ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC), Kamra, celebrated on Monday the milestone of producing 16 JF-17 Thunder Block-II aircraft in a year and is eyeing to increase the production to 24 aircraft per year.

The ceremony to mark the roll-out of the 16th aircraft was held at the aeronautical complex and attended by Minister for Defence Production Rana Tanvir Hussain, PAF Chief Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman and China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation (Catic) president Yang Ying.

The PAC delivered the first JF-17 aircraft to Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in 2009 and produced 50 Block-I aircraft by Dec 2013 after which the production of Block-II was started.

Co-produced by China and Pakistan, the JF-17 is an advanced, light-weight, all-weather, multi-role fighter aircraft. It has state-of-the-art avionics and its capability to employ latest weapons gives it an edge over other fighter aircraft in the same category.

Pakistan has been actively trying to find international buyers of the aircraft. There have been different reports suggesting that negotiations with a couple of countries for export of JF-17 were progressing.

ACM Aman expressed the hope that Pakistan Aeronautical Complex would be able to achieve the target of 20 to 24 aircraft per year.

He said that JF-17 Thunder would defend the nation in the most befitting manner and spread the message of peace to the rest of the world.

Speaking to journalists after the ceremony, he said that PAF would replace the ageing fighter aircraft in its inventory with JF-17s and the replacement programme would continue till 2020.

Defence Production Minister Rana Tanveer reiterated the government’s commitment to promote self-reliance in defence production and thanked the Chinese government for its continued support.

The PAC on this occasion also handed over the first JF-17 aircraft to PAF after completing its maintenance, overhaul, inspection and structural assessment. “This important step will form the basis for future overhaul cycle of JF-17 fleet,” the PAF chief said.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2015