Pak. to buy Chengdu fighters

LONDON, NOV. 29. Pakistan is negotiating the purchase of about 30 to 40 Chengdu F-7Mg fighter aircraft from China to replace aircraft lost through attrition and to bridge a capability gap until development of its new super-7 (s-7) multi-role light combat aircraft is completed, Jane's defence weekly reported today.

The deal will be finalised once final price negotiations have been completed, the report quoted to Air Chief Marshal, Mushaf Ali Mir, said.

He also left open the possibility that additional F- 7mgs could be bought at a later date, presumably if the s-7 project is delayed further. Early reports suggested that the Air Force was negotiating the purchase of 50 aircraft to replace its ageing Shenyang F-6 and Nanchang a-5 aircraft until the s-7 can enter service.

To be produced jointly by the China National Aero- Technology Import and Export Corporation and the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, the s-7/fighter China-1 (Fc-1) was originally planned to share a common airframe but have different weapon systems and avionics.

Pakistan's inability to secure western subsystems, including a suitable avionics package, as a result of international sanctions could, however, force Islamabad to accept a Chinese substitute, the weekly said.

- PTI

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : International
Previous : Do's and dont's during Ramzan in Pakistan
Next     : 'Vajpayee among influential world leaders'