JF-17 Thunder Multirole Fighter [Thread 7]

[Trango Towers]

Grounded actually

Naaa bro tejas is resting

 

[White privilege]

Sharp Shooters Reloaded ....

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=3384951118451380

If Sharpshooters have been redesignated as MR sqn. , and equipped with single seaters, who is handling the fighter conversation of Thunder jocks??

 

[araz]

The picture is missing the MARS anti-radiation missiles i think - ( and of course PL15/PL10E for Block III's )

100 PL15s were widely reported to have been sent over post Pulwama encounter. So I would contest that. However to what extent will the JFT block 2 radar be able to guide the PL15 to its target remains to be seen.
A

 

[air marshal]

 

[Bratva]

Technical Problems Ground Myanmar’s JF-17 Fighter Jets Bought From China​

Most of the newly acquired Chinese and Pakistan-made JF-17 fighter jets that the Myanmar regime has taken delivery of have been grounded due to technical malfunctions, according to analysts and former Myanmar Air Force pilots who monitor the junta’s air capabilities.

The JF-17 fighters—lightweight multi-role combat aircraft jointly manufactured by China and Pakistan—that the Myanmar Air Force has added to its fleet have structural cracks and other technical issues, they told The Irrawaddy.

The aircraft, which are supposed to be capable of interception, ground attack and bombing missions, have turned out to be unfit for service, and the Myanmar military lacks the technical expertise to fix the problems, they added.

Myanmar reportedly inked a deal in early 2016 to procure 16 JF-17s from China at a cost of US$25 million each. A first batch of six aircraft were delivered to the Myanmar Air Force in 2018, but details about the other 10 are not yet clear. The deal made Myanmar the first country outside China and Pakistan to buy JF-17s.


Aircraft including four JF-17 Thunder fighters are officially commissioned into the Myanmar Air Force in 2018.
Myanmar regime chief Min Aung Hlaing put four of the malfunctioning JF-17 fighters into commission at a ceremony at the Meiktila air base in December 2018. Two more were commissioned in December 2019 as the Air Force celebrated the 72nd anniversary of its founding.

Jointly manufactured by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and Chengdu Aerospace Corporation of China, the JF-17 was initially designed to balance India’s Air Force. They are equipped with Western avionics and powered by the Russian Klimov RD 93 aeroengine, and set up on a China-made airframe, according to analysts. They can be armed with air-to-air mid-range guided missiles, 80-mm and 240-mm rockets, and 500-lb bombs.

The critical part of the JF-17 avionics is the China-made KLJ-7 Al radar, which has poor accuracy and maintenance problems, analysts say. The aircraft does not even have an effective beyond-visual-range (BVR) missile or airborne interception radar.

Malfunction of the Weapon Mission Management Computer has caused launch zones of BVR air-to-air missiles to shrink during combat exercises, according to experts.

Furthermore, the airframe is vulnerable to damage, especially in its wingtips and hardpoints, when the aircraft encounters strong gravitational forces, according to a former pilot of the Myanmar Air Force.

Problems after purchase

As the avionics and electronics installed in JF-17s are made with parts from Western countries, the Myanmar military purchased the fighter jets through middlemen between 2015 and 2020. Following the coup, the European Union imposed sanctions against the Myanmar military and arms brokers, and the Air Force now has no spare parts for the JF-17s, according to analysts and former pilots.

The trade embargo also makes it impossible for the Myanmar military regime to directly buy missiles and bombs for its JF-17s. The regime meanwhile has forged a partnership with the Pakistan military, sending weapons system officers from the Air Force and Air Defense units to Pakistan for training from time to time.

For the Myanmar Air Force to carry out deadly air strikes on ethnic armed revolutionary organizations and civilians, it mainly needs air-to-surface missiles, and it reportedly held talks with Pakistan to order these as well as bombs and rockets. Around May this year, a cargo plane from Pakistan loaded with JF-17 spare parts landed in Myanmar.

Technicians from the Pakistan Air Force made a secret visit to Myanmar in September during which they set up a JF-17 simulator for pilots of the Myanmar Air Force at Pathein air base, and also solved some technical problems. A JF-17 weapons system officer however said the weapons system of the JF-17 is too technically complex for Myanmar pilots to handle, according to former pilots.

Current situation


A JF-17
Thanks to the JF-17s’ poor accuracy, the Myanmar Air Force still can’t use them for combat four years after they were commissioned. This has led the Air Force to rely on Russian-made Yak-130 and MiG-29 fighter jets and China-made K-8 fighters, said analysts.

While the Myanmar Air Force has spent a large sum to procure malfunctioning aircraft from China and Pakistan, arms broker Dr. Naing Htut Aung has earned millions of US dollars from the deal, The Irrawaddy has learned.

At the 72nd anniversary event for the Myanmar Air Force, Min Aung Hlaing boasted that the Myanmar Air Force started with Tiger Moth planes, but now has hangars filled with modern aircraft including supersonic jet fighters, transportation aircraft, and assault and transportation helicopters.

He made no mention of the Air Force’s unusable JF-17 fighters.

Technical Problems Ground Myanmar’s JF-17 Fighter Jets Bought From China

The $25-million jets arrived with structural problems but post-coup sanctions and a lack of local expertise make it impossible to fix them, ex-Air Force pilots say.

www.irrawaddy.com

 

[Trango Towers]

Technical Problems Ground Myanmar’s JF-17 Fighter Jets Bought From China​

Most of the newly acquired Chinese and Pakistan-made JF-17 fighter jets that the Myanmar regime has taken delivery of have been grounded due to technical malfunctions, according to analysts and former Myanmar Air Force pilots who monitor the junta’s air capabilities.

The JF-17 fighters—lightweight multi-role combat aircraft jointly manufactured by China and Pakistan—that the Myanmar Air Force has added to its fleet have structural cracks and other technical issues, they told The Irrawaddy.

The aircraft, which are supposed to be capable of interception, ground attack and bombing missions, have turned out to be unfit for service, and the Myanmar military lacks the technical expertise to fix the problems, they added.

Myanmar reportedly inked a deal in early 2016 to procure 16 JF-17s from China at a cost of US$25 million each. A first batch of six aircraft were delivered to the Myanmar Air Force in 2018, but details about the other 10 are not yet clear. The deal made Myanmar the first country outside China and Pakistan to buy JF-17s.


Aircraft including four JF-17 Thunder fighters are officially commissioned into the Myanmar Air Force in 2018.
Myanmar regime chief Min Aung Hlaing put four of the malfunctioning JF-17 fighters into commission at a ceremony at the Meiktila air base in December 2018. Two more were commissioned in December 2019 as the Air Force celebrated the 72nd anniversary of its founding.

Jointly manufactured by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and Chengdu Aerospace Corporation of China, the JF-17 was initially designed to balance India’s Air Force. They are equipped with Western avionics and powered by the Russian Klimov RD 93 aeroengine, and set up on a China-made airframe, according to analysts. They can be armed with air-to-air mid-range guided missiles, 80-mm and 240-mm rockets, and 500-lb bombs.

The critical part of the JF-17 avionics is the China-made KLJ-7 Al radar, which has poor accuracy and maintenance problems, analysts say. The aircraft does not even have an effective beyond-visual-range (BVR) missile or airborne interception radar.

Malfunction of the Weapon Mission Management Computer has caused launch zones of BVR air-to-air missiles to shrink during combat exercises, according to experts.

Furthermore, the airframe is vulnerable to damage, especially in its wingtips and hardpoints, when the aircraft encounters strong gravitational forces, according to a former pilot of the Myanmar Air Force.

Problems after purchase

As the avionics and electronics installed in JF-17s are made with parts from Western countries, the Myanmar military purchased the fighter jets through middlemen between 2015 and 2020. Following the coup, the European Union imposed sanctions against the Myanmar military and arms brokers, and the Air Force now has no spare parts for the JF-17s, according to analysts and former pilots.

The trade embargo also makes it impossible for the Myanmar military regime to directly buy missiles and bombs for its JF-17s. The regime meanwhile has forged a partnership with the Pakistan military, sending weapons system officers from the Air Force and Air Defense units to Pakistan for training from time to time.

For the Myanmar Air Force to carry out deadly air strikes on ethnic armed revolutionary organizations and civilians, it mainly needs air-to-surface missiles, and it reportedly held talks with Pakistan to order these as well as bombs and rockets. Around May this year, a cargo plane from Pakistan loaded with JF-17 spare parts landed in Myanmar.

Technicians from the Pakistan Air Force made a secret visit to Myanmar in September during which they set up a JF-17 simulator for pilots of the Myanmar Air Force at Pathein air base, and also solved some technical problems. A JF-17 weapons system officer however said the weapons system of the JF-17 is too technically complex for Myanmar pilots to handle, according to former pilots.

Current situation


A JF-17
Thanks to the JF-17s’ poor accuracy, the Myanmar Air Force still can’t use them for combat four years after they were commissioned. This has led the Air Force to rely on Russian-made Yak-130 and MiG-29 fighter jets and China-made K-8 fighters, said analysts.

While the Myanmar Air Force has spent a large sum to procure malfunctioning aircraft from China and Pakistan, arms broker Dr. Naing Htut Aung has earned millions of US dollars from the deal, The Irrawaddy has learned.

At the 72nd anniversary event for the Myanmar Air Force, Min Aung Hlaing boasted that the Myanmar Air Force started with Tiger Moth planes, but now has hangars filled with modern aircraft including supersonic jet fighters, transportation aircraft, and assault and transportation helicopters.

He made no mention of the Air Force’s unusable JF-17 fighters.

Technical Problems Ground Myanmar’s JF-17 Fighter Jets Bought From China

The $25-million jets arrived with structural problems but post-coup sanctions and a lack of local expertise make it impossible to fix them, ex-Air Force pilots say.

www.irrawaddy.com

Where did u get a shitty article from and you are a PDF think tank analyst..

I guess they let anyone in brain or not

 

[ghazi52]

"Night out with Bravo"

JF-17B in formation with IL-78M (low light condition) to train for night air to air refueling.
Night Air Refueling is a daunting task and is carried out without NVGs due to lack of depth perception.

 

[CivilianSupremacy]

Technical Problems Ground Myanmar’s ...........​

There is no documentary evidence, no references, purely a propaganda article. Why to promote / give traffic to such cooked up stories ??..

 

[FOOLS_NIGHTMARE]

 

[Dazzler]

What is that black device

Aselpod

 

[Beast]

Technical Problems Ground Myanmar’s JF-17 Fighter Jets Bought From China​

Most of the newly acquired Chinese and Pakistan-made JF-17 fighter jets that the Myanmar regime has taken delivery of have been grounded due to technical malfunctions, according to analysts and former Myanmar Air Force pilots who monitor the junta’s air capabilities.

The JF-17 fighters—lightweight multi-role combat aircraft jointly manufactured by China and Pakistan—that the Myanmar Air Force has added to its fleet have structural cracks and other technical issues, they told The Irrawaddy.

The aircraft, which are supposed to be capable of interception, ground attack and bombing missions, have turned out to be unfit for service, and the Myanmar military lacks the technical expertise to fix the problems, they added.

Myanmar reportedly inked a deal in early 2016 to procure 16 JF-17s from China at a cost of US$25 million each. A first batch of six aircraft were delivered to the Myanmar Air Force in 2018, but details about the other 10 are not yet clear. The deal made Myanmar the first country outside China and Pakistan to buy JF-17s.


Aircraft including four JF-17 Thunder fighters are officially commissioned into the Myanmar Air Force in 2018.
Myanmar regime chief Min Aung Hlaing put four of the malfunctioning JF-17 fighters into commission at a ceremony at the Meiktila air base in December 2018. Two more were commissioned in December 2019 as the Air Force celebrated the 72nd anniversary of its founding.

Jointly manufactured by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and Chengdu Aerospace Corporation of China, the JF-17 was initially designed to balance India’s Air Force. They are equipped with Western avionics and powered by the Russian Klimov RD 93 aeroengine, and set up on a China-made airframe, according to analysts. They can be armed with air-to-air mid-range guided missiles, 80-mm and 240-mm rockets, and 500-lb bombs.

The critical part of the JF-17 avionics is the China-made KLJ-7 Al radar, which has poor accuracy and maintenance problems, analysts say. The aircraft does not even have an effective beyond-visual-range (BVR) missile or airborne interception radar.

Malfunction of the Weapon Mission Management Computer has caused launch zones of BVR air-to-air missiles to shrink during combat exercises, according to experts.

Furthermore, the airframe is vulnerable to damage, especially in its wingtips and hardpoints, when the aircraft encounters strong gravitational forces, according to a former pilot of the Myanmar Air Force.

Problems after purchase

As the avionics and electronics installed in JF-17s are made with parts from Western countries, the Myanmar military purchased the fighter jets through middlemen between 2015 and 2020. Following the coup, the European Union imposed sanctions against the Myanmar military and arms brokers, and the Air Force now has no spare parts for the JF-17s, according to analysts and former pilots.

The trade embargo also makes it impossible for the Myanmar military regime to directly buy missiles and bombs for its JF-17s. The regime meanwhile has forged a partnership with the Pakistan military, sending weapons system officers from the Air Force and Air Defense units to Pakistan for training from time to time.

For the Myanmar Air Force to carry out deadly air strikes on ethnic armed revolutionary organizations and civilians, it mainly needs air-to-surface missiles, and it reportedly held talks with Pakistan to order these as well as bombs and rockets. Around May this year, a cargo plane from Pakistan loaded with JF-17 spare parts landed in Myanmar.

Technicians from the Pakistan Air Force made a secret visit to Myanmar in September during which they set up a JF-17 simulator for pilots of the Myanmar Air Force at Pathein air base, and also solved some technical problems. A JF-17 weapons system officer however said the weapons system of the JF-17 is too technically complex for Myanmar pilots to handle, according to former pilots.

Current situation


A JF-17
Thanks to the JF-17s’ poor accuracy, the Myanmar Air Force still can’t use them for combat four years after they were commissioned. This has led the Air Force to rely on Russian-made Yak-130 and MiG-29 fighter jets and China-made K-8 fighters, said analysts.

While the Myanmar Air Force has spent a large sum to procure malfunctioning aircraft from China and Pakistan, arms broker Dr. Naing Htut Aung has earned millions of US dollars from the deal, The Irrawaddy has learned.

At the 72nd anniversary event for the Myanmar Air Force, Min Aung Hlaing boasted that the Myanmar Air Force started with Tiger Moth planes, but now has hangars filled with modern aircraft including supersonic jet fighters, transportation aircraft, and assault and transportation helicopters.

He made no mention of the Air Force’s unusable JF-17 fighters.

Technical Problems Ground Myanmar’s JF-17 Fighter Jets Bought From China

The $25-million jets arrived with structural problems but post-coup sanctions and a lack of local expertise make it impossible to fix them, ex-Air Force pilots say.

www.irrawaddy.com

Irrawaddy is a exile Myanmar citizen group media based in Thailand who will not hesitate to smear Myanmar junta with any nonsense they can think of...

Try harder.

 

[White privilege]

View attachment 902682

I doubt this photo is genuine.It shows a block-1, with refueling probe, and dual rack SD-10s (live rounds).

 

[TopGun786]

Technical Problems Ground Myanmar’s JF-17 Fighter Jets Bought From China​

Most of the newly acquired Chinese and Pakistan-made JF-17 fighter jets that the Myanmar regime has taken delivery of have been grounded due to technical malfunctions, according to analysts and former Myanmar Air Force pilots who monitor the junta’s air capabilities.

The JF-17 fighters—lightweight multi-role combat aircraft jointly manufactured by China and Pakistan—that the Myanmar Air Force has added to its fleet have structural cracks and other technical issues, they told The Irrawaddy.

The aircraft, which are supposed to be capable of interception, ground attack and bombing missions, have turned out to be unfit for service, and the Myanmar military lacks the technical expertise to fix the problems, they added.

Myanmar reportedly inked a deal in early 2016 to procure 16 JF-17s from China at a cost of US$25 million each. A first batch of six aircraft were delivered to the Myanmar Air Force in 2018, but details about the other 10 are not yet clear. The deal made Myanmar the first country outside China and Pakistan to buy JF-17s.


Aircraft including four JF-17 Thunder fighters are officially commissioned into the Myanmar Air Force in 2018.
Myanmar regime chief Min Aung Hlaing put four of the malfunctioning JF-17 fighters into commission at a ceremony at the Meiktila air base in December 2018. Two more were commissioned in December 2019 as the Air Force celebrated the 72nd anniversary of its founding.

Jointly manufactured by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and Chengdu Aerospace Corporation of China, the JF-17 was initially designed to balance India’s Air Force. They are equipped with Western avionics and powered by the Russian Klimov RD 93 aeroengine, and set up on a China-made airframe, according to analysts. They can be armed with air-to-air mid-range guided missiles, 80-mm and 240-mm rockets, and 500-lb bombs.

The critical part of the JF-17 avionics is the China-made KLJ-7 Al radar, which has poor accuracy and maintenance problems, analysts say. The aircraft does not even have an effective beyond-visual-range (BVR) missile or airborne interception radar.

Malfunction of the Weapon Mission Management Computer has caused launch zones of BVR air-to-air missiles to shrink during combat exercises, according to experts.

Furthermore, the airframe is vulnerable to damage, especially in its wingtips and hardpoints, when the aircraft encounters strong gravitational forces, according to a former pilot of the Myanmar Air Force.

Problems after purchase

As the avionics and electronics installed in JF-17s are made with parts from Western countries, the Myanmar military purchased the fighter jets through middlemen between 2015 and 2020. Following the coup, the European Union imposed sanctions against the Myanmar military and arms brokers, and the Air Force now has no spare parts for the JF-17s, according to analysts and former pilots.

The trade embargo also makes it impossible for the Myanmar military regime to directly buy missiles and bombs for its JF-17s. The regime meanwhile has forged a partnership with the Pakistan military, sending weapons system officers from the Air Force and Air Defense units to Pakistan for training from time to time.

For the Myanmar Air Force to carry out deadly air strikes on ethnic armed revolutionary organizations and civilians, it mainly needs air-to-surface missiles, and it reportedly held talks with Pakistan to order these as well as bombs and rockets. Around May this year, a cargo plane from Pakistan loaded with JF-17 spare parts landed in Myanmar.

Technicians from the Pakistan Air Force made a secret visit to Myanmar in September during which they set up a JF-17 simulator for pilots of the Myanmar Air Force at Pathein air base, and also solved some technical problems. A JF-17 weapons system officer however said the weapons system of the JF-17 is too technically complex for Myanmar pilots to handle, according to former pilots.

Current situation


A JF-17
Thanks to the JF-17s’ poor accuracy, the Myanmar Air Force still can’t use them for combat four years after they were commissioned. This has led the Air Force to rely on Russian-made Yak-130 and MiG-29 fighter jets and China-made K-8 fighters, said analysts.

While the Myanmar Air Force has spent a large sum to procure malfunctioning aircraft from China and Pakistan, arms broker Dr. Naing Htut Aung has earned millions of US dollars from the deal, The Irrawaddy has learned.

At the 72nd anniversary event for the Myanmar Air Force, Min Aung Hlaing boasted that the Myanmar Air Force started with Tiger Moth planes, but now has hangars filled with modern aircraft including supersonic jet fighters, transportation aircraft, and assault and transportation helicopters.

He made no mention of the Air Force’s unusable JF-17 fighters.

Technical Problems Ground Myanmar’s JF-17 Fighter Jets Bought From China

The $25-million jets arrived with structural problems but post-coup sanctions and a lack of local expertise make it impossible to fix them, ex-Air Force pilots say.

www.irrawaddy.com

Shit posted again.

 

[SQ8]

Technical Problems Ground Myanmar’s JF-17 Fighter Jets Bought From China​

Most of the newly acquired Chinese and Pakistan-made JF-17 fighter jets that the Myanmar regime has taken delivery of have been grounded due to technical malfunctions, according to analysts and former Myanmar Air Force pilots who monitor the junta’s air capabilities.

The JF-17 fighters—lightweight multi-role combat aircraft jointly manufactured by China and Pakistan—that the Myanmar Air Force has added to its fleet have structural cracks and other technical issues, they told The Irrawaddy.

The aircraft, which are supposed to be capable of interception, ground attack and bombing missions, have turned out to be unfit for service, and the Myanmar military lacks the technical expertise to fix the problems, they added.

Myanmar reportedly inked a deal in early 2016 to procure 16 JF-17s from China at a cost of US$25 million each. A first batch of six aircraft were delivered to the Myanmar Air Force in 2018, but details about the other 10 are not yet clear. The deal made Myanmar the first country outside China and Pakistan to buy JF-17s.


Aircraft including four JF-17 Thunder fighters are officially commissioned into the Myanmar Air Force in 2018.
Myanmar regime chief Min Aung Hlaing put four of the malfunctioning JF-17 fighters into commission at a ceremony at the Meiktila air base in December 2018. Two more were commissioned in December 2019 as the Air Force celebrated the 72nd anniversary of its founding.

Jointly manufactured by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and Chengdu Aerospace Corporation of China, the JF-17 was initially designed to balance India’s Air Force. They are equipped with Western avionics and powered by the Russian Klimov RD 93 aeroengine, and set up on a China-made airframe, according to analysts. They can be armed with air-to-air mid-range guided missiles, 80-mm and 240-mm rockets, and 500-lb bombs.

The critical part of the JF-17 avionics is the China-made KLJ-7 Al radar, which has poor accuracy and maintenance problems, analysts say. The aircraft does not even have an effective beyond-visual-range (BVR) missile or airborne interception radar.

Malfunction of the Weapon Mission Management Computer has caused launch zones of BVR air-to-air missiles to shrink during combat exercises, according to experts.

Furthermore, the airframe is vulnerable to damage, especially in its wingtips and hardpoints, when the aircraft encounters strong gravitational forces, according to a former pilot of the Myanmar Air Force.

Problems after purchase

As the avionics and electronics installed in JF-17s are made with parts from Western countries, the Myanmar military purchased the fighter jets through middlemen between 2015 and 2020. Following the coup, the European Union imposed sanctions against the Myanmar military and arms brokers, and the Air Force now has no spare parts for the JF-17s, according to analysts and former pilots.

The trade embargo also makes it impossible for the Myanmar military regime to directly buy missiles and bombs for its JF-17s. The regime meanwhile has forged a partnership with the Pakistan military, sending weapons system officers from the Air Force and Air Defense units to Pakistan for training from time to time.

For the Myanmar Air Force to carry out deadly air strikes on ethnic armed revolutionary organizations and civilians, it mainly needs air-to-surface missiles, and it reportedly held talks with Pakistan to order these as well as bombs and rockets. Around May this year, a cargo plane from Pakistan loaded with JF-17 spare parts landed in Myanmar.

Technicians from the Pakistan Air Force made a secret visit to Myanmar in September during which they set up a JF-17 simulator for pilots of the Myanmar Air Force at Pathein air base, and also solved some technical problems. A JF-17 weapons system officer however said the weapons system of the JF-17 is too technically complex for Myanmar pilots to handle, according to former pilots.

Current situation


A JF-17
Thanks to the JF-17s’ poor accuracy, the Myanmar Air Force still can’t use them for combat four years after they were commissioned. This has led the Air Force to rely on Russian-made Yak-130 and MiG-29 fighter jets and China-made K-8 fighters, said analysts.

While the Myanmar Air Force has spent a large sum to procure malfunctioning aircraft from China and Pakistan, arms broker Dr. Naing Htut Aung has earned millions of US dollars from the deal, The Irrawaddy has learned.

At the 72nd anniversary event for the Myanmar Air Force, Min Aung Hlaing boasted that the Myanmar Air Force started with Tiger Moth planes, but now has hangars filled with modern aircraft including supersonic jet fighters, transportation aircraft, and assault and transportation helicopters.

He made no mention of the Air Force’s unusable JF-17 fighters.

Technical Problems Ground Myanmar’s JF-17 Fighter Jets Bought From China

The $25-million jets arrived with structural problems but post-coup sanctions and a lack of local expertise make it impossible to fix them, ex-Air Force pilots say.

www.irrawaddy.com

I would probably read the article - decipher the language and really decide for myself if it even makes sense before just posting it. Every prose and technical reference to it screams propoganda

 

[PDF]

Technical Problems Ground Myanmar’s JF-17 Fighter Jets Bought From China​

Most of the newly acquired Chinese and Pakistan-made JF-17 fighter jets that the Myanmar regime has taken delivery of have been grounded due to technical malfunctions, according to analysts and former Myanmar Air Force pilots who monitor the junta’s air capabilities.

The JF-17 fighters—lightweight multi-role combat aircraft jointly manufactured by China and Pakistan—that the Myanmar Air Force has added to its fleet have structural cracks and other technical issues, they told The Irrawaddy.

The aircraft, which are supposed to be capable of interception, ground attack and bombing missions, have turned out to be unfit for service, and the Myanmar military lacks the technical expertise to fix the problems, they added.

Myanmar reportedly inked a deal in early 2016 to procure 16 JF-17s from China at a cost of US$25 million each. A first batch of six aircraft were delivered to the Myanmar Air Force in 2018, but details about the other 10 are not yet clear. The deal made Myanmar the first country outside China and Pakistan to buy JF-17s.


Aircraft including four JF-17 Thunder fighters are officially commissioned into the Myanmar Air Force in 2018.
Myanmar regime chief Min Aung Hlaing put four of the malfunctioning JF-17 fighters into commission at a ceremony at the Meiktila air base in December 2018. Two more were commissioned in December 2019 as the Air Force celebrated the 72nd anniversary of its founding.

Jointly manufactured by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and Chengdu Aerospace Corporation of China, the JF-17 was initially designed to balance India’s Air Force. They are equipped with Western avionics and powered by the Russian Klimov RD 93 aeroengine, and set up on a China-made airframe, according to analysts. They can be armed with air-to-air mid-range guided missiles, 80-mm and 240-mm rockets, and 500-lb bombs.

The critical part of the JF-17 avionics is the China-made KLJ-7 Al radar, which has poor accuracy and maintenance problems, analysts say. The aircraft does not even have an effective beyond-visual-range (BVR) missile or airborne interception radar.

Malfunction of the Weapon Mission Management Computer has caused launch zones of BVR air-to-air missiles to shrink during combat exercises, according to experts.

Furthermore, the airframe is vulnerable to damage, especially in its wingtips and hardpoints, when the aircraft encounters strong gravitational forces, according to a former pilot of the Myanmar Air Force.

Problems after purchase

As the avionics and electronics installed in JF-17s are made with parts from Western countries, the Myanmar military purchased the fighter jets through middlemen between 2015 and 2020. Following the coup, the European Union imposed sanctions against the Myanmar military and arms brokers, and the Air Force now has no spare parts for the JF-17s, according to analysts and former pilots.

The trade embargo also makes it impossible for the Myanmar military regime to directly buy missiles and bombs for its JF-17s. The regime meanwhile has forged a partnership with the Pakistan military, sending weapons system officers from the Air Force and Air Defense units to Pakistan for training from time to time.

For the Myanmar Air Force to carry out deadly air strikes on ethnic armed revolutionary organizations and civilians, it mainly needs air-to-surface missiles, and it reportedly held talks with Pakistan to order these as well as bombs and rockets. Around May this year, a cargo plane from Pakistan loaded with JF-17 spare parts landed in Myanmar.

Technicians from the Pakistan Air Force made a secret visit to Myanmar in September during which they set up a JF-17 simulator for pilots of the Myanmar Air Force at Pathein air base, and also solved some technical problems. A JF-17 weapons system officer however said the weapons system of the JF-17 is too technically complex for Myanmar pilots to handle, according to former pilots.

Current situation


A JF-17
Thanks to the JF-17s’ poor accuracy, the Myanmar Air Force still can’t use them for combat four years after they were commissioned. This has led the Air Force to rely on Russian-made Yak-130 and MiG-29 fighter jets and China-made K-8 fighters, said analysts.

While the Myanmar Air Force has spent a large sum to procure malfunctioning aircraft from China and Pakistan, arms broker Dr. Naing Htut Aung has earned millions of US dollars from the deal, The Irrawaddy has learned.

At the 72nd anniversary event for the Myanmar Air Force, Min Aung Hlaing boasted that the Myanmar Air Force started with Tiger Moth planes, but now has hangars filled with modern aircraft including supersonic jet fighters, transportation aircraft, and assault and transportation helicopters.

He made no mention of the Air Force’s unusable JF-17 fighters.

Technical Problems Ground Myanmar’s JF-17 Fighter Jets Bought From China

The $25-million jets arrived with structural problems but post-coup sanctions and a lack of local expertise make it impossible to fix them, ex-Air Force pilots say.

www.irrawaddy.com

Myanmar Junta and Pakistan Boost Military Ties​

View attachment 903390​

By The Irrawaddy 6 December 2022

Senior Pakistan defense official Colonel Imran Khan visited the Myanmar capital Naypyitaw last week to discuss military cooperation with the junta, according to sources familiar with his visit.
Colonel Khan’s two-day visit from November 29 to December 1 is the latest sign of the growing defense ties between Islamabad and Naypyitaw. The military regime did not comment on the attaché’s visit and no details of what was discussed have emerged.
A 10-member team from the Myanmar Air Force (MAF) is currently in Pakistan undergoing training for four weeks on precision targeting in air operations and on the JF-17 jet fighter, which was jointly developed by China and Pakistan.
The training is believed to be an attempt to fix the problems that have left the MAF’s JF-17’s grounded due to technical malfunctions.
Myanmar bought 16 JF-17’s from China. The first batch of six aircraft was delivered in 2018, but details about the delivery date for the other 10 remain unclear. Myanmar was the first country to buy the JF-17.
The MAF has also procured JF-17 Block-II aircraft from Pakistan to bolster its strength. With the Myanmar military’s ground forces under pressure from the resistance, the junta is increasingly reliant on air strikes to counter People’s Defense Forces (PDF) and ethnic armed organizations (EAO).
The Pakistan Embassy in Yangon didn’t respond to The Irrawaddy’s request for a comment.
Pakistan is one of just a handful of countries that maintain military relations with the Myanmar regime.
In September last year, a high-level delegation from Pakistan’s defense ministry visited Myanmar. They are believed to have held talks with Myanmar’s military leaders on advanced ordnance technology, aircraft repair and maintenance, and naval munitions. The visit was not publicized by either side.
Relations between Islamabad and Naypyitaw were strained by the Rohingya crisis of 2017, when more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled to neighboring Bangladesh after the Myanmar military launched clearance operations in northern Rakhine State in response to attacks by Rohingya guerrillas on police outposts.
Analysts believe that in the light of the changing political landscape in Myanmar, Pakistani officials have decided to reach out to the junta to revive relations, as the Myanmar regime is in need of weapons such as air-to-surface missiles to crackdown on PDFs and EAOs.
Normally, the junta buys arms from Russia and China. But with international sanctions imposed on the regime, China can use Pakistan as a proxy to continue its assistance to the Myanmar military, analysts said.

By The Irrawaddy 6 December 2022

Senior Pakistan defense official Colonel Imran Khan visited the Myanmar capital Naypyitaw last week to discuss military cooperation with the junta, according to sources familiar with his visit.
Colonel Khan’s two-day visit from November 29 to December 1 is the latest sign of the growing defense ties between Islamabad and Naypyitaw. The military regime did not comment on the attaché’s visit and no details of what was discussed have emerged.
A 10-member team from the Myanmar Air Force (MAF) is currently in Pakistan undergoing training for four weeks on precision targeting in air operations and on the JF-17 jet fighter, which was jointly developed by China and Pakistan.
The training is believed to be an attempt to fix the problems that have left the MAF’s JF-17’s grounded due to technical malfunctions.
Myanmar bought 16 JF-17’s from China. The first batch of six aircraft was delivered in 2018, but details about the delivery date for the other 10 remain unclear. Myanmar was the first country to buy the JF-17.
The MAF has also procured JF-17 Block-II aircraft from Pakistan to bolster its strength. With the Myanmar military’s ground forces under pressure from the resistance, the junta is increasingly reliant on air strikes to counter People’s Defense Forces (PDF) and ethnic armed organizations (EAO).
The Pakistan Embassy in Yangon didn’t respond to The Irrawaddy’s request for a comment.
Pakistan is one of just a handful of countries that maintain military relations with the Myanmar regime.
In September last year, a high-level delegation from Pakistan’s defense ministry visited Myanmar. They are believed to have held talks with Myanmar’s military leaders on advanced ordnance technology, aircraft repair and maintenance, and naval munitions. The visit was not publicized by either side.
Relations between Islamabad and Naypyitaw were strained by the Rohingya crisis of 2017, when more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled to neighboring Bangladesh after the Myanmar military launched clearance operations in northern Rakhine State in response to attacks by Rohingya guerrillas on police outposts.
Analysts believe that in the light of the changing political landscape in Myanmar, Pakistani officials have decided to reach out to the junta to revive relations, as the Myanmar regime is in need of weapons such as air-to-surface missiles to crackdown on PDFs and EAOs.
Normally, the junta buys arms from Russia and China. But with international sanctions imposed on the regime, China can use Pakistan as a proxy to continue its assistance to the Myanmar military, analysts said.

Myanmar Junta and Pakistan Boost Military Ties

The Myanmar Air Force is increasingly relying on Sino-Pakistani JF-17 jet fighters to counter the resistance.

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