JF-17 Suffers Successive Setbacks #jf17thunder #jf17 #fc1 #jf17block3 #masa #military

Developed in collaboration with Pakistan, China has promoted the JF-17 Thunder fighter jet to the international market. Argentina and Serbia were two of China's targets. The two countries were considering purchasing the JF-17 to replace aging fleets. However, they ultimately abandoned the Thunder and opted for Western fighter jets.

As early as 2014, Chinese media reported Argentina's interest in the JF-17. In 2022, Argentina sent two high-level delegations to visit Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group and Pakistan. The Argentine delegations seemed very satisfied with the JF-17's performance, expressing interest in purchasing it multiple times and even discussing technology transfer, with the idea of becoming the general agent for South America.

Argentina experienced a political shift when the conservative Milei unexpectedly won the presidency in 2023. During his campaign, Milei emphasized his refusal to engage with the Communist Party and heavily criticized China. After his election, the government completely aligned with Western countries, which the US and UK welcomed. In less than four months, Argentina signed a contract worth $650 million to purchase 24 second-hand F-16AM fighter jets from Denmark.

On the 25th anniversary of the NATO bombing campaign, Serbia announced the purchase of 12 Rafale fighter jets from France, indicating its desire to further integrate with the West.

The JF-17's performance is roughly equivalent to that of the South Korean FA-50 but falls short of later variants of the F-16. However, the JF-17's sales performance could be much better than the FA-50. The sales of TA-50 and FA-50 have been successful in countries such as Indonesia, Iraq, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, and Poland, with a total production exceeding 200 units.

In contrast, the JF-17 extensively uses Chinese avionics equipment, engines, and weapons, posing interoperability and logistical support challenges. Using Western weapons would also raise issues regarding national sanctions, which is a significant reason why most countries do not consider the JF-17.