Pakistan is selling JF-17 warplanes, jointly developed with China, to the Libyan National Army, a move analysts say could serve as a gateway for Beijing to expand its influence into North Africa. The agreement includes 16 fourth-generation JF-17 fighters and other equipment, to be delivered over 2½ years.
Pakistan is selling warplanes it jointly developed with China to the Libyan National Army (LNA), a move analysts said could serve as a gateway for Beijing to expand its influence into North Africa. The deal includes 16 fourth-generation JF-17 fighters, along with 12 Super Mushak trainer aircraft for basic pilot training and other land, sea, and air equipment, to be delivered over 2½ years, Reuters reported.
The JF-17 is a fourth-generation single-engine, multi-role aircraft developed jointly by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation and the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex. The plane has previously been sold to Myanmar, Nigeria, and Azerbaijan. While most previous sales have been conducted through Pakistan, the latest Pentagon China military power report named the JF-17 as the bestselling Chinese-designed fixed-wing aircraft on the global market.
“The deal is a way of expanding China’s geopolitical influence through defence-industrial partnerships,” said Liselotte Odgaard, non-resident senior fellow at Hudson Institute. “It enables China to establish market presence behind the veneer of Pakistani exports.” Analysts suggest this could help Beijing broaden its footprint in North Africa.
