Pakistan promotes combat-proven JF-17 Block III fighter jet at World Defense Show 2026.

During World Defense Show 2026 in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan presented the JF-17 Block III multirole fighter jet, alongside the PL10E short-range air-to-air missile and the Super Mushshak trainer, as part of an export campaign targeting 13 countries.

Pakistan presented the JF-17 Block III fighter jet at the World Defense Show 2026 in Riyadh as part of an export campaign currently targeting 13 countries across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The JF-17, a multirole fighter priced between $25 and $50 millions, was displayed alongside the Chinese PL-10E short-range air-to-air missile and the Super Mushshak trainer. However, production constraints at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and supply chain factors, including the Russian RD-93 engine, remain key variables in delivery timelines.
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For Pakistan, displaying the JF-17 Block III alongside its weapons at WDS 2026 highlighted not only the multirole fighter jet, but also the associated air-to-air weapons ecosystem being offered to prospective buyers. (Picture source: Army Recognition)

The event brought together military delegations, defense officials, and industry representatives from the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, and Asia, providing a setting for bilateral meetings linked to aircraft sales and training cooperation. The Riyadh show took place amid closer security ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, following a joint defense pact signed in September that committed both sides to treat aggression against one as aggression against the other. Pakistan also used the exhibition to connect aircraft promotion with broader defense diplomacy and structured cooperation proposals. As of early 2026, Pakistan has confirmed that it is engaged in defense export discussions with 13 countries across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, with the JF-17 positioned as the core fighter offering in many of these engagements.

Countries publicly associated with interest or talks include Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Sudan, Morocco, and Ethiopia, while Azerbaijan, Myanmar, and Nigeria already operate the JF-17. Azerbaijan expanded its order to 40 JF-17 Block III jets under a $4.6 billion agreement covering aircraft, training, and associated support, and Indonesia has discussed a potential acquisition of about 40 jets as part of a broader defense dialogue. Saudi Arabia has also been linked to defense negotiations, ranging between $2 billion and $4 billion, tied to fighter procurement, while Libya and Sudan have been associated with wider military packages that may include the JF-17. Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) currently manufactures fewer than 20 JF-17 aircraft per year, with most production allocated to the Pakistan Air Force, and 45 export orders are reported as outstanding. 

One factor behind the increase in foreign interest is the aircraft’s price positioning relative to Western multirole fighters. The JF-17 is commonly cited in the $25 million to $50 million range per unit, depending on configuration and customization, while some Western fighters, such as recent F-16 or Rafale variants, exceed $100 million per aircraft. Pakistan has emphasized that the JF-17 is developed and produced jointly with China, allowing integration of Chinese avionics and weapons without reliance on U.S. approval processes for munitions or upgrades. The aircraft fires Pakistani and Chinese missiles, drops locally integrated bombs, and is marketed as independent from Western supply chains.

For air forces with limited budgets or facing restrictions on Western systems, this fighter jet provides a multirole option that combines air defense and strike functions in a single-engine platform. The cost differential also allows some buyers to acquire a larger number of JF-17s within the same financial envelope compared with higher-priced alternatives. A second factor is the operational visibility gained during the May 2025 India-Pakistan confrontation, in which Pakistan Air Force squadrons flew JF-17s alongside Chinese-built J-10 fighters. Pakistan has stated that its aircraft and Chinese-origin weapons systems performed effectively during the four-day clash, and India acknowledged aircraft losses without specifying numbers.

Following that episode, at least five countries expressed interest in the JF-17 in recent months, including Iraq, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and Libya. Iraq formally signaled interest during high-level air force talks in Baghdad in January 2026, linking any acquisition to pilot training and maintenance support. Bangladesh discussed the potential procurement of 20 to 32 JF-17 Block III fighters within a wider defense cooperation package, while Indonesia framed its talks as part of a diversified fleet strategy. These discussions occur in parallel with global supply chain disruptions linked to the war in Ukraine and instability in the Middle East, which have affected delivery timelines for Western systems. 

Industrial capacity remains a structural constraint for now, because Pakistan Aeronautical Complex produces between 16 and 20 JF-17s annually under the current arrangement, with 58 percent of production and final assembly carried out in Pakistan and 42 percent of avionics and major subsystems supplied by Chinese partners. The JF-17 supply chain also includes the Russian-made RD-93 turbofan jet engine produced by Klimov, and securing sufficient engines is a relevant consideration given sanctions linked to the Ukraine conflict. Pakistan’s air force operates more than 150 JF-17s and still plans to replace over 250 aging Dassault Mirage and Chinese F-7 aircraft, meaning domestic demand competes with export commitments.

Former Pakistani air force officers have indicated that production could significantly increase by the end of 2027 through factory upgrades and expansion at Kamra. Possible measures include additional assembly lines, higher production tempo, and deeper Chinese participation in component manufacturing while Pakistan focuses on airframe production and final assembly. Delivery sequencing for export customers would likely depend on phased contracts aligned with industrial expansion. The JF-17 Thunder originated from agreements signed in 1998 and 1999 between Pakistan and China following U.S. restrictions under the Pressler Amendment that blocked the delivery of 28 F-16 fighters to Pakistan.

The first prototype flew in August 2003, and the initial JF-17 entered Pakistan Air Force service in 2007, becoming operational in 2010 with No. 26 Squadron. Early Block I aircraft had a unit cost of around $15 million, followed by the Block II variant from late 2013, which added composite materials, air-to-air refueling capability, improved avionics, enhanced electronic warfare, and a higher payload capacity, raising the cost closer to $25 million. The dual-seat JF-17B flew in 2017 and entered production between 2018 and 2020, retaining full combat capability while serving as a conversion trainer.

The Block III, now the primary export configuration, incorporates the KLJ-7A active electronically scanned array radar, helmet-mounted display and sight, three-axis fly-by-wire flight control, upgraded electronic warfare systems, and compatibility with infrared search and track integration. The Block III airframe has a listed service life of about 4,000 flight hours or 25 years, with the first overhaul at roughly 1,200 hours. The JF-17 Block III, displayed at WDS 2026, is powered by the RD-93MA afterburning turbofan generating about 91 kilonewtons or 19,000 pounds of thrust and controlled by full authority digital engine control.

The fighter is about 14.3 meters long with a wingspan of 9.5 meters, an empty weight of about 7,965 kilograms, and a maximum takeoff weight of approximately 13,500 kilograms. It can reach speeds between Mach 1.6 and Mach 1.8, depending on configuration, operate up to about 55,000 feet, and has a combat radius of about 900 kilometers on internal fuel, with ferry range exceeding 3,000 kilometers using drop tanks. The aircraft carries up to about 3,400 kilograms of external stores across seven or eight hardpoints, depending on configuration, and retains an internal 23 mm GSh-23 twin-barrel cannon. Its weapons integration includes short-range infrared-guided missiles, beyond visual range radar-guided missiles such as the SD-10 or PL-12, precision-guided bombs, anti-ship missiles, and external fuel tanks. Pakistan uses the JF-17 as a multirole platform for air defense, ground attack, maritime strike, and reconnaissance missions.

The PL-10E missile, displayed alongside the JF-17 at the Riyadh exhibition, is a Chinese short-range infrared-guided air-to-air missile designed for high off-boresight engagements. The missile uses an imaging infrared seeker and is compatible with helmet-mounted cueing systems, allowing pilots to engage targets at large angles relative to the aircraft’s nose. The PL-10E has been associated with a maximum engagement range generally cited between 20 and 25 kilometers, depending on launch conditions, and it is designed to replace earlier short-range missiles such as the PL-5E and PL-9C. The missile is integrated with Chinese fighter aircraft and export jets, and its inclusion in the JF-17 Block III package signals compatibility with modern close-range air combat concepts. Alongside the PL-10E, the JF-17 Block III can carry the longer-range PL-15E, which is associated with engagement ranges near 145 kilometers, expanding the aircraft’s beyond visual range capability.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.