Pakistan warplane deal with Libyan faction ‘may help expand Beijing’s influence’

Defence affairs - def-geopolitics

Pakistan is selling warplanes it jointly developed with China to the Libyan National Army (LNA), a move analysts said could serve as a gateway for Beijing to expand its influence into North Africa.

In one of Pakistan’s largest-ever arms deals, 16 of the JF-17 “Thunder” fighters were listed among the over US$4 billion worth of military equipment sold to the force led by Khalifa Hifter, which controls the east of the country.

The deal included other land, sea and air equipment, such as 12 Super Mushak trainer aircraft for basic pilot training, and would be delivered over 2½ years, Reuters reported.

The plane has previously been sold to Myanmar, Nigeria and Azerbaijan. While most previous sales have been conducted through Pakistan, the latest Pentagon China military power report named the JF-17 as the bestselling Chinese-designed fixed-wing aircraft on the global market.

“The deal is a way of expanding China’s geopolitical influence through defence-industrial partnerships,” said Liselotte Odgaard, non-resident senior fellow at Hudson Institute. “It enables China to establish market presence behind the veneer of Pakistani exports.”

The JF-17 is a fourth-generation single-engine, multi-role aircraft developed jointly by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation and the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex.

Its head designer was Yang Wei, from the Chinese firm, who also led the design of China’s fifth-generation stealth fighter, the J-20.

Mass production of the JF-17, known in China as the FC-1, started in 2007. The latest Block III variant, introduced in the 2020s, was equipped with an active electronically scanned array radar and advanced avionics.

The plane gave Pakistan a cost-effective alternative to its F-16 fleet, and also represented China’s first major push to export advanced combat systems and compete globally through a joint venture model.

On the international market, the JF-17 is attractive to nations with tight budgets or political friction with the West, according to Odgaard.

While significantly better than obsolete Cold War-era aircraft, it was much cheaper than top-tier Western jets such as the upgraded US F-16V or the French Dassault Rafale.

Most importantly, deals through Pakistan avoid the geopolitical scrutiny attracted by arms deals in the US, Russia or the European Union.

With Chinese support, Pakistan now offered viable aircraft, training and maintenance that could set a precedent for similar deals in Africa or the Middle East, Odgaard said.

The deal with the Libyan National Army also included agreements on further weapons sales, training and joint manufacturing, according to social media posts by the force.

Many critical parts of the plane, such as the radar and long-range PL-15E air-to-air missiles, were made in China, former Chinese rocket force instructor Song Zhongping said.

“The deal is primarily a good thing for China. Increased foreign usage could help validate and demonstrate the capabilities of the Chinese fighters,” he said.

Myanmar acquired 16 JF-17s in 2015, Nigeria bought three in 2016, and Azerbaijan ordered 40 earlier this year. Pakistan is also reportedly negotiating a deal with Iraq.

Song added that the JF-17 was not used by the People’s Liberation Army and was not among China’s most advanced platforms, ensuring that the Chinese military retained a technological edge over the export market.

Libya has been under a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) arms embargo since 2011, but this has effectively been ignored by multiple states that have continued to supply various factions in the civil war.

Pakistan officials argued there were no direct sanctions targeting individuals including Hifter, and that delivering arms to the LNA was not explicitly prohibited.

Chinese-made Wing Loong II drones, reportedly supplied to the LNA through the United Arab Emirates, have been widely used in the conflict.

“While the deal raises broader questions about China’s ethical posture and the integrity of UNSC embargoes, China retains sufficient distance to shield itself from immediate diplomatic backlash,” she said.

The focus on Pakistan would also help with the fallout with other key players in the region, such as Turkey, she added.