George Allison: Argentina intends to purchase 12 JF-17A Block III fighters from Pakistan according to a draft budget presented to the nations congress.

Open Source Intelligence account @PSFAERO uncovered the news earlier today. He tweeted the following:

“ARGENTINA SELECTS PAKISTAN’S THUNDER JET – The Government of Argentina has officially included $664 Million in funding for the purchase of 12 PAC JF-17A Block III fighters from Pakistan in a draft budget for 2022 presented to its Parliament.”

The two nations have had friendly relations for a while, Argentina has been part of the consensus in favor of the resolution put forward by Pakistan on the right to self-determination which is debated annually at the General Assembly of the United Nations.

Pakistan has voted in favor of the UN Resolution stipulating that “the continued existence of colonialism is incompatible with the ideal of universal peace held by the United Nations”, which has relevance for the FalklandsIslands issue. The chair of the Pakistan Senate has said of the relationship that “Pakistan and Argentina have very close cooperation in various fields and unanimity of views on international issues”.

What is the JF-17?

The JF-17 Thunder is a single-engine multi-role combat aircraft developed jointly by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation of China. The builders say that the JF-17 can be used for multiple roles, including interception, ground attack, anti-ship, and aerial reconnaissance.

58% of the JF-17 airframe, including its front fuselage, wings, and vertical stabiliser, is produced in Pakistan, whereas 42% is produced in China, with the final assembly taking place in Pakistan.

Didn’t Argentina try and buy new jets recently?

Yes, the nation has attempted to buy jets a number of time from various places witht he deals being stopped due to lack of funds or British objections. Most recently last year, Britain blocked the sale of South Korean fighter jets to Argentina.

The Argentine Defence Minister described the move as British “imperial pride” before posting “Malvinas Argentinas” on Twitter.