Overview
- Pakistan’s defence production minister and the prime minister said negotiations are underway with several countries for JF-17 exports, but they declined to name prospective buyers or disclose timelines.
- Reuters reporting indicates Indonesia is in advanced talks for more than 40 JF-17s and has also shown interest in Pakistan’s Shahpar drones.
- Separate Reuters reporting says Islamabad and Riyadh have discussed converting about $2 billion in Saudi loans into a procurement deal for the fighter.
- Officials emphasized that all agreements must include China due to joint development and intellectual property, and that sales would be restricted to countries regarded as friendly.
- Pakistan highlights a unit price of roughly $40–50 million as a key advantage over Western rivals, while U.S. analysts warn a Saudi purchase could complicate Riyadh’s bid for F-35s.