Pakistan’s ‘affordable’ China-developed jet: a victim of its own success?

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by BloombergFebruary 3, 2026 at 06:33 AM

AI Summary

short article 1 min

Pakistan is experiencing a surge in international interest in its JF-17 Thunder fighter jet, jointly developed with China. Within the past month, Iraq, Bangladesh, and Indonesia have expressed interest, with Saudi Arabia and Libya also exploring the aircraft. This increased demand follows Pakistan's claims of the jet's successful performance in a conflict with India in May 2025. However, Pakistan's current production capacity of fewer than 20 jets per year, primarily for its own air force, may be insufficient to meet these new requests. The JF-17 is considered an affordable and combat-proven option, potentially disrupting the fighter jet market, particularly for countries unable to afford Western-produced aircraft. The country's ability to expand production will be key to fulfilling its ambitions as an arms maker and extending China's influence in the global weapons market.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Reuters 40% S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies 40% Saudi Arabia 50% Libya 50% India 50% Bangladesh 60% Manoj Harjani 60% Indonesia 60% Iraq 60% China ×270% Pakistan ×790% JF-17 Thunder ×695%

Keywords

jf-17 fighter jet 100% pakistan 90% affordable fighter 80% china 70% arms maker 70% export demand 70% defense industry 60% weapons market 60% military aviation 60%