Know more about China's most feared fighter jet JF-17 Thunder

New Delhi: JF-17 Thunder is an advanced, light-weight, multi-role fighter aircraft. It is developed as a joint venture between Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC), Kamra and Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation (CAC) of China. It possesses excellent air-to-air and air-to-surface combat capabilities. The state-of-the art avionics, optimally integrated sub-systems, computerized flight controls and capability to employ latest weapons provides decisive advantage to JF-17 over adversaries of same class. It is named as PAC JF-17 by Pakistan and CAC FC-1 by China.Its designation “JF-17 Thunder” by Pakistan is short for “Joint Fighter-17”, while the designation “FC-1 Xiaolong” by China means “Fighter China-1 Fierce Dragon”.It can carry a variety of missiles and bombs, including air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, supplemented by a 23/30 mm GSh-23-2 twin-barrel autocannon. It is powered by a RD-93 afterburning turbofan, and has a top speed of Mach 1.6. The JF-17 is slated to become the backbone of Pakistan Air Force (PAF), complementing the F-16s as well as the J-10Bs (on order) within its aircraft ranks and is also expected to fill the duties of aerial reconnaissance, ground-attack and interception.It made its first flight in August 2003. The basic flight testing was completed in 2007. On 23 March 2007 it was formally presented to the nation as a Pakistan Day gift .The JF-17 aircraft has been formally inducted in Pakistan Air Force by replacing A-5 aircraft of an Operational Squadron of PAF. The aircraft was show cased for the first time at Farnborough Air Show UK in the year 2010.Pakistan has already started induction, and has plans to induct around 250 units.The JF-17 will replace Pakistan's ageing fleet of A-5C, Mirage-III, Mirage-V, and F-7P/PG by 2015.The first squadron was inducted in the Pakistan Air Force in February 2010. In China it is in an evaluation phase