The JF-17B is the latest variant of the single-seat JF-17 fourth-generation multirole combat aircraft co-developed by Chengdu Aircraft Industry and Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, the leading aviation company in Pakistan. It was designed to meet the requirements of such planes from foreign clients and the international market, according to AVIC.
The state-owned aircraft giant said the aircraft is capable of not only training pilots but also engaging in aerial combat and striking ground targets. Yang Ying, general manager of China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corp, the trade wing of AVIC, said the JF-17B is one of the best trainer and fighter jets in the international market. It can carry beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles, anti-ship cruise missiles and precision land-attack ammunition.
"Because of the JF-17's excellent service record and the new plane's good capability and competitive price, the JF-17B has received orders from the international market even before the maiden flight, which means our clients have a very high level of confidence in our development and production capacity," he said at a news conference in Chengdu after the maiden flight.
Yang Wei, chief designer of the JF-17 family at AVIC, said the plane that made the flight has been ordered by a foreign buyer, indicating that such aircraft are badly needed in the market. Normally, clients would only accept mass-produced aircraft rather than those used in test flights, he said. He said the JF-17B's design improvements are not limited to the addition of an extra seat to the single-seat JF-17. Many changes were required, such as the adjustment of the airframe. He said AVIC will continue to upgrade and design new variants of the JF-17 family. Currently, Pakistan is the only confirmed user of the JF-17, with more than 80 aircraft delivered to the Pakistan Air Force.
China and Pakistan signed a contract with an unidentified buyer at the 14th Dubai Airshow in November 2015. The identity of the buyer and the number of JF-17s involved remain undisclosed. There are more than 30 foreign users of Chinese military aircraft in the world, according to Yang Ying, the manager.
Copyright Associated Press of Pakistan, 2017