Pakistan and China on Tuesday began joint production of the JF-17 multi-role fighter at a facility in Punjab province, with the Pakistan Air Force chief saying eight jets would be inducted into service by the year-end.
Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed was the chief guest at the ceremony at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) in Kamra marking the launch of the production of the jet jointly developed by the two countries. Ahmed said the jet would be capable of delivering conventional and non-conventional weapons.
"We will require some 100 aircraft, and the PAC envisages taking the yearly assembling and manufacturing capability from eight aircraft to 15 and then up to 25 (a year) by 2011," he said.
Ahmed said around 60 per cent of the airframe and up to 80 per cent of the avionics to be fitted in the jet will be made in Pakistan by 2010.
The first 40 to 50 jets will be fitted with Chinese avionics while the next batch will be equipped with indigenously developed avionics.
In the next decade, the JF-17 will be available for export through China and a share of proceeds from such sales will be paid to Pakistan, he said. Two prototypes of the JF-17 were delivered to Pakistan by China last year.
The aircraft was developed as a joint venture by PAC and China's Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation.
The jet, which is also known as the FC-1, is being touted by Pakistan as a low-cost replacement for Western and Russian combat aircraft currently in service with developing countries.