Pakistan Air Force inducts first JF-17 combat jet squadron
February 18th, 2010 - 8:17 pm ICT by IANSIslamabad, Feb 18 (IANS) The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Thursday formally inducted its first squadron of the JF-17 Thunder combat jet that has been jointly developed with China, saying it was in line with its “resolve to face all challenges with poise and self-confidence”.
“The formal induction of JF-17 aircraft is in line with our resolve to face all challenges with poise and self-confidence,” the PAF chief Air Chief Marshal Qamar Suleman said while speaking at the induction ceremony at an operational base.
“We are a peaceful nation with no aggressive designs and want to maintain peace with honour in our region,” Online news agency quoted him as saying.
According to Suleman, the PAF was inducting new systems “to keep pace with technology and maintain credible conventional balance of force, without which peace cannot be ensured in South Asia”.
In this context, he noted that the PAF had invested in powerful force multipliers like aerial tankers, unmanned aerial vehicles and airborne early warning and control aircraft “to enhance our capacity and capability to undertake complex operations”.
“These new state-of-the-art inductions make it imperative that we train hard and prepare well to induct and integrate the new systems professionally and safely,” he added.
The JF-17 was developed jointly by Chengdu Aircraft Industries Corporation and the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC). It is a small, lightweight fighter powered by a single engine. It has been developed to meet the requirements of the PAF and for export to other developing nations.
- Indigenously manufactured Chinese JF-17 Thunder fighter plane joins Pak Air Force - Feb 19, 2010
- Pakistan displays fighter aircraft at Dubai air show - Nov 14, 2011
- Pak launches avionics production line for JF-17 Thunder combat aircraft - May 29, 2010
- Kayani lauds Pak Air Force role in counterterrorism operations - Mar 11, 2011
- Pakistan commits to Chinese surface-to-air missile systems - Nov 18, 2010
- Pakistan to station JF-17 combat jets at Peshawar - Apr 17, 2009
- Pak to send JF-17 combat jets for Farnborough Air Show in Britain - Jul 17, 2010
- F-16s won't be used for aggression against any country: Zardari - Jul 02, 2010
- Pakistan begins High Mark-2010 war game - Mar 15, 2010
- Pakistan negotiating with US for more F-16 fighter jets - Mar 09, 2011
- Pakistan Air Force to induct four midair refuellers next year - Aug 11, 2009
- Pakistan Air Force to conduct massive exercise - Mar 13, 2010
- Pakistan Air Force gets new chief - Mar 19, 2012
- Pakistan rolls out fighter jet produced with Chinese assistance - Nov 23, 2009
- Pakistan gets new ISI chief, air chief (Lead) - Mar 19, 2012
Tags: aggressive designs, air chief marshal, aircraft industries, combat jet, control aircraft, force multipliers, formal induction, induction ceremony, inductions, jet squadron, jf 17 thunder, lightweight fighter, operational base, paf, pakistan air force, peaceful nation, qamar, self confidence, suleman, unmanned aerial vehicles
