The Indian media has reported that the Pakistani Air Force (PAF) JF-17 'Thunder,' planes of Chinese origin, are grounded due to various flaws. Recently the problem-ridden plane has been compared to the Indian Rafales that is claimed to be built better.
It has been alleged that 40 percent of the planes are grounded, which is a disadvantage. This because China supplies the nation with military hardware.
The India Times Now reports that some problems are with the body of the aircraft. Cracks have appeared in the lower fairing skin as affected by the G's when in flight. A plane's fuselage should remain intact during flight; otherwise, it will be compromised, reported Eurasian Times.
For some time, the Thunder has been touted by Pakistan as the best it has to offer. They even sell it to other countries.
Another complaint is that the cockpit cover cannot be opened because of a faulty electrical system. Thus, it will trap the pilot inside the plane.
Problems in the body of the Thunder like the cracked lower fairing skin is explained better this way. Cracks in the strake areas are connected to the plane body or wings due to stress from G's while flying. The strake is put on the wing or body to provide more support on the plane's skin while flying. It allows the Thunder to go supersonic without damage to the strake or skin.
According to Islamabad-based defense analyst Shahid Raza, the India news report is false, saying it was fake news.
Also read: Pakistan Thinks the JF-17 Will Be a Threat to the Rafale Fighter
"As far as the PAF is concerned, my understanding is that PAF maintains on "Red Alert" status 365 days of the year. That means that PAF considers itself to be at war all the time," was his response.
He added that the PAF has no grounded planes with a hefty pilot-cockpit ratio. There is no truth to claims that the Chinese origin 'JF-17s' grounded, and the proof is the sortie ratio of the PAF.
The JF-17 Thunder is of Chinese origin because it was developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) that produced the prototype in the 1990s called the FC-1. Pakistan became a full partner in its development.
Pakistan has been building 58 percent of the airframe and subsystems. These are the wings, tail, and front fuselage parts. All parts are put together in Pakistan.
Assembling a fighter jet in-country without relying on foreign help is better than buying jets from international vendors. Acquiring spares and even upgrading aircraft systems will be more expensive. For the PAF, this is better than India, which is dependent on foreign sources for its defense needs.
There are support facilities like factories that handle all the planes and defense products for service support. Even PAF F-16s are not sent abroad for service.
Oddly the Pakistanis opted for the Russian developed RD-93 jet engine.
Indian media stated that the Thunder shows a weak airframe.
A source said that Pakistan was asked for a comment regarding the allegations from the Indian media, but none was given.
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