Multirole Fighters JF-17C (Block-III) Enter Service with Azerbaijani Air Force

On Wednesday, the multirole fighter JF-17C (Block-III), jointly produced by Pakistan and China, was introduced at Baku International Airport. According to the Ministry of Defense, these aircraft have been added to the arsenal of the Azerbaijani Air Force. The head of Pakistan's Aviation Complex, Hakim Raza, provided details about the new combat aircraft to President Ilham Aliyev.

The JF-17C (Block-III) is a single-engine multirole combat aircraft designed for air combat and ground attack missions. According to open sources, the aircraft's maximum speed is 1,910 km/h, with a range of 2,037 km and a service ceiling of up to 15,240 m. Armament includes a twin-barrel cannon, four air-to-air missiles, one air-to-surface missile, unguided rockets, and up to 15 bombs of various types.

According to the Pakistani publication Air Operation Syndicate, Azerbaijan is purchasing these fighters for a total of $1.6 billion. The same source reports that the JF-17 outperforms the MiG-29 and Su-25 in terms of capabilities and can counter the S-300 air defense system. The contract also includes the supply of munitions and pilot training.

Based on open-source information, the price of such an aircraft is approximately $25 million. Given the total amount of the deal, it can be inferred that Azerbaijan will completely replace its fleet of military aircraft, acquiring around 60 JF-17C Block III fighters.