Numerous countries are interested in obtaining a fighter jet jointly developed by Pakistan and China, said a senior officer of the Pakistan air force. "We've been receiving inquiries and expressions of interest on the JF-17 Thunder from many countries in the Middle East, Africa and even as far as South America," Air Marshal Sohail Gul Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, told China Daily on Thursday. The JF-17 Thunder - or the FC-1 Fierce Dragon as it's known in China - is a third-generation multipurpose combat jet co-developed by Aviation Industry Corp of China and the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, the leading aviation company in Pakistan, which is in charge of manufacturing and maintaining the Pakistan Air Force's aircraft. Some of the inquiries were "very serious", he said. "During my trips to many countries, almost everyone I've met asked me about the plane and many countries said they want to join the project," Khan said. The JF-17 is an "extremely capable aircraft" and its maneuverability and avionics are excellent, he added. Air Vice-Marshal Javaid Ahmed, chief director of the JF-17 project, echoed that view. "The JF-17 is one of our top lightweight fighters, comparable to any advanced aircraft in the Pakistan Air Force." Khan said the JF-17 project is a living example of the positive cooperation between the Pakistani and Chinese aviation industries, and that the achievements the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex has made over the past 40 years should be largely attributed to its cooperation with the Chinese aviation industry. The complex has already produced more than 40 JF-17s, he noted, adding that the cooperation project between China and Pakistan on the aircraft is still under way with technicians from both nations focusing on the upgrading of weapons and avionics. In addition, Khan said that the Pakistan Air Force has also been eyeing other Chinese military planes and may take part in the development of other aircraft in the future. His remarks came one day after six JF-17 Thunder fighter jets escorted the Boeing 747 that transported Premier Li Keqiang when it entered Pakistani airspace. Li started his two-day visit to Islamabad on Wednesday. After China Central Television broadcast footage of the JF-17s escorting Li's plane and of the premier waving to Pakistani pilots, many Chinese netizens said in online comments that the selection of the JF-17 Thunder symbolizes the two nations' close relationship in the defense sector. "It's a great honor for us that our JF-17s were selected to welcome Chinese Premier Li Keqiang," Wing Commander Ronald Afzal, who leads the Pakistan Air Force's 16th Squadron, which is equipped with JF-17s, told China Daily in a phone interview. He led and took part in the escort operation, which lasted 17 minutes. "We handpicked the best pilots in my squadron and started intensive training on escort formation at high altitudes and fly-past operations at high speeds as well as at very low altitudes - about 500 feet (152 meters) - one week ago when we were informed that the squadron would escort Li's aircraft," Afzal said. "My fellow pilots were very proud and excited that we were given this opportunity to escort the Chinese premier and present to him the best image of our air force," he added. Their pride is also shared by the aircraft's Chinese developers. "As the developers, we feel pretty privileged to see our planes undertake such an honorable mission and believe that the Pakistan Air Force chose the JF-17 to welcome our premier partly because it has a lot of Chinese elements," said Yang Wei, the chief designer of the aircraft at the Aviation Industry Corp of China. Yang's team will join hands with their Pakistani counterparts to develop future versions of the JF-17, gradually providing the aircraft with partial stealth and aerial refueling capabilities, he said.
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巴基斯坦空軍一名高官周四向中國日報記者表示,很多國家都有興趣引進(jìn)中巴合作研制的梟龍戰(zhàn)斗機。 巴基斯坦航空聯(lián)合體主席、巴空軍中將索哈爾·古爾·卡恩說:“我們不斷接到一些自中東、非洲乃至南美地區(qū)的國家的咨詢要求,他們都對梟龍戰(zhàn)機(巴方稱“JF-17雷電”)抱有很大興趣。” 梟龍戰(zhàn)機是由中國航空工業(yè)集團公司下屬的四家科研單位以及巴基斯坦航空聯(lián)合體共同研制的一款第三代多用途輕型戰(zhàn)斗機。 “有一些前來咨詢的國家正在非常嚴(yán)肅地考慮引進(jìn)梟龍戰(zhàn)機的問題。我曾經(jīng)訪問過許多國家,每到一個地方總會有人向我詢問這款戰(zhàn)機的性能表現(xiàn)等等,很多國家的軍方都向我表示希望加入到梟龍項目中來?!?/p> 卡恩稱梟龍是一款“性能超強”的戰(zhàn)機,他尤其稱贊了梟龍便捷的操縱性以及先進(jìn)的航電系統(tǒng)。 巴空軍梟龍項目辦公室主任賈維德·艾哈邁德少將也表示,梟龍是巴空軍現(xiàn)役輕型戰(zhàn)斗機中最先進(jìn)的型號,可以同巴空軍中任何一型先進(jìn)戰(zhàn)機相媲美。 卡恩向記者表示,梟龍項目是中巴兩國在航空工業(yè)領(lǐng)域合作的杰出典范。他還說,巴航空聯(lián)合體在過去40年中取得的很大一部分成就要歸功于其與中國航空工業(yè)的緊密合作。 據(jù)他透露,中巴兩國在梟龍項目上的合作還“遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)沒有結(jié)束”,兩國的科技人員將繼續(xù)合作提升梟龍戰(zhàn)機的性能,并使其系列化發(fā)展。 他還補充說,除了梟龍,巴方也有興趣引進(jìn)中國研制的其他先進(jìn)飛機型號,并有可能在未來參與到另一款戰(zhàn)機的研發(fā)工程中。 巴空軍高官接受中國日報采訪的時機正好在中國總理李克強開始其首次對巴基斯坦進(jìn)行正式訪問的第二天。而在李克強抵達(dá)伊斯蘭堡的當(dāng)天,中國中央電視臺報道了巴空軍出動六架梟龍戰(zhàn)機為李克強專機護航的新聞。許多中國民眾都認(rèn)為巴空軍選擇梟龍戰(zhàn)機為中國總理的專機護航體現(xiàn)了中巴兩國在航空及國防工業(yè)領(lǐng)域的緊密合作。 巴空軍第16中隊指揮官羅納德·阿法佐中校指揮并親身參與了為李克強總理護航的行動。他的中隊是巴空軍第二只裝備梟龍戰(zhàn)機的中隊。 阿法佐中校向記者介紹說:“我們的梟龍戰(zhàn)機被選中為李克強總理的專機執(zhí)行護航任務(wù),這是我們莫大的榮幸。自從一周前接到任務(wù)命令后,我們挑選了中隊里最優(yōu)秀的飛行員,并開展了密集的訓(xùn)練。訓(xùn)練科目主要是高空護航隊形以及低空通場檢閱隊形?!?/p> “我們的飛行員都很自豪并且很興奮,因為我們能得到這個機會為中國總理提供護航服務(wù)并向他展示我國空軍最好的一面。” 感到自豪的不僅是巴基斯坦空軍飛行員,還有梟龍的中國設(shè)計師。 中航工業(yè)梟龍型號總設(shè)計師楊偉說:“作為梟龍戰(zhàn)機的研制者,我們感到非常自豪和榮幸。我相信巴基斯坦空軍選擇梟龍戰(zhàn)機來為李克強總理護航也是因為這架戰(zhàn)機有強烈的中國元素。” 他向記者介紹說,下一步中巴兩國的科研人員將合作在梟龍的后續(xù)型號上應(yīng)用一些性價比較高的隱身技術(shù),同時,具有空中加油能力的梟龍戰(zhàn)機也將在未來一兩年內(nèi)進(jìn)入巴空軍服役。 相關(guān)閱讀 (中國日報記者趙磊編譯)
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