Pakistani combat Jet JF-17 Thunder stole the show in Paris with its incredible aerial performance which stunned the spectators. The star jet presented a farewell performance on the last day of the 53rd Paris Air Show in Le Bourget on Sunday.
The venue was filled with the spectator as it was open for the general public. The crowd took a keen interest in the jet and it remained the center of the attraction. Pakistan Air-Force’s personnel briefed the spectators about the specification of the aircraft as well.
Apart from the appreciation of the abilities of the combat jet, the air show is expected to attract potential buyers all around the globe.
The JF-17 (Joint Fighter-17) Thunder is the backbone of Pakistan Air-Force (PAF). It has a capability to deploy diverse ordnance, including air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, and a 23 mm GSh-23-2 twin-barrel autocannon. The jet can reach a top speed of Mach 1.8 (2,222.64 km/h). PAF is about to upgrade the technology with a new JF-17 Block-3.
The Block-3 will be equipped with helmet-mounted display and sight, single panel multi-functional display (MFD), active electronically-scanned array (AESA) radar paired with an infrared search and track (IRST) system, and a cockpit with a flight-control stick on the side an NRIET KLJ-7A AESA radar. The jet would be able to reach a top speed above 2.0 Mach (2,469.6 km/h). Another double seater variant JF-17B is also scheduled to be inducted in the fleet very soon for training and advanced surveillance and support. Currently, Pakistan has 50 JF-17 Block-1, 59 JF-17 Block-2. 50 of the Block-3 versions are soon to be added.
