Pakistan to export JF-17 thunder aircraft
*MUSHTAQ GHUMMAN *
CHENGDU (April 20 2007): Pakistan announced on Thursday that it would start export of JF-17 thunder aircraft jointly with China after its planned production in 2008. “Pakistan would recover its investment through third countries sale as joint sale and marketing with China,” says an official statement issued by the Pakistani officials here after the visit of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.
The prime minister inspected new manufactured aircraft and visited manufacturing facilities and appreciated China for making unprecedented progress in defence production.
The statement also said that 16 aircraft planned, eight to be inducted by each side. Two aircraft arrived in Pakistan in March and participated in National Day Parade and two planned to arrive in Pakistan in July and four in December 2007 as training of Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC), Kamra, manpower is in progress in China.
Infrastructure at PAC along with various other facilities is planned to be completed by end of 2007. Pakistan would be able to build up its own aviation industry a big step forward in the field of indigenisation and self-reliance. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz also inaugurated a new Consulate General building here, the third in China after Shanghai and Hong Kong, saying it will bolster co-operation between the two countries in all fields.
The complex in Sichuan province will cover the fast emerging parts of Western China and neighbouring provinces. Chengdu is home to the Joint Sino-Pak venture of JF-17, multi-role aircraft manufacturing plant and several other high-tech industries. …
Now then, who said China wouldn’t induct the JF-17 Thunder? People should realise China is not too keen on making announcements. They just prefer to do things quitley.