Pictures of Myanmar's first JF-17 Thunder fighter jet appear

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World Aviation Defense & Security News - Myanmar
 
 
Pictures of Myanmar's first JF-17 Thunder fighter jet appear
 
Pictures of the first JF-17 Thunder single-engine multi-role fighter jet produced for the Myanmar Air Force has appeared online, being prepared for carrying out flight testing. Myanmar has ordered a fleet of CAC/PAC jointly designed fighter jets in 2015
     
Myanmar Air Force's first JF-17 Thunder reportedly spotted in China
(Credit: FYJS.cn)
     
In July 2015, Myanmar became the first export customer of the JF-17 Thunder with an order for 16 Block II variants in July 2015.

The first of 16 imported JF-17s ordered by Myanmar are expected to go into service with the MAF later this year.

The JF-17 fighter aircraft will replace Myanmar Air Force aged fleet of 16 Nanchang A-5IIK ground attack aircraft and 24 Chengdu F-7M fighter jets received from China in the 1990s.

The PAC 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.

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 JF-17 can carry a weapon payload of 3,600 kg under its seven wing and fuselage pylons.

Myanmar is also reportedly interested in license-producing the Block III version scheduled to debut in 2019, which is equipped with latest features like Active Scanned Electronic Array radar, helmet mounted display and sight (HMDS) system and the passive Infrared Search and Tracking (IRST) system.