Azerbaijan receives first JF-17 Block-III fighters from Pakistan

The president of the Republic of Azerbaijan and supreme commander-in-chief of its Armed Forces, Ilham Aliyev, received on September 25 at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport, the first JF-17 Block-III multirole fighters purchased very recently from Pakistan.

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In a historic agreement (the largest arms sale to date for Pakistan) finalized in February 2024, Azerbaijan acquired from Pakistan an initial batch of eight JF-17 ‘Thunder’ fighter jets and associated weaponry, valued at $1.6 billion. The contract reportedly includes an option to purchase an additional eight aircraft.

Images released by the Azerbaijani government show that the received aircraft bear markings belonging to the Pakistan Air Force, which would explain the «express delivery» of these fighters. Despite these unusually short timelines, Azerbaijan claims to have rapidly integrated the advanced JF-17C Block III into its arsenal, representing a qualitative leap in its aerial capabilities.

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Azerbaijan became the third largest export customer for the “Thunder”, after Myanmar and Nigeria, and the second largest operator of the model, after the Pakistan Air Force itself.

The JF-17s are likely to replace the dozen aging MiG-29 fighters that make up the Azerbaijani Air Force’s main air-to-air capability. The aircraft will be able to carry guided weaponry of Pakistani, Chinese and Turkish origin.

See also: Azerbaijan tested prototype of its first Su-25 ML “Frogfoot”, modernized in Turkey

Azerbaijan’s acquisition of the JF-17 Thunder represents a milestone in its ambitious plan to modernize its Air Force, especially relevant after its limited participation in the recent Nagorno-Karabakh war. The partnership with Pakistan, coupled with the modernization of Su-25s in collaboration with Turkey, is evidence of Azerbaijan’s strategy to diversify its defense suppliers and strengthen its ties with countries that share a similar geostrategic vision and deep cultural and ethnic ties.