Upgraded version of fighter jet developed jointly by China, Pak makes maiden flight

BEIJING : An upgraded version of a fighter jet being jointly developed by China and Pakistan has made its maiden flight in the Chinese city of Chengdu, official media reported on Thursday.

The JF-17 Thunder, earlier named as FC-1 Xiaolong, was a single-engine multi-role light fighter jet jointly produced by the two countries for several years with engines supplied by Russia. The upgraded version features the technologies of China’s stealth fighter J-20.

The JF-17 planes are mostly used by Pakistan than by China as the Chinese Air Force has acquired new generation aircraft like Russia’s Sukhoi as well as developed an array of home grown new jets, including the J-20 stealth aircraft.