BEIJING: Argentina is considering procuring the JF-17 aircraft, with Chinese analysts saying that the fighter jet jointly developed by China and Pakistan is the best choice for South American country in terms of performance and availability.
Argentine Ambassador to China Sabino Vaca Narvaja recently held a work meeting with Argentine Defense Minister Jorge Taiana and his team in Buenos Aires to promote cooperation with China in the field of national defense, the Argentine embassy in China said in a social media post on Weibo.
During the Airshow China 2022 held in Zhuhai, South China’s Guangdong Province, Narvaja spoke with representatives from the China National Aero-Technology International Engineering Corp about the possibility of Argentina procuring the third-generation JF-17 aircraft jointly developed by China and the Pakistan Air Force, the embassy said.
Other defense cooperation with China includes the possible procurement of 8×8 armored vehicles from Chinese arms firm NORINCO, according to the post.
Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation expert, told the Global Times that Argentina has long been seeking to procure new fighter jets to replace its aging and shrinking warplane fleet, but because of the issue of the Malvinas Islands, the UK has blocked Argentina’s aircraft procurement attempts on the international market.
That is why the JF-17 is the most available fighter jet to Argentina, Fu said.
According to public information, the JF-17 has developed into three generations, often referred to as the Block 1, the Block 2 and the Block 3.
The Block 3 is equipped with very advanced systems including an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, a combination of China’s top beyond-visual-range and short-range missiles, as well as avionics and flight control systems. The previous blocks are less costly but still perform well, analysts said.
But any deal depends on Argentina’s decision, Fu said.
