MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine budget includes funds for the purchase of fighter jets from Pakistan

The builders say that the JF-17 can be used for multiple roles, including interception, ground attack, anti-ship, and aerial reconnaissance.

Argentina intends to purchase 12 JF-17A Block III fighters from Pakistan according to a draft budget presented to the nation's congress. The news was disclosed on several media webs, including ukdefensejournal.

”The Government of Argentina has officially included US$ 664 Million in funding for the purchase of 12 PAC JF-17A Block III fighters from Pakistan in a draft budget for 2022 presented to its Parliament.”

The two nations have had friendly relations for a while. Pakistan has voted in favor of the UN Resolution stipulating that “the continued existence of colonialism is incompatible with the ideal of universal peace held by the United Nations”, which has relevance for the Falklands Islands issue.

The chair of the Pakistan Senate has said of the relationship that “Pakistan and Argentina have very close cooperation in various fields and unanimity of views on international issues”.

The JF-17 Thunder is a single-engine multi-role combat aircraft developed jointly by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation of China. The builders say that the JF-17 can be used for multiple roles, including interception, ground attack, anti-ship, and aerial reconnaissance.

58% of the JF-17 airframe, including its front fuselage, wings, and vertical stabilizer, is produced in Pakistan, whereas 42% is produced in China, with the final assembly taking place in Pakistan.

If the deal finally goes through it will be a big boost for the Argentine Air Force, which lost most of its fleet during the conflict with British Forces in 1982, when it lost most of its air power.

Argentina has attempted to purchase jets a number of times from various origins, but deals fell through mainly because of the UK arms embargo, and the fact most aircraft have a British model for the ejection of pilots