ISLAMABAD: Argentina is planning to buy 12 JF-17A Block-III fighter jets from Pakistan, according to an international media report.
UK Defence Journal is a website that is focused on defence matters. The Government of Argentina is planning to acquire 12 JF-17 fighter jets from Pakistan. It has reportedly set aside $664 million in budget. The Defence Journal website reported this news.
The move to buy the aircraft came after South Korea refused to sell the jets to Buenos Aires last year owing to British pressure, the report said.
The United Kingdom (UK) has been maintaining the embargo on Argentina since the Falklands War in 1982. Argentina in 2015 tried to acquire Swedish JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets. Later, it remained interested in the South Korean FA-50 Fighting Eagle.
Recently in May, Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) Kamra had handed over three JF-17 Thunder jets to Nigeria.
What is the JF-17?
The JF-17 Thunder is a single-engine multi-role combat aircraft. Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation of China developed it jointly.
The JF-17 aircraft is used for multiple roles. It includes interception, ground attack, anti-ship, and aerial reconnaissance. 58% of the JF-17 airframe, including its front fuselage, wings, and vertical stabiliser, is produced in Pakistan, whereas 42% is produced in China, with the final assembly taking place in Pakistan.
