New JF-17B Fighters Enter Service in Pakistan’s No. 16 'Black Panthers' Squadron

The Pakistani Air Force’s elite No. 16 squadron, known as the Black Panthers, have reportedly inducted the new JF-17B twin seat lightweight fighter into frontline service. This comes shortly after the first JF-17B fighters left production lines in Pakistan at the Kamra factory in December 2019, with the new aircraft representing the most sophisticated variant of the JF-17 and the most advanced in Pakistani service. The JF-17B is capable of functioning as a trainer, but is also well suited for a strike role and can accommodate both a pilot and a weapons systems officer - the latter responsible for operating standoff air to ground or anti ship missiles such as the C-802. The No. 16 squadron has notably historically been allocated an air to ground role, operating Chinese J-6 fighters in the early 1980s and the Q-5 attack jets from 1983-2011. The squadron was established in 1957 and participated in the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War where it conducted multiple strike missions into Indian territory. 

The Black Panthers also flew sorties against Northern Alliance positions in Afghanistan in support of Taliban forces in the country. The squadron’s capabilities have been enhanced considerably with the induction of JF-17 Block 1 fighters into service - many of which are being overhauled to bring them closer to the Block II standard, and the induction of the JF-17B will only further improve its capabilities. The Pakistani Air Force is expected to receive a number of new fighters in the near future including the JF-17 Block III ‘4+ generation’ jet, the Project AZM stealth fighter, and possibly a more advanced and heavier Chinese or Russian complements to the JF-17 such as the J-10C.