ISLAMABAD: A “friendly country” has signed a memorandum of understanding to procure Pakistan’s JF-17 fighter aircraft during the Dubai Airshow 2025, the Pakistani military said on Thursday, marking a significant step in Islamabad’s efforts to expand defense exports and deepen military-industrial partnerships.
Pakistan’s JF-17 Thunder, a multi-role fighter jointly developed with China, has become the backbone of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) over the past decade, designed to replace aging legacy aircraft.
The JF-17 fighter jet has seen extensive operational use in recent years, taking part in air-to-air and air-to-ground missions across multiple theaters. The aircraft was used in counterterrorism operations in North Waziristan in 2014 and 2017, in the 2017 downing of an Iranian drone near the southwestern Balochistan border, and in Operation Swift Retort during the 2019 aerial skirmish with India. It also featured in Pakistan’s 2024 cross-border strikes inside Iran and Afghanistan targeting militant groups and was deployed again in combat roles during the May 2025 conflict with India.
Outside Pakistan, the JF-17 has been used by the Nigerian Air Force in counterinsurgency operations and by Myanmar’s air force against various insurgent groups.
