JF-17 Thunder - The Road to Self-Reliance.

The design and development of a fighter aircraft is a cutting-edge niche capability exclusive to a few nations.The philosophy behind the JF-17 project was to developa lightweight, single-engine, multi-role combat aircraft that could replace PAF's ageing fighter fleet whilefulfilling the dynamic requirements of an evolving battlespace and also propel the nation on the road to self-reliance and thereby, hedge against geo-political tectonics.

The JF-17 project is a cross-industry collaboration in design, development and production spanning overthree decades. China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC) and Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) are the primary drivers behind the co-development and co-production of the aircraft. Pakistan Air Force exercised the most intimate interface across the project by extending its expertise, test pilots and engineers; securing the unique position of being one of the few air forces of the world involved in co-designing, co-developing and co-producing a fighter aircraft of the highest international standards.

The continuous evolution of the project has seen the fielding of three variants which speaks of the immense potential of the aircraft. The JF-17 Block 1 was the firstversion followed by, Block 2 with air-to-air refuelling capability, enhanced weapons and avionics. Decades ofexperience in maintaining and operating Western aircraft immensely contributed to iteratively refining the design of JF-17 aircraft; ultimately leading to itslatest version.

The JF-17 block 3, also hailed as a Gen 4+ platform, is the most advanced version with additional hardpoints, more sophisticated weapons and integrated modular avionics forming the heart of the processing architecture. The AESA radar has the advantage of higher resolution, longer range, faster scanning, lower probability of detection and greater jamming resistance while the integrated EW suite allows effective mission execution in a highly contested environment. Options for mating with legacy western avionics and sub-systems are also retained.

The JF-17 can perform various roles in different scenarios. In Counter Air Operations, the aircraft can engage adversary aircraft using its BVRAAM for long-range interceptions and advanced Imaging Infrared missiles in dogfight mode. The JF-17 can engage enemy ships and naval vessels using its long-range dedicated anti-ship missiles with sea-skimming capability.

The JF-17 can also conduct aerial...