Pakistan showcases three new JF-17 fighter jets at Bahrain International Airshow

Pakistan brought three of its JF-17 fighter jets to showcase at the Bahrain International Airshow on Thursday.

The JF-17s took part in a flying display at the 9-11 November event at which companies from several countries including Israel are participating.

"The Chengdu/Pakistan Aeronautical Complex-produced Block II jets arrived on 6 November after a non-stop flight from Masroor air base. They were supported by an Ilyushin Il-78 tanker, but did not need to undergo inflight refuelling to complete the deployment," aviation website Flight Global reported.

The aircraft are on display at the Sakhir air base near the Bahraini capital, Manama.

JF-17 Thunder armed with 1000lb REK Glide Bomb taxing for an operational mission.

REK Bomb gives JF-17 a very lethal, effective and affordable standoff capability which was successfully executed in Ops Swift Retort in 2019.#JF17 #BahrainAirShow2022 pic.twitter.com/vxKeprUbkm

— Air Warfare Syndicate (@AirWarSyndicate) November 10, 2022

The JF-17 – officially called the CAC/PAC JF-17 Thunder, or FC-1 Xiaolong - is a lightweight, single-engine, multi-role combat aircraft developed by both China’s Chengdu Aircraft Corporation and Pakistan’s Aeronautical Complex.

Reports said that while China has not yet purchased the jet, it is also promoting it at the airshow alongside Pakistan. Both are nuclear powers and regional rivals of India.

The Pakistani air force’s new investment comes weeks after the South Asian country was ravaged by some of its worst floods in decades that killed over 1,700 people and left nearly a third of the nation under water.

It also faces grave economic difficulties that have led the government to seek financial aid from allies such as Saudi Arabia.