The JF-17 Thunder, jointly developed by Pakistan and China, is getting some new upgrades that will make the tactical aircraft all the deadlier. The news comes amid claims by Islamabad that it was a JF-17 that India shot down last month, not a US-made F-16, as well as a successful smart missile test by the Pakistan Air Force using the jet.

“All related work is being carried out,” on the JF-17 Block 3 upgrades, Yang Wei, a Chinese legislator who is also the jet’s chief designer, said at a press conference last Friday. The upgrades will includes an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar as well as a new helmet-mounted display and sight system for the pilot, enabling them to aim by looking around, Beijing-base military analyst Wei Dongxu told the Global Times on Monday.

Since the new Thunders use basically the same airframe as the previous model, Wei said there won’t be any delays in manufacturing, and the additions can be fitted quickly to the new jets.

First introduced in 2007, the JF-17 Thunder is also called the CAC FC-1 Xiaolong, or “Fierce Dragon,” as it was jointly produced by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) of China.

Photo Rob Vogelaar