Pakistan has reputedly secured a record defense export contract to export 40 JF-17 Block III fighter planes to Azerbaijan. The deal marks an important milestone in deepening military cooperation and strengthening regional collaboration between Pakistan, Azerbaijan, and Turkey.
The agreement is reported to be worth between $1.6 billion and $4.2 billion. The Pakistan-China joint-developed JF-17 Block III is the most sophisticated variant of the JF-17 Thunder.
It features advanced avionics, an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar system, and has the capability to use long-range air-to-air missiles like the PL-15 and PL-10.
Azerbaijan can also integrate Turkish-developed Gökdoğan and Bozdoğan missiles, which shows greater trilateral defense cooperation.
This purchase is part of Azerbaijan’s larger program to modernize its air force and shift away from old Russian planes, especially in view of the new security landscape of the South Caucasus.
The deal comes after the successful exhibition of the JF-17 at the ADEX-2024 Defense Expo held in Baku, where President Ilham Aliyev appreciated Pakistan’s technical assistance. The deliveries will be phased with training and maintenance services.
