Why Pakistan's JF-17 fighter is the hottest piece of military kit right now
In an international defence market dominated by the great powers, Pakistan has found a niche thanks to a low-cost product and some opportunistic marketing. World Reframed episode 29
The hottest piece of military hardware in 2026 is not coming from the United States, Russia or Europe: it is made in Pakistan.
A growing number of countries are showing interest in the JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft, a jet developed jointly by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and China’s Chengdu Aircraft Corporation. Reports suggest that at least 13 nations are exploring potential purchases, including states involved in active conflicts such as Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Nigeria, alongside others across Africa and the Middle East like Ethiopia, Morocco and Libya.
The JF-17 first entered service in 2007, and Pakistan has since rolled out increasingly advanced variants as part of a broader push toward military self-reliance and entry into the global arms market.
The aircraft is powered by a Russian engine, but the rest of the jet, from its airframe to its avionics, is largely produced in China and Pakistan. While it is not a fifth generation fighter like the US F-35, China’s J-35 or Russia’s Su-57, the JF-17 is considered a 4.5-generation aircraft. It features modern radar systems and beyond visual range combat capabilities, although it lacks true stealth and can still be detected by radar. Comparable aircraft in this category include France’s Rafale, Sweden’s Gripen and the Eurofighter Typhoon.
What makes the JF-17 stand out is its cost. At roughly 30 million dollars per unit, it is around a third of the price of a Rafale and significantly cheaper than most Western alternatives. For many air forces, affordability is only part of the appeal - Western-supplied aircraft often come with restrictions on how they can be used, which weapons they can carry, and where they can be deployed. In some cases, suppliers can even limit operational use during conflicts or require oversight of training and maintenance.
By contrast, the JF-17 offers buyers greater freedom of use. That sense of strategic autonomy is a major selling point for countries that want fewer strings attached to their military capabilities. The financial advantages also extend beyond the initial purchase. Long-term costs for maintenance, upgrades and armaments can exceed the price of the aircraft itself, and here again the JF-17 undercuts many Western competitors.
This matters because many countries are still flying ageing fourth-generation jets designed in the 1980s. They need affordable upgrades to remain credible in modern air combat, even though most air forces rarely see real combat against a comparable enemy. Jets are counted, pilots are trained, and upgrades are tested, but actual high-intensity aerial warfare is uncommon.
One rare exception came in May 2025, following Indian missile strikes in response to a terrorist attack in Kashmir. A large-scale aerial engagement followed, involving more than 100 aircraft from both sides, operating almost entirely at beyond visual range distances. Pakistan claimed it shot down several Indian aircraft, including Rafales, although the details remain disputed and India has acknowledged only limited losses. The JF-17 itself was not credited with the reported kills, which were attributed to Chinese J-10CE fighters, but its presence in such a high-profile confrontation significantly raised its international profile.
Pakistan today ranks among the world’s top ten arms exporters, though fighter jet exports remain relatively small. The JF-17 has been delivered in limited numbers to countries such as Nigeria, Myanmar and Azerbaijan. While these orders are modest, interest is growing, and the aircraft has become the flagship of Pakistan’s military industrial strategy.
By comparison, the United States has exported more than 1,500 F-16s worldwide and continues to sell the F-35. France has sold hundreds of Rafales, Sweden has exported Gripens across multiple continents, and Russia has long supplied MiG and Sukhoi jets to partners such as India, Algeria and Vietnam. Against these giants, the JF-17 is still a minor player in raw numbers.
Yet its significance goes beyond sales figures. The JF-17 represents a low-cost, politically independent and technically capable alternative for countries seeking to modernise their air forces without external constraints. More than just a fighter jet, it is Pakistan’s statement of ambition and an emerging symbol of its influence in the global defence market.
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World Reframed is produced in London by Global South World, part of the Impactum Group. Its editors are Duncan Hooper and Ismail Akwei.
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This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
