China ramped up JF-17 fighter jets' production in 2020: report

BEIJING: Industry reports on Wednesday indicated that China boosted its production of the JF-17 fighter jets, which were jointly developed with Pakistan.

The reports come merely weeks after its violent face-off with India in the Himalayan region of Ladakh.

In the first half of 2020, the number of aircraft delivered was the highest over the past five years, according to the industry reports.

Global Times while quoting China Aviation News, a newspaper affiliated with the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), reported that as of June 30, the production line of the JF-17 has on average shortened the production period of a single aircraft by 15 days as opposed to last year.

The Pakistani Air Force (PAF) is the main operator of JF-17 fighter jets, while Myanmar also flies the China-Pakistan co-developed made aircraft.

The latest, powered-up version of the JF-17s, known as the JF-17 Block 3, made its maiden flight in December 2019, the Aerospace Knowledge magazine had reported then.

Back in March 2019, Yang Wei, the fighter jet's chief designer, had said the development and production of the JF-17 Block 3 was underway and the third block would see the JF-17’s information-based warfare capability and weapons upgraded.

Yang had added that some other countries also approached AVIC about purchasing the JF-17 Block 3.