Bangladesh interested in procuring JF-17 fighter jets, says Pakistan
Bangladesh has expressed a “potential interest” in procuring JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft from Pakistan, the military said on Wednesday. The JF-17 Thunder is a multi-role combat aircraft jointly developed by China and Pakistan. Pakistan claims that the fighter jet has proved its combat capabilities during the four-day military conflict with India in May 2025.
The development came during a meeting between Bangladesh Air Force Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan and Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu in Islamabad on Tuesday.
“The meeting focused on strengthening operational cooperation and institutional synergy, with emphasis on training, capacity building, and collaboration in aerospace advancements,” Pakistan military’s media wing Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. “Detailed discussions were also held on the potential procurement of JF-17 Thunder aircraft,” it said.
The fighter jet has proven its combat capabilities during the recent conflict with India, the statement claimed. Khan was leading a high-level defence delegation. During the meeting, Sidhu briefed his Bangladeshi counterpart on PAF’s recent advancements and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to supporting the Bangladesh Air Force through a comprehensive training framework from basic to advanced flying and specialised courses across PAF institutions, it said.
