Azerbaijan will purchase Pakistan's JF-17 Thunder, around 50 units.
In a major move, Azerbaijan announced that they will acquire a total of more than 50 units of JF-17 Thunder from Pakistan. The JF-17 Thunder is co-developed by China and Pakistan. China handles major parts of the engine and the engine itself, which is purchased by China from Russia. Moreover, China directly deals with Russia for the engine that is used in the JF-17 Thunder, and China also uses the engine for its J-31, which is a 5th-gen jet. However, China is finding alternatives, like developing the engine itself to replace the Russian engines, which are also replacing the JF-17 Thunder engine, and it is more efficient and has more life, claimed by China. Pakistan is in dire need to increase its exports, and the JF-17 Thunder has given Pakistan a good reputation, and even countries like the US say that Pakistan is doing a magnificent job with its JF-17 Thunder.
Pakistan is marketing hard for the JF-17 Thunder to be an international model, and the Azerbaijan deal is the breakthrough that the PAF needed. For any research and development company to survive, funding is a major resource, and exports are the major source of funds. It is reported that Azerbaijan will purchase these jets, which are valued at around USD 4.2 billion, which is the highest Azerbaijan military purchase ever. Pakistan will also train their pilots and also provide maintenance services as well. However, it is worth noting that the Indian fighter jet Tejas is idle, and it has never been used by India against Pakistan or in any military activity, which suggests that it is not as usable as India thought it to be. India itself acknowledges that Tejas is facing several production delays; that is why India is moving away from home-based-build equipment. It is rumored that India has approved the in-house-built 5th-gen fighter jet; however, its fate will be the same as the Tejas.
