by ROJOEF MANUEL

Azerbaijan has increased its order of JF-17 Thunder multi-role jets from Pakistan, expanding the purchase from 16 to 40 aircraft.

The announcement builds on a 2024 contract worth $1.6 billion to modernize Baku’s airborne combat fleet amid evolving threats and its ongoing tensions with Armenia.

With the total agreement now valued at $4.6 billion, multiple sources confirm that Azerbaijan has become the largest export customer of the Pakistan-made warplane.

Like the initial order, the expanded package includes JF-17s in the latest Block III variant, equipped with advanced radars and avionics.

Islamabad began delivering the first jets to Baku in September 2024, with the initial batch reaching operational capability just one month later.

The JF-17 System

The JF-17 Thunder was originally conceptualized in the late 1990s through a joint defense initiative between Pakistan and China to create an affordable fourth-generation jet for the Pakistani Air Force.

Design and assembly are jointly managed by the state-owned Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and China’s Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, with the platform undergoing several upgrades since its debut.

The plane measures 14 meters (46 feet) in length, has a wingspan of 9 meters (30 feet), and an empty weight of approximately 7,900 kilograms (17,417 pounds).

It is powered by a Klimov RD-93 engine, giving it a top speed of Mach 1.6 (1,976 kilometers/1,228 miles per hour), a range of 1,880 nautical miles (3,482 kilometers/2,163 miles), and a service ceiling of 16,900 meters (55,446 feet).

Its weapons suite includes a 23-millimeter cannon, anti-ship missiles, air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, guided and unguided bombs, and electronic countermeasures.