Myanmar Reported has Increased the Order for the Purchase of JF-17 to 16 Aircraft

18 Desember 2018

JF-17M, ATR 72-600 and Z-9 helicopter enters the service in Myanmar Air Force (all photos : BMPD)

On December 15, 2018 at the airfield of the flight school of the Myanmar Air Force in Maithila (near Mandalay) celebrations took place in honor of the 71st anniversary of the Myanmar (Burmese) military aircraft. During the ceremony, the first four JF-17M light fighters received from China were solemnly introduced into the Myanmar Air Force, as well as the ATR 72-600 turboprop transport and passenger aircraft and a Chinese-made multi-purpose Z-9 helicopter.

Myanmar has become the first foreign ordered and recipient of a lightweight JF-17 (FC-1) Thunder fighter jointly produced by China and Pakistan. Earlier it was reported that the contract for the purchase of six JF-17M fighter jets (export version of the JF-17 Block 2 aircraft) was concluded by Myanmar with Pakistan in March 2015, the cost of the contract was, as it was then claimed, 129 million euros.

Aircraft must be assembled in Pakistan at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) aircraft company in Kamra. However, the implementation of the contract was delayed due to tensions between Pakistan and Myanmar due to the persecution of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar. Therefore, the developer of this aircraft, the Chinese aircraft manufacturer Chengdu Aircraft Industries Company (Group) (CAC) in Chengdu, assembling Myanmar aircraft, and the Myanmar aircraft produced only airframe constructors for the Myanmar aircraft became the lead contractor for the supply of JF-17 fighters to Myanmar. On a contract basis like all JF-17, Myanmar fighters are equipped with engines Rossi-RD-93 production. 

The first made for Myanmar JF-17M fighter committed the first flight to Chengdu in June 2017, and, as reported, all six fighters were delivered to Myanmar from the China in the autumn of 2018. Now the first four of them (body numbers from "1701" to "1704") officially entered the Myanmar Air Force.

According to some reports, Myanmar has increased the order for the purchase of JF-17 to 16 aircraft and conducted preliminary negotiations on the partial localization of the assembly of these aircraft in Myanmar.

(BMPD)