Pakistan officially inducts the JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft in PAF's Combat Commanders School

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World Defense & Security News - Pakistan
 
 
Pakistan officially inducts the JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft in PAF's Combat Commanders School
 
The JF-17 Thunder, the indigenously-made multi-role and all weather fighter aircraft, was formally inducted in the prestigious Combat Commanders’ School (CCS) of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on Monday, January 26. The induction of this indigenous fighter jet will further facilitate advanced combat training of PAF fighter pilots. Pakistan's Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (Operations), Air Marshal Sohail Aman, was the chief guest on the occasion.
     
The JF-17 Thunder, the indigenously-made multi-role and all weather fighter aircraft, was formally inducted in the prestigious Combat Commanders’ School (CCS) of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on Monday, January 26. The induction of this indigenous fighter jet will further facilitate advanced combat training of PAF fighter pilots. Pakistan's Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (Operations), Air Marshal Sohail Aman, was the chief guest on the occasion. Pakistan Air Force's PAC JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft
     
While addressing on the occasion, the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (Operations) said PAF was fully prepared to meet the external and internal challenges.

He said the role of air power had increased manifold and it had become a weapon of first choice.

In his welcome address, Commander Mushaf Base, Air Commodore Sarfraz Khan said the induction of JF-17 Thunder in CCS would open new vistas of training for PAF pilots.

He said so far 50 JF-17 Thunder aircraft had been commissioned in the PAF. The induction of JF-17 aircraft in the PAF started in 2007. Today, the PAF is operating two JF-17 squadrons, which are actively engaged in all types of operations.

Induction of JF-17 aircraft in CCS is a major milestone towards self-reliance and enhancement of operational capability.

The JF-17 Thunder is a light-weight, single-engine, multi-role combat aircraft developed jointly by the Pakistan Air Force, the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and the Chengdu Aircraft Industries Corporation (CAC) of China.

JF-17 can be armed with up to 3,629 kg (8,000 lb) of air-to-air and air-to-ground weaponry, as well as other equipment, mounted externally on the aircraft's seven hardpoints. The under-fuselage and inboard under-wing hardpoints are plumbed, enabling them to carry droptanks of various sizes for extra fuel.

The JF-17 is powered by a single Russian RD-93 turbofan engine, which is a variant of the RD-33 engine used on the Mig-29 fighter. The engine gives more thrust and significantly lower specific fuel consumption than the turbojet engines fitted to older combat aircraft being replaced by the JF-17.