On September 25, 2024, the official website of the President of Azerbaijan announced that the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) JF-17C Block-III fighter jets had been “integrated into the arsenal of Azerbaijan’s Air Force.”
The announcement suggests that Azerbaijan has signed an agreement to acquire an unspecified number of JF-17Cs. Currently, this press release is the only official confirmation regarding the acquisition.
Prior to this, there were unverified reports suggesting that Azerbaijan had signed a $1.6 billion deal to procure an undisclosed number of JF-17s. Although neither Pakistan nor Azerbaijan has officially confirmed these reports, the ongoing sale of JF-17s to Azerbaijan appears to be moving forward.
Years in the Making
Pakistan’s efforts to sell JF-17s to Azerbaijan date back to at least 2017, when the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) began marketing the fighter jet to potential customers, including Azerbaijan, Argentina, and Malaysia. While Argentina and Malaysia expressed interest, no sales materialized in either country. A successful sale to Azerbaijan, particularly one involving several squadrons, would mark a significant achievement for PAC.
Why the JF-17?
Azerbaijan has historically sourced its combat aircraft from Russia. Currently, the country’s primary aircraft for multirole and ground attack missions are the Mikoyan MiG-29 and Sukhoi Su-25. However, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has strained Moscow’s defense industry, limiting its capacity to support exports and new acquisitions. Additionally, U.S.-led sanctions on Russia have forced traditional buyers, such as Azerbaijan, to explore alternatives like China and Turkey.
In this context, the JF-17 presents a cost-effective option for Azerbaijan to modernize its fighter fleet and enhance its air warfare capabilities. The JF-17C, or Block-III, is equipped with cutting-edge technologies such as an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, integrated electronic countermeasures (ECM), and a helmet-mounted display and sight (HMD/S). These features offer Azerbaijan access to modern air warfare capabilities, some of which are not widely available even in the latest Russian platforms.
The JF-17C is also capable of carrying a wide range of air-to-air and air-to-surface munitions, including the PL-15E long-range air-to-air missile (with a range of 145 km), the PL-10E high-off-boresight (HOBS) missile for short-range combat, the C-802 anti-ship cruise missile, and various laser-guided and satellite-guided bombs.
In addition, Pakistan is likely to offer Azerbaijan the Taimur air-launched cruise missile (ALCM), which has a range of 280 km. This would provide Azerbaijan’s JF-17s with long-range strike capabilities, a feature relatively uncommon in platforms free from U.S. or Western regulatory restrictions like ITAR.
Pakistan is also developing other munitions, both air-to-air and air-to-surface, which could create a diverse supply channel for Azerbaijan, reducing its reliance solely on China. Furthermore, Azerbaijan is expected to collaborate with Turkey for additional defense solutions.