BUENOS AIRES: Argentina plans to buy 12 JF-17 Thunder fighter jets from Pakistan, as per international media reports.
One report states that Argentina has officially included $664 million in funding for the purchase of 12 PAC JF-17A Block III fighters from Pakistan in a draft budget for 2022.
The budget has been presented in the country’s parliament, said the news report. However, this does not mean that the deal has been finalised as Argentina has not signed on the sale accord yet but it shows the country’s intention to buy the fighter aircraft from Pakistan.
Argentina has tried to buy jets from a few other countries in the world over the past couple of years but has always fallen short due to a lack of funds or British objections.
Most recently last year, Britain blocked the sale of South Korean fighter jets to Argentina.
The Argentine Defence Minister described the move as British “imperial pride” before posting “Malvinas Argentinas” on Twitter.
According to the UK Defence Journal, the JF-17 Thunder is a single-engine multi-role combat aircraft developed jointly by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation of China. The builders say that the JF-17 can be used for multiple roles, including interception, ground attack, anti-ship, and aerial reconnaissance.
More than half of the JF-17 airframe, including its front fuselage, wings, and vertical stabiliser, is produced in Pakistan, whereas 42 percent is produced in China, with the final assembly taking place in Pakistan.
