Iraq may arm itself with Chinese-Pakistani-made fighter jets. Yesterday, September 26, the portal nation.com.pk He said that Iraq and Pakistan have agreed on the purchase of 12 aircraft, and a contract is scheduled to be signed in October this year.
A dozen JF-17 Thunder Block III fighters will cost the customer $664 million. Iraq may become the third country to which Pakistan will supply the JF-17 Thunder. Earlier, these aircraft were purchased by Nigeria, and it was also reported that Argentina had put the purchase of fighters in the budget for the next year (later the Argentine government said that the deal had not yet been finalized).
JF-17 Thunder Block III Fighter Jet
Image source: mil.in.ua
JF-17 Thunder is the Pakistani designation of the aircraft, which has been developed by the Chinese company CAC (Chengdu Aircraft Corporation) with the financial support of Pakistan since the 90s. In China, the machine is known as the Chengdu FC-1 Xiaolong and is built on the basis of copies and modifications of aircraft that lead their "pedigree" from the Soviet MiG-21.