The Ministry of Defense of Argentina published a note this Tuesday (21) where it clarifies the news that the country would be acquiring JF-17 Thunder, Block III fighters of Sino-Pakistani origin.
On 17/09, the profile AEROSINT Division PSF — managed by the Pakistani think-tank of defense experts Pakistan Strategic Forum — posted on Twitter that Argentina had included US$664 million in funding for the purchase of 12 PAC JF-17A/B Block III fighters (10 JF-17A of a seat and two two-seat JF-17B) in a 2022 budget project presented to the government. The news soon spread across the web, being published and republished in various media.
https://twitter.com/PSFAERO/status/1438814909526065152
However, the argentinian body published the following note today: “The Ministry of Defense informs that, through an Authorization Note for Public Credit Operations, it requested the inclusion in the 2022 Budget of the authorization for credit management of up to US$ 664 million for the acquisition of multipurpose fighter jets, for inspection and control of the airspace. Likewise, this ministry clarifies that the purchase of supersonic aircraft from any source was not issued and is in the technical-economic and financial evaluation phase of five alternatives.” The folder did not inform, so far, which are the other aircraft evaluated.
The JF-17 is a fighter developed by Pakistan tly with China (which designates it FC-1), where the Pakistanis own 58% of the manufacture of parts and China the remaining 42%. The engine is the Klimov RD-93 of Russian origin, based on the RD-33 used in the MiG-29 Fulcrum and other fighters of the family, capable of propelling the fighter to speeds close to Mach 1.8 (about 2205 km/h).
The aircraft can employ an array of air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, guided bombs, pods and sensors and is operational in the Pakistan Air Forces, Niga © ria and Myanmar.
Since the Argentine Air Force retired the Mirage fighters in 2015, the country has been trying to acquire supersonic combat aircraft to perform air defense missions, which today are carried out by a few A-4AR Fightinghawks.
However, the negotiations ended up bumping into the British blockade, due to the conflicts over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands, in 1982, where the United Kingdom emerged victorious. Last year, the British government blocked, definitively, the purchase of KAI FA-50 aircraft, from South Korea, by Argentina. The jet has at least six main components manufactured in the United Kingdom, which has embargoed the export of materials.
The JF-17 uses the PK16LE ejection seat, manufactured by the British Martin-Baker, but, according to the Aerotime News, the Argentine website Full Aviation, stated that CATIC (China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation) said that the JF-17/FC-1 could be equipped with the Chinese-origin HTY-5D seats, already used on the Chengdu J-10, the that circumvents the UK embargo. In May, it was revealed that CATIC officials were in Argentina to negotiate the aircraft.
In any case, the Argentine Government is clearly interested in the JF-17, however, negotiations are just beginning. Russia has also made offers to Argentina, but there is no further information on talks between Moscow and Buenos Aires.
