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Pakistan Confirms Confidential Talks to Export JF-17 Fighter Jets

Islamabad says any sale will be a joint arrangement with Beijing due to shared technology.

Overview

  • Reuters reported that talks with Indonesia are in an advanced stage for more than 40 JF-17s, with Jakarta also interested in Pakistan’s Shahpar drones.
  • Reuters has also reported discussions about converting roughly $2 billion of Saudi loans into a JF-17 purchase, and U.S. analysts told Jewish Insider such a move could complicate Riyadh’s pursuit of F-35s.
  • A preliminary US$4 billion package tied to the Libyan National Army was reported via an unofficial spokesman cited by Reuters, with no official confirmation from Islamabad.
  • Pakistan’s defence production minister put the jet’s price at about $40–50 million per unit and said production capacity and delivery timelines remain classified.
  • Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said global interest has risen since the May 2025 conflict, with media linking Sudan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Libya to ongoing discussions.