Pakistan on Saturday said Iraq has expressed “keen interest” in acquiring JF-17 Thunder fighter jets and Super Mushshak training aircraft, underlining Islamabad’s expanding push to market its domestically produced military hardware amid acute economic pressure at home. The Iraqi air chief praised the professionalism and technological advancement of the Pakistan Air Force and expressed interest in benefiting from its training ecosystem, the statement said. The latest outreach comes days after Pakistan and Bangladesh air chiefs held talks in Islamabad on the “potential procurement” of JF-17 Thunder aircraft by Dhaka, though Bangladesh has not publicly confirmed any such plan. The JF-17 Thunder is a single-engine, lightweight combat aircraft jointly developed by China’s Chengdu Aircraft Corporation and the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex. Last month, Pakistan announced a weapons deal worth more than $4 billion with Libya’s eastern-based Libyan National Army, which includes JF-17 fighter jets and training aircraft.

Source: The Telegraph January 10, 2026 13:17 UTC