ISLAMABAD: The Chief of Air Staff of Pakistan Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman, witnessed on Friday live missile firing of JF-17 Thunder at the Sonmiani Firing Range.

The Air Chief Marshal was the chief guest at the ceremony, says a press release issued here.

Speaking on the occasion, the PAF chief said: “We are thankful to Allah Almighty who has given us the strength to achieve this extraordinary milestone. The successful testing of these sophisticated weapons is a testimony to JF-17 Thunder’s multirole capabilities.”

He said that it was a matter of pride that six PAF fighter squadrons had already been equipped with the JF-17 Thunder aircraft, making it the backbone of the country’s aerial defence.

He also lauded the hard work put in by PAF and Chinese personnel in making the event a success.

It was a landmark occasion for the PAF when JF-17 Thunder shot down a slow speed target with BVR (Beyond Visual Range) and IR (Infrared) missile with pinpoint accuracy at the Sonmiani Firing Range.

Another important feature of the ceremony was the state-of-the-art Weapon Test Range being made operational to track the complete trajectory of the aircraft and the launched missiles.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2018