The Azerbaijan Air Force announced the receipt of the 1st JF-17C fighter
On September 25, Azerbaijan officially announced the addition of JF-17C fighters to the Azerbaijan Air Force. In this way, the Azerbaijan Air Force became the fourth user of JF-17 fighters after Pakistan, Myanmar and Nigeria, and the second user of JF-17C fighters after Pakistan Air Force.
Azerbaijan Defense Minister Hasanov highly praised the JF-17C fighter, noting that "the integration of JF-17C fighters into our army has greatly improved the air defense and offensive capabilities of the Azerbaijan Air Force."
The President of Azerbaijan visits JF-17C fighters
On September 24, the 5th Azerbaijan (Baku) International Defense and Military Police Exhibition (ADEX-2024) was held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. The Pakistan Air Force sent 3 JF-17 fighter jets to the exhibition, including 2 JF-17A (BLOCK2) and 1 JF-17C (BLOCK3). The JF-17A fighter put on a wonderful air show, and the JF-17C fighter showed off its performance with a full complement.
On September 25, Azerbaijan President Aliyev arrived at the ADEX-2024 site to visit the JF-17C fighter and listen to a report on the aircraft's performance. Azerbaijan Defense Minister Hasanov reported to President Aliyev that the JF-17C fighter had been included in the arsenal of the Azerbaijan Air Force and became the main fighter of the new generation of the Azerbaijan Air Force. In his report, he pointed out that the JF-17 fighter is an advanced, lightweight, all-weather combat capability capable of performing combat missions in harsh weather conditions day and night. The aircraft is known for its excellent air-to-air and air-to-ground combat capabilities, especially for its outstanding maneuverability at medium and low altitudes, and is equipped with advanced electronic systems and weapons, with powerful firepower.
Pakistani Air Force JF-17 fighters performed a wonderful flight show in Baku
The JF-17C fighter is equipped with the Chinese KLJ-7A on-board active phased array fire control radar, which uses the latest technology and components, and the tactical technical indicators are comparable to the APG-83 radar of the United States F-35 fighter. In this way, the JF-17C fighter became the first fighter in the Caucasus to be equipped with an active phased array fire control radar, which can completely suppress the main combat opponent - the Su-30SM fighter of the Armenia Air Force, which is equipped with a backward NO11M passive phased array radar. In this way, the Su-30SM fighter is inferior to the JF-17C fighter in terms of long-range detection, electronic warfare, and multi-target attack capabilities.
The JF-17C fighter is also equipped with advanced air combat weapons, and its over-the-horizon air-to-air missile uses the Chinese PL-15E medium- and long-range air-to-air missile. The PL-15E has a maximum range of 145 km, which exceeds the performance of the Russia R-77-1 medium-range air-to-air missile. In this way, the JF-17C fighter will be able to suppress the Su-30SM fighter in over-the-horizon air combat. In terms of close-range air combat, the JF-17C fighter is equipped with China's PL-10E infrared imaging guided combat air-to-air missile, and the PL-10CE is equipped with an infrared imaging guidance system and thrust vector, with a large off-axis attack range and strong anti-jamming capabilities. The Su-30SM fighter still uses the old R-73E combat air-to-air missile with multiple infrared guidance, and its overall performance is significantly behind that of the PL-10E. In this way, the Su-30SM fighter is at a very disadvantage when it encounters the JF-17C fighter.
The JF-17C fighter is opening the door to the international market
Judging by the relevant pictures, the Azerbaijan Air Force chose the Turkey ASELPOD optoelectronic targeting pod for its own JF-17C fighters. Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan have close relations in the new century, and are known as the "three brothers." The Azerbaijan Air Force used TB-2 drones supported by Turkey to inflict heavy damage on Armenia in the battle of Nagorno-Karabakh and successfully captured the Nagorno-Karabakh region. As a result, Azerbaijan has introduced a large number of precision-guided weapons from Turkey. Considering the system matching, it is also reasonable that the Azerbaijan Air Force JF-17C fighter is equipped with Turkey's ASELPOD optoelectronic targeting pod
There is information that the Azerbaijan Air Force ordered the first batch of 24 JF-17C fighters, and if the use goes well, further purchases may be made in the future.