Pakistan’s JF-17 Thunder drew major international attention at the Dubai Airshow 2025, resulting in the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a friendly country for its purchase, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Thursday.
ISPR called the MoU “a significant milestone” in Pakistan’s expanding defence and industrial cooperation. It said the growing interest in the JF-17 reflects rising global confidence in Pakistan’s aviation industry.
The announcement came as Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, met military leaders from several friendly nations on the sidelines of the event.
According to ISPR, he held detailed discussions with UAE Undersecretary of Defence Lieutenant General Pilot Ibrahim Nasser Al-Alawi and UAE Air Force and Air Defence Commander Major General Rashid Mohammed Al-Shamsi.
Talks focused on boosting cooperation in advanced training, joint work on emerging aerospace technologies, and enhancing operational coordination mechanisms.
The UAE leadership praised the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) modernisation drive and growing indigenous capabilities. PAF’s Dubai Airshow contingent includes the latest JF-17 Thunder Block-III and the Super Mushshak trainer aircraft.
The JF-17 Block-III’s performance in Marka-e-Haq, Pakistan’s response to Indian aggression in May, has strengthened its reputation as a capable and cost-effective multirole fighter.
Pakistan used the aircraft to destroy India’s S-400 air defence system in Adampur with hypersonic missiles and targeted more than 20 Indian military sites during the four-day conflict.
India’s strikes on May 5 and 6, which New Delhi said were aimed at “terrorist targets,” had resulted in the martyrdom of several Pakistani civilians and security personnel.