Weeks after aerial dogfight, China delivered overhauled fighter jet to Pakistan

Hindustan Times
May 22, 2019

China delivered an overhauled version of a jointly developed fighter jet to Pakistan in March within weeks of the Indian and Pakistani air forces clashing along the Line of Control (LoC) in late February, it has now emerged.
Changsha 5712 Aircraft Industry, which operates under the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), reassembled the overhauled JF-17 fighter jet and delivered it to Pakistan in March, China Aviation News reported earlier this week.
This is the first time AVIC has overhauled a made-for-export third generation fighter, or fourth generation according to another widely used standard, the report said.
The JF-17, or the FC-1, is a single-engine multi-role light fighter jet jointly developed by China and Pakistan for export, according to the website of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China.
“The first [JF-17] overhaul marks an important milestone [in the JF-17 project],” Fu Qianshao, a Chinese air defence expert, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
Besides overhauling the existing jets, the two countries have also begun upgrading it under the ‘JF-17 Block 3’ project.
The upgrade will give the jet “informatised warfare capability and weapons” or the capability to use of cutting-edge communication technology in modern warfare.
Talking about the delivery of the overhauled jet, a weapons expert said it increases flight safety.
Such an overhaul can ensure flight safety after years of use, Fu Qianshao, a Chinese air defence expert told the Global Times on Tuesday.
“It might also equip the aircraft with newer technologies that enhance its capability, or prolong the aircraft’s lifespan,” he said.
Dozens of Pakistani air force personnel were dispatched to China to be trained by Chinese aircraft engineers during the process of overhauling the aircraft, part of the close-knit cooperation module followed by Beijing and Islamabad in defence.
Jointly developed and manufactured by China and Pakistan, the single-engine multi-role light fighter jet JF-17 made its maiden flight in 2003.
“The first JF-17s were delivered to Pakistani clients in 2007 and a number of them were later commissioned by the Pakistan Air Force. After a decade of use, it was time for the first JF-17s to undergo overhauls,” military analysts told state media.
Fu said since procedures and standards for the overhaul have been established, future overhauls on other JF-17s could be done by Pakistani personnel.
“Under the framework of China-Pakistan cooperation, Pakistan’s aviation industry will continue to develop,” Fu noted.
Reference:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

India Joins Russia in Voting Against West-Backed Move to Expand Powers of OPCW

The Wire: June 28, 2018 New Delhi: India voted against a UK-backed move that will allow the global chemical weapons watchdog to apportion blame for illegal attacks, criticising the decision to grant “unchecked powers” to the head of the group which could be used for “partisan” purposes. On Wednesday, more than two-thirds of the member states of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) voted to authorise the international body to identify the perpetrators and sponsors of a chemical weapons attack. It also specifically called on the OPCW’s technical secretariat to begin work on identifying the perpetrators behind the use of chemical weapons in Syria. The draft decision, sponsored by 30 countries, was adopted at the fourth special session of the conference of the states parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention at the Hague, with 82 in favour and 24 negative votes. While Europe, the United States and their allies voted ‘yes’, there was strong oppo
Read more

As financial insecurity rises in urban India, so does investment in insurance

Image
Scroll.in March 13, 2020 Urban Indians are becoming less confident about their financial security. Up to 58% of them fret over financial independence post retirement, which is a 4% increase from last year. An equal share of urban Indians worry about meeting their daily medical expenses and sustaining their current lifestyle once they stop working. The findings are part of a survey published by Delhi-based Max Life Insurance in association with London-based consultancy Kantar. The firms surveyed 7,014 respondents in 25 cities, including six metros, nine tier-1 cities, and 10 tier-2 cities, between December 2019 and January 2020. Source: Max Life Insurance via Quartz The trends Source: Max Life Insurance via Quartz Source: Max Life Insurance via Quartz Source: Max Life Insurance via Quartz A significant share of urban Indians also say their families will have no financial support in the event of the breadwinner’s death. In such a scenario, around 57% believe the family sav
Read more

ED tracks Swiss Bank A/Cs of Agusta scamster

The Poineer February 10,2019 Rakesh K Singh The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has tracked a dozen Swiss bank accounts in the name of Rajiv Saxena, who is key accused in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam. The ED has also found out accounts held by  his family members and associates where the kickbacks in the now scrapped deal were allegedly parked. Two bank accounts are in the name of Rajiv Saxena’s  associates Pankaj Jain and Sumita Jain who are also the authorised signatories. The  third is in the name of another associate Ajit Singh Bubber, but Rajiv and his family members are authorised signatories. The remaining nine accounts are largely owned and operated by Rajiv, his family members and associates. Rajiv Saxena was deported by the UAE authorities on January 30 and the ED formally arrested him the next day and a court later granted his remand to the agency. He is currently undergoing custodial interrogation by the ED. The agency had in 2017 arrested his
Read more