Turkey and Pakistan's friend places order for 24 Chinese JF-17 fighter jets against India's friend armed with Indian weapons, the countries are...
New Delhi: Azerbaijan, which has been entangled in a long-standing conflict with Armenia, has taken a major step to enhance the strength of its air force by opting to purchase Chinese JF-17 Thunder Block III fighter jets. Azerbaijan has currently signed a deal for 24 new jets. The entire deal is for the purchase of a total of 40 jets at $4.2 billion. If Azerbaijan uses these aircraft against its adversary Armenia, it may have to contend with India's Akash air defense system, as India has sold its Akash system to Armenia. To counter the weapons received by Azerbaijan from Pakistan, Turkey, and China, Armenia has weapons from India.
A report from the Bulgarian military post states that Azerbaijan signed a deal for 16 JF-17 Thunder Block III jet airplanes in February 2024. This deal was worth 1.6 billion dollars. Now, a deal for 24 more aircraft has been made between the two countries. The JF-17 jet has been jointly developed by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and China's Chengdu Industry Group. It is cheaper than Western aircraft such as the F-16 or Eurofighter Typhoon and is easier to maintain. Therefore, Azerbaijan has purchased it. How powerful is the JF-17?
The JF-17 fighter jet is a single-engine, multi-role combat aircraft. Its length is 14.93 meters. It is equipped with the Russian RD-93MA turbofan engine, which allows it to reach a speed of 1.6 Mach and an altitude of 50,000 feet. This jet features the KLJ-7A active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, which helps it track targets over long distances.
The JF-17 Thunder Block-III has avionics and a helmet-mounted display system. It can operate with a variety of weapons, such as guided bombs, anti-ship missiles, and PL-15E air-to-air missiles. This jet has eight hardpoints, allowing it to carry up to 4,000 kilograms of weight. In this way, this aircraft will significantly enhance Azerbaijan's military capabilities. Armenia-Azerbaijan Tension
There is tension between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Azerbaijan is receiving continuous arms supplies from Turkey and Pakistan. On the other hand, Armenia has friendship with India. For India, Armenia has been not only a defense partner but also a political partner in the region. It has supported India's position on Jammu and Kashmir. India has provided Armenia with the Akash defense system for air security. This system is particularly crucial for Armenia. Additionally, Armenia has received ammunition, Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers, and anti-tank weapons from India. Armenia has also received the advanced towed artillery gun system howitzer from India.
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