JF-17 Thunder

The PAC JF-17 Thunder (Urdu: تھنڈر ), known in China as the Chengdu FC-1 Xiaolong [3] (English: Owlet Dragon [4]; Chinese: 枭龙; pinyin: Xiāo Lóng),[N.B. 1] is a light-weight multi-role combat aircraft jointly developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Industries Corporation (CAC) of China and the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex of Pakistan. The "JF" and "FC" designations stand for "Joint Fighter" (Pakistan) and "Fighter China" (China) respectively.
Originally designed to be a small and capable light-weight fighter powered by a single engine to reduce costs, the JF-17 was supposed to be a simple and inexpensive solution for replacing large fleets of obsolete types in the air forces of developing countries. The JF-17 evolved into a more advanced fighter during the later stages of development with revised terms of reference by the Pakistan Air Force and the incorporation of more modern features and technologies.[5][6][7]

Role
Multi-role combat aircraft
National origin
ChinaPakistan
Manufacturer
Chengdu Aircraft Industry CorporationPakistan Aeronautical Complex
Designed by
Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute
First flight
25 August 2003
Introduction
12 March 2007
Status
Active, to be made officially operational in late 2009. Undergoing systems integration and further development.
Primary user
Pakistan Air Force
Produced
In China: June 2007–presentIn Pakistan: January 2008–present
Number built
Prototypes: 6Small batch production (SBP): 8
Program cost
US$ 500 million [1]
Unit cost
US$ 15 million (estimated) [2]