or slightly less than blk 52 AIDEWS

Aselpod is designed and developed by Aselsan, as far I know Aselpod will enter serial Production in 2011 and TUrAF CCIP upgradet F-16C/D and F-4E/2020 will be equippt with this Pod for precision Strikes.

 

[Qasibr]

Even if we don't have a two seat version of JF-17s, for training it can be compensated by getting an advanced jet trainer, L-15 kind of, having full digital FBW, HOTAS etc things, which can fully utilized for training pilots at OCU level before sending them to JF-17s, till any AJT is not procured, we can use the twin seat F-16s to train pilots and send them to JF-17s.

But if twin seat JF-17 is not a feasible option, then 2 Sqd strength L-15 kind of AJT would be able to do the job.

The L-15 trainer's definitely a possibility, there's been some chatter on the forum on the possibility of Pakistan getting some - but it wouldn't be the same thing as having a two-seat variant with it's strike role and all.

There will likely be a two-seat JF-17, it was confirmed by PAF itself on numerous occasions all within the last couple years. Not only would it be used for OCU, but potentially other important roles as well.

For example, there is scope for the twin-seat in EW roles - similar to the EA-18G Growler. My understanding is that the most significant 'change' would be the use of a special full-spectrum EW pod similar to AN/ALQ-99. Obviously we're not talking about something of the same standard or quality, but the concept can definitely be explored. Existing relations with companies from Turkey, China, Italy, France, etc, should be exploited in this regard. The 'JF-17EW' would give PAF tremendous flexibility in its operations by (1) ensuring a higher number of EW and combat aircraft available, (2) allow the use of EW in more dangerous zones as 'JF-17EW' can be equipped with AAM/ARM. Plus absorbing losses of JF-17 will not be as significant as say DA-20.

Having an EW variant is a very interesting possibility. It's also likely that we'd get an EW variant of the J-10, because of the bigger airframe and the ability to carry more payload and stuff.

The 2-seat variant's also good for an attack/strike role, the AF's committed to funding the variant on it's own because apparently China wasn't interested in this back then. The thing is, this was back in '06, we haven't heard about this thing in years now, and Pakistan's recent economic problems what with our wonderfully managed economy(and country) might make it so the variant's development's been put on the backburner(atleast for now) with more important priorities being focused on.

At any rate, let's wait and see. Regardless of when the 2-seat variant gets developed, the JFT project's coming along very nicely. Logically, it's the best option to go for if you want a 4++ gen aircraft that's packs a decent amount of firepower and modern weaponry, while remaining affordable to purchase and maintain. And it's got alot of potential room for advancement, so airforces that field it could expect that with upgrades(Block 10/20/2) the aircraft'll remain competitive and effective for quiet a while.

Still - I wish some of this corruption that's going on gets scaled back and our AF gets the funds to develop a bigger 2-seat variant.

 

[Nahraf]

PAC is churning out 4 per month (this is verified by AFM as well)

i wld challenge this as the 1st year production is 15 a/c per year.

AFAIK, PAC was planning 15 fighters per year and then slowly increasing the production. Pakistan needs to replace it's obsolete fighters as soon as possible. They have to ramp up the production to 4 per month.

 

[Time Assassin]

Pakistan should sell it to the Arab nations 10 times more than its worth. Its not like they can't afford it. Good work China + Pakistan.

 

[farhan_9909]

We should develop AESA radar with the help of turkey for jf-17..then it will be a super weapon for export

 

[bd_4_ever]

BAF is interested in JF-17, or may be that is what i came across....

Alan Warnes, an AFM Editor was in Bangladesh last year to publish a document on Bangladesh Air Force....

There he was on an one-on-one interview wiith our Air Chief where Warnes Quoted him say that "following a proposal, we are studying JF-17 Thunder and aircraft of its class...."

Probably, we could be one of the buyers in the future....


Cheers!!!

 

[Reaper What You Sow]

I don't think this will be successful in the market. By the time Pakistan has met its own needs, new threats in air warfare will have surfaced, making this an outdated product in its current export form which has very little compared to US F-16s already being mass marketed and even sold to yourselves. You have bought more F-16 than sold JF-17 so I will take heed of what resulted from the Al-Khalid export push in the 90s and early 00s. Yes there are lots of potential countries to purchase but there is a glaring logistical problem with the engine and too much American and Russian saturation in the market place with new advancements in technology creating more problems for cash starved air forces.

 

[RescueRanger]

Reaper, i am sure they will be sufficient interest from developing nations. Albania is one of them.

 

[Reaper What You Sow]

Sure everybody is interested now but will people buy an export version of this plane 10 + years down the road? Or cheap F-16/Su30?

 

[Reaper What You Sow]

I really hope PAF is able to sell them though but getting small orders from places like Albania is a game already played decades ago by China, time to hit the larger markets but I wonder why China is having a hard time marketing this product so far. Anyways PAF's worry should be about fitting out and maintaining these birds for war-time and let China market this with a guaranteed split in earnings. I still don't think it will be successful on the export market.

 

[SurvivoR]

Sure everybody is interested now but will people buy an export version of this plane 10 + years down the road? Or cheap F-16/Su30?

Surely you didn't consider the natural fact that this plane (JF17) would be upgraded as time progresses and rest assured in 10+ years time it would surely be upgraded in much the same way that the F-16 has been upgraded over the years.

 

[Reaper What You Sow]

Surely you didn't consider the natural fact that this plane (JF17) would be upgraded as time progresses and rest assured in 10+ years time it would surely be upgraded in much the same way that the F-16 has been upgraded over the years.

But these upgrades would surely outweigh the low cost benefit? And I would find it highly unlikely that JF-17 would be sold with American or European armaments and block their sales that easily. I don't know how easy it would be to sell a Pakistani/Chinese platform with American/European upgraded weapons and avionics to a cash conscious air force.

 

[SurvivoR]

Well, that only time can tell. I believe there are a lot of third world and/or cash conscious or even economically well off countries, who don't agree with the American/European policies (Case in point Venezuela who went to Russia). Russia however increasingly proving to be a non reliable supplier, be it oil or military equipment already might have shot itself in the foot for the future. As China increasingly starts dominating the world arena along with its advancement in homegrown technology, who knows what China's position of influence will be in 10+ years from now. So, there are a lot of things to consider before any defense acquisition is made rather than just the item of sale itself.

Even 2 items of similar capabilities can outweigh each other in terms of its political/economic fallout and future for a country.

So, once again only time will tell, once JF-17 is in extensive use in the PAF and is marketed intelligently, I don't see any reason not to doubt the bright future of JF-17 along its intended path that is a lightweight, extremely cost effective, quality fighter for its class.