Pakistan is selling warplanes it jointly developed with China to the Libyan National Army (LNA), a move analysts said could serve as a gateway for Beijing to expand its influence into North Africa.
In one of Pakistan’s largest-ever arms deals, 16 of the JF-17 “Thunder” fighters were listed among the over US$4 billion worth of military equipment sold to the force led by Khalifa Hifter, which controls the east of the country.
The deal included other land, sea and air equipment, such as 12 Super Mushak trainer aircraft for basic pilot training, and would be delivered over 2½ years, Reuters reported.
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The plane has previously been sold to Myanmar, Nigeria and Azerbaijan. While most previous sales have been conducted through Pakistan, the latest Pentagon China military power report named the JF-17 as the bestselling Chinese-designed fixed-wing aircraft on the global market.
“The deal is a way of expanding China’s geopolitical influence through defence-industrial partnerships,” said Liselotte Odgaard, non-resident senior fellow at Hudson Institute. “It enables China to establish market presence behind the veneer of Pakistani exports.”
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The JF-17 is a fourth-generation single-engine, multi-role aircraft developed jointly by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation and the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex.