Argentina is considering procurement of JF-17 fighter jets: embassy

A JF-17 fighter jet attached to the Pakistan Air Force flies towards the designated airspace during an air-to-ground offensive operation drill conducted by two Chinese JH-7 fighter bombers and two Pakistani JF-17 fighter jets on Sept. 20, 2017 , which is part of the “Shaheen VI ” joint training exercise launched by the air forces of China and Pakistan on Sept. 8 and scheduled to conclude on Sept. 27, 2017. Photo: eng.chinamil.com.cn

The Argentine Embassy in China said on Tuesday that the South American country is considering procuring the JF-17 aircraft, with Chinese analysts saying on Wednesday that the fighter jet jointly developed by China and Pakistan is the best choice for Argentina in terms of performance and availability .

Argentine Ambassador to China Sabino Vaca Narvaja recently held a work meeting with Argentine Defense Minister Jorge Taiana and his team in Buenos Aires to promote cooperation with China in the field of national defense, the embassy said in a social media post on Weibo on Tuesday.

During the Airshow China 2022 held in Zhuhai, South China’s Guangdong Province, Narvaja spoke with representatives from the China National Aero-Technology International Engineering Corp about the possibility of Argentina procuring the third-generation JF-17 aircraft P jointly developed by China Force, the embassy said.

Other defense cooperation with China includes the possible procurement of 8×8 armored vehicles from Chinese arms firm NORINCO, according to the post.

Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation expert, told the Global Times on Wednesday that Argentina has long been seeking to procure new fighter jets to replace its aging and shrinking warplane fleet, but because of the issue of the Malvinas Islands, the UK has blocked Argentina’s aircraft procurement attempts on the international market.

The UK can lobby Western countries not to sell through diplomatic means, and it can also deter countries like South Korea and India, because their fighter jets use UK parts, including ejection seats, Fu said.

China’s position on the issue of the Malvinas Islands is consistent, and China firmly supports Argentina’s legitimate claim to exercise full sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands, the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Chinese Embassy in the UK stated last year.

That is why the JF-17 is the most available fighter jet to Argentina, Fu said.

According to public information, the JF-17 has developed into three generations, often referred to as the Block 1, the Block 2 and the Block 3.

The Block 3 is equipped with very advanced systems including an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, a combination of China’s top beyond-visual-range and short-range missiles, as well as avionics and flight control systems. The previous blocks are less costly but still perform well, analysts said.

But any deal depends on Argentina’s decision, Fu said.