Pakistan’s Kamra Aircraft Factory Rolls Out First Batch of New JF-17B Fighters

The Pakistan Aeronautical Complex’s Kamra facility has rolled out the first batch of JF-17B twin seat light fighters - the third and most advanced variant of the JF-17 to be developed. The batch consists of eight fighters, which are expected to enter service in the Pakistani Air Force by mid 2020. Pakistani media reports have claimed that the batch was completed in just five months, although this remains unconfirmed. Previous batches of JF-17B fighters were built in China and exported to Myanmar, with the fighter having been developed jointly by China and Pakistan for the Pakistani Air Force and other export clients. The fighters’ twin seat configuration makes them better suited to strike and training roles, allowing one of the crew to serve as a weapons systems officer to operate advanced standoff munitions such as the YJ-12 cruise missile. The fighter improves on the capabilities of the JF-17 Block 2 with more modern avionics.

Myanmar and Pakistan are the only countries confirmed to have placed orders for the JF-17B, but further orders are expected to provide a complement to the single seat JF-17 Block 3 once this more advanced fighter becomes available for export. China and Pakistan notably expanded JF-17 production lines in December 2017, which was speculated to have been in anticipation of greater export orders. A number of countries have shown interest in the JF-17 Block 3 design, including Azerbaijan, Egypt, Malaysia, Morocco and Iran, and the JF-17B could provide an effective trainer to prepare pilots to operate the Block 3 variants. An enhanced variant of the JF-17B equipped with the JF-17 Block 3’s AESA radar is expected to enter service in the early 2020s shortly after the JF-17 Block 3 itself.