Azerbaijan Increases Purchase of JF-17 Block III Fighter

Defence affairs

At this point, speculation is rife claiming that Azerbaijan has increased its purchase of JF-17 “Thunder” light fighter aircraft made in Pakistan and China from 16 to 40, estimated to be worth US$4.2 billion (RM18.48 billion).

The light fighter jets said to be purchased by the country, which is rich in oil and gas resources, are the latest variant of the aircraft, the JF-17 Block III.

However, to date there has been no official confirmation from the Azerbaijani authorities, nor from Pakistan and China regarding the raging speculation regarding the additional purchase of JF-17 fighter jets from the Caspian country.

However, if the wild speculation is true, then it is a proud development, especially for the Pakistani defense industry, which has successfully developed a fighter aircraft (in collaboration with China) that can penetrate the international market.

In the recent Pakistan-India conflict, a JF-17 Block III fighter jet reportedly successfully shot down an Indian Air Force MIG-29 UPG using a PL-15 missile with a range of 300km.

The JF-17 fighter jet was jointly developed by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation (CAIG).

It is a proud achievement for Pakistan, considering that India, which has also developed its own indigenous fighter aircraft, the Tejas, has still failed to sell even one Tejas fighter aircraft to a foreign country.

India is also trying to sell the Tejas fighter jet to the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), but as we know, the Ministry of Defence and the RMAF have selected 18 FA-50 Block 20 fighter jets developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) from South Korea.

The purchase of 40 JF-17 Block III fighter jets not only strengthens Pakistan's position as a major exporter in the defence industry, but also provides a significant economic boost to PAC in Kamra.

PAC, which is responsible for the production and maintenance of the JF-17 aircraft, is expected to increase production capacity and create more high-skilled job opportunities in the local aerospace sector.

Last year, Azerbaijan officially announced that it was the latest country to use the JF-17 Block III fighter jet jointly developed by Pakistan and China.

Azerbaijan purchased 16 JF-17 Block III fighter jets worth US$1.6 billion (RM7.04 billion).

The latest variant of the JF-17 Block III fighter aircraft was handed over to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who is also the supreme commander of the country's Armed Forces, in a ceremony at Heydar Aliyev International Airport last year.

"The fighter jets (JF-17 Block III) have already been integrated into the Azerbaijani Air Force," according to a statement issued by the country's presidential office.

The Azerbaijani Presidential Office also released photos of the handover of the JF-17 Block III fighter jet to the Azerbaijani Air Force at the international airport.

The Azerbaijani president was also seen sitting in the cockpit of the fighter jet and inspecting its equipment and components.

The JF-17 Block III aircraft acquired by Azerbaijan will replace the Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets currently used by the country's air force.

Geo-strategically, the acquisition of the JF-17 Block III aircraft developed by Pakistan and China is a success for Beijing and Islamabad in penetrating the arms market in the Central Asian region which was previously dominated by Russian arms companies.

The JF-17 Block III fighter jet reportedly has the DNA of China's fifth generation fighter jet, the J-20 "Mighty Dragon".

The latest variant of the JF-17 Block III fighter aircraft is more modern and capable because it is also equipped with the technology of the fifth-generation fighter aircraft, the J-20, and has been developed over the past two years.

Among the latest capabilities of the JF-17 Block III compared to the JF-17 Block II is that it is equipped with the "KLJ-7A" Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar developed by the Chinese technology company China Electronics Technology Group.

Chinese military analysts claim that the KLJ-7A AESA radar is comparable to the AN/APG-81 radar used by the US fifth-generation fighter jet, the F-35, and the N036 phased array radar used by the Russian Su-57.

The AESA KLJ-7A radar used on the JF-17 Block III aircraft is one of the main components that elevates this aircraft to the 4.5 generation level, making it much more capable than the previous variant.

The KLJ-7A radar is a new generation AESA radar, which is much more sophisticated than the MSA (Mechanical Scanned Array) radar used on the JF-17 Block I and II.

Compared to conventional radars that use moving antennas, AESA uses thousands of small modules (T/R modules) that can change the direction of the beam electronically without mechanical movement, providing a much faster and more accurate response.

The KLJ-7A is capable of detecting fighter-sized air targets (small RCS) at an estimated range of 170–200 km, a significant improvement over previous radars.

This allows the JF-17 Block III to detect and track targets from longer distances — critical in Beyond Visual Range (BVR) combat.

This radar is capable of tracking up to 15 to 20 targets simultaneously, and locking (engaging) up to 4–6 targets at a time for BVR missile attacks such as the PL-15.

This gives pilots an advantage in multi-target air combat, including complex air superiority missions.

The KLJ-7A is equipped with an advanced electronic countermeasures (ECCM) system to combat enemy jamming and spoofing, increasing radar reliability in intensive electronic warfare environments.

This radar is also capable of operating in "Low Probability of Intercept" (LPI) mode, making it difficult to be detected by enemy radar.

In addition to air detection, the KLJ-7A also supports Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI), allowing it to be used for ground attack and reconnaissance missions in all weather, day or night.

This significantly enhances the multirole capabilities of the JF-17 Block III.

As for the air-to-air weapons system, the JF-17 Block 3 aircraft will be equipped with two types of missiles, namely the PL-10 which is also used by China's most modern aircraft, the J-20 "Mighty Dragon."

The “PL-10” air-to-air missile is a short-range missile comparable to the US-made AIM-9X missile.

Another air-to-air missile that equips the JF-17 Block 3 aircraft is the "PL-15" which has an operational range of 200km to 300km, giving it an advantage over the air-to-air missiles possessed by Indian aircraft.

However, media reports in September last year stated that the Azerbaijani Air Force's JF-17 "Thunder" Block III fighter jets will reportedly be equipped with air-to-air missiles, Gokdogan BVRAAM and Bozdogan WVRAAM produced by Turkiye Defense Industries.

The JF-17 Block III fighter jets will also be equipped with avionics systems made by Turkiye defense companies.

The selection of Turkiye-made air-to-air missiles for use by the Azerbaijani Air Force's JF-17 Block III fighter jets is a recognition of the Mediterranean country's defense industry capabilities.

Turkey and Azerbaijan have close defense cooperation.

The two Turkiye-made air-to-air missiles that will equip the JF-17 Block III fighter aircraft are the Gokdogan BVRAAM and the Bozdogan WVRAAM, developed by the Mediterranean country's defense firm, Tubitak Sage.