Libyan National Army Orders Chinese JF-17 Fighters Through Pakistan

The Libyan National Army has reportedly signed a $4 billion contract to procure armaments from Pakistan, with the bulk of the value of the contract financing the purchase of Chinese JF-17 fighter aircraft which are partly produced in Pakistan. A copy of the draft agreement indicates that 12 JF-17s and 12 Super Mushak trainer aircraft are currently planned for procurement, although it remains uncertain whether these are the latest significantly improved JF-17 Block 3 variants with advanced ‘4+ generation’ capabilities. The Libyan National Army currently deploys MiG-29 fighters and Su-24M strike fighters, which were procured from Russia in 2020 and were speculated to have been flown by Russian contractor personnel. This confirmation follows reports in November of a new sale of JF-17 Block 3 fighters to an unknown.

Following a NATO-led assault against Libya in early 2011, which resulted in the execution of its head of state and the coming to power of multiple of radical islamist groups, the country quickly fell into a state of civil war. The Libyan National Army is currently at war with the Islamist Government of National Accord (GNA), which is strongly supported by Turkey. The Turkish Armed Forces have deployed to support the GNA, particularly in its drone warfare operations, while Turkish-sponsored jihadist militants from Syria  have also been deployed to participate in the war effort against the Libyan National Army. Although both sides initially utilised aircraft inherited from the previous unified Libyan state, primarily MiG-23 fighters, both have increasingly relied on newly procured aircraft from abroad. 

The JF-17 is manufactured in both China and Pakistan, and while almost all of its technologies are of Chinese origin, the large majority of fighters produced have been built for the Pakistan Air Force. The most complex parts of the aircraft including its radar, engine and avionics suite are built in China. The Block 3 variant aircraft has benefitted considerably from advanced technologies developed for the J-20 fifth generation fighter, which provide capabilities well in advance of older fourth generation aircraft. The fighter was designed to prioritise low operational costs and maintenance, sacrificing flight performance in the process, but has compensated heavily with the sophistication of its sensors, avionics and armaments. Integrating PL-10 and PL-15 air-to-air missiles, the aircraft are expected to comfortably be capable of providing air superiority in the theatre.