Sri Lanka revealed as first foreign buyer of JF-17 from Pakistan?

 

In an article running on ‘Want China Times’ Sri Lanka has been listed as the first country to purchase the JF-17 Thunder, otherwise known as the FC-1 Xiaolong or “Fierce Dragon,” a multi-role combat aircraft developed jointly by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation of China.

While Want China Times lists ‘92newsHD’ (A Pakistan based news agency) as the source for this story it must be noted that ‘92newsHD’ do not specify a country in their article, they merely mention that “In interview with British Magazine Flight Global, PAF Sales and Marketing Chairman Air Commodore Khalid Mahmood has said: A contract has been signed with an Asian country.”

So why has Want China Times specified that we are in fact the rumored buyers of this new fighter plane? They explain it as follows, “Rumors that Sri Lanka might be the first to export the JF-17 arose earlier this month when a photo of the office of a Sri Lankan air force commander revealed a scale model of the JF-17” they further note that the Pakistan Air Force announced that they will begin delivery of the JF-17 to Sri Lanka from 2017.

Despite foreign media reports Air Force Spokesperson, Wing Commander Gihan Senevirathne speaking to one of the prominent local media stated that although both Pakistan and China have indicated the availability of the fighter jet and proposals have been submitted on the availability of the aircrafts, the Sri Lankan Air Force has not made any decisions on purchasing them.