Can China’s military jets find favour in arms markets dominated by US, Russia?

From Central Asia to Eastern Europe and the Middle East, Chinese-made warplanes offer an alternative to an increasing number of nations

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Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev at a formal presentation of the JF-17C (Block-III) multirole fighter jets which were co-developed by China and Pakistan. Photo: Facebook/Ilham Aliyev

Published: 10:00pm, 2 Oct 2024Updated: 10:29pm, 2 Oct 2024

The delivery of JF-17 fighter jets to Azerbaijan makes the former Soviet republic the fourth country to operate the Chinese-Pakistani military aircraft and represents China’s growing inroads into markets dominated by the US and Russia, analysts said.

Pakistan’s military announced last week that it had delivered the first batch of JF-17 Block III fighters – part of a US$1.6 billion deal agreed in February that includes aircraft, training and ammunition – during Azerbaijan’s international defence exhibition in Baku.

According to the announcement, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said Pakistan’s support “would go a long way” in consolidating the existing military cooperation between the two countries.

The 4.5-generation multirole combat aircraft was co-developed by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and China’s Chengdu Aerospace Corporation and has already been taken up by Myanmar, Nigeria and Iraq.

The Pakistani military said the JF-17 fighter jets were capable of a “wide array of combat missions” and provided “contemporary air power … options” to strengthen Azerbaijan’s “national security paradigm”.

Pakistan, which accounts for around 60 per cent of China’s arms exports, has 161 JF-17 units in its air force and around 20 J-10C units – the Chinese-made 4.5-generation warplanes that have been compared to the American F-16.