Pakistan Plans to Produce 24 JF-17 Thunder Fighter Aircraft This year

Pakistan plans to increase the rate of manufacture of the JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft from 17 in 2015 to 24 in 2016.

The country’s Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman expressed determination to produce up to 24 jets in 2016. He was speaking at a ceremony to  hand over JF-17 Thunder aircraft to Squadron-II of Pakistan Air Force (PAF), various Pak media outlets reported.

Earlier, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Monday formally handed over JF-17 Thunder aircraft to Squadron-II of Pakistan Air Force in Karachi by giving the command flag to second squadron of PAF.

Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman also was also present in the ceremony while a fly past of JF-17 Thunder aircraft was also held on the occasion.

The newly produced batch of 16 JF-17 Thunder has been inducted to PAF fleet. Addressing at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) Kamra, Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman said that JF-17 Thunder are guarantor of national security and peace in the region.

The PAF chief said that JF-17 Thunders will eventually phase out the older model of Mirage jet fighters till 2020.

JF-17 Thunder is an advanced, light-weight, all weather, day / night multi-role fighter aircraft; developed as a joint venture between Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC), Kamra and Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation (CAC) of China. The PAC holds exclusive rights of 58% of JF-17 airframe co-production work. The aircraft has 7 weapons stations with a total load capacity of 3400 pounds.