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Tuesday, November 10, 2009

China agrees to sell J-10 to Pakistan air force

By Farhan Bokhari in Islamabad

China has agreed to sell Pakistan at least 36 advanced fighter jets in a landmark deal worth as much as $1.4bn, according to Pakistani and western officials. Beijing will supply two squadrons of the J-10 fighter jet in a preliminary agreement that could lead to more sales to Pakistan in the future, said a Pakistani official.

The official said Pakistan might buy “larger numbers” of the multi-role aircraft in the future, but dismissed reports that Pakistan had inked a deal to buy as many as 150 of the fighter jets.Defence experts described the agreement with China as a landmark event in Pakistan’s defence relationship with the growing military power. China’s transition from a manufacturer of low-fighters to more advanced jets comparable to some western models is seen as evidence of Beijing’s growing strategic clout in Asia.

“This agreement should not simply be seen in the narrow context of Pakistan’s relations with China,” said Abdul Qayyum, a retired Pakistani general.“There is a wider dimension. By sharing its advanced technology with Pakistan, China is ... also saying to the world that its defence capability is growing rapidly.”

China has supplied Pakistan with fighter jets for more than three decades. But Beijing has seldom supplied Pakistan’s air force with advanced fighter aircraft. Islamabad turned to France for Mirage fighter jets in the 1970s and to the US for F-16s in the 1980s.

Pakistan has a fleet of 45 F-16s, which are built by Lockheed Martin. The Pakistani air force is using the fighter jet in its campaign against militants in South Waziristan. The US has agreed to sell Islamabad another 18 new F-16s and about a dozen older versions of the aircraft.

Over the past decade, China and Pakistan have collaborated on building their first jointly produced advanced fighter jet, known as the JF-17, or “Thunder”. Pakistan is expected to roll out the first domestically built version of the Thunder within weeks.

Pakistan’s air force plans to purchase at least 250 of the Thunder fighters over the next four to five years. Experts see the new Pakistani focus on China as a supplier of advanced fighters as evidence that Beijing is trying to expand its military power.

“Countries like Iran and possibly some of the Middle Eastern countries would be keen to deal with China if they can find technology which is comparable to the west,” said one western official in Islamabad. “Pakistan will work as the laboratory to try out Chinese aircraft. If they work well with the Pakistani air force, others will follow.”

7 comments:

@ gladius

I think they mean advanced jets for China. That in the past would have meant the later J-8II models and JH-7A etc.

Deputy PLAAF commander He Weirong first time disclosed the 4th generation J-XX project in an CCTV interview. He said the prototype would do the flight test very soon (by the end of the year) and it could enter the PLAAF service as early as 2017.

Chinese never sell their advanced planes unless they have an better replacement.

Jealous hindustani do you get payed to write negative about Pakistan. India is failed country if you consider half the children there are undernorished. Actionaid said poverty has increased in India by 80 million, whilst it has decreased in China and Brazil.

I can be selective too. haha, I just posted some facts, that you cannot counter. Yes it is sad to post facts glorifying poverty.

Chinese investment is helping both Chinese and Pakistanis, whats so bad about that? Only an idiot would think that making profit is bad, typical brainwashed Indian.

Well What Ever Pakistan will be in near future. we do know that Pakistan is the nuclear state,Pakistan has surrounded by the enemies still Pakistan is working and struggling a lot, but one thing i want to tell you tushar this is Pakistan not Iraq and Afghanistan, we have a force with dignity of Atomic Nukes, which we have just prepared for india, Pakistan and china both are freinds with common enemy, we are just waiting for the day when we will attack on india, if india will not stop funding to terrorism, India Israel and America these are the biggest terrorist states so these states has no reason for survival, US already in trouble, Israel and India will be after few years. its my forcasting that Indian funding terrorism but this is foreign direct investment and it will be big asset for india in destruction of India, as they are destroying Pakistan they will destroy india's too InshaAllah.

I Pray to God about Destruction in India by todays sea storm or by war or by terrorist funded by RAW.

forget about india , coz india cannot afford to attack pakistan , china giving us J-10 n killing our muslim brothers for now is un accptable , they will soon force war on us force us to attack india in return so we get consumed by war they will soon detcate terms like the US but not forgetting they have no human nature at all

Ahmed do not pray for desturaction but pray for good the creator knows it all, n do not depend on his creation but depend on him the creator he has created them all , this arms or china as friend cannot help unless god decides , let there be peace ask god to give wisdom to leadrs of our country

i pray to go for peace in pakistan

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