Pakistan inducts 14 dual-seat JF-17 fighter jets into air force fleet 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Air Force on Wednesday inducted 14 dual-seat multirole JF-17 fighter jets into its fleet and announced that it was beginning production of state-of-the-art JF-17 Thunder Block 3 fighter jets, an advanced variant of the aircraft, to boost the country’s defense capabilities, the air chief announced. 
The 14 multi-combat aircrafts, produced in collaboration with China, were rolled out at a ceremony at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex in Kamra. The inauguration was attended by Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan, the Chinese ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong and several Nigerian officials. 
“These aircrafts will help boost our operational capabilities and serve as a strong deterrent to maintain peace,” the air chief told reporters after the induction ceremony. 
Pakistan’s nuclear-armed neighbor and arch-rival India recently acquired high-tech Rafale fighter jets from France, giving it an advantage over Pakistan Air Force. 
“The new variant of the JF-17 will be equipped with latest radars and other gadgets, and it will match the capability of Rafale,” the air chief said. “We have conveyed an effective message to India in February [2019] that don’t mess with us,” the air chief added, referring to Pakistan shooting down an Indian fighter jet and capturing its pilot in an aerial dogfight last year. 
“Red alert or no alert, Pakistan Air Force is alert all the time to defend the motherland,” he said, while responding to a question about the threat spectrum on the country’s eastern border with India. 
Pakistan already inducted its first batch of eight dual-seat JF-17 aircrafts into the PAF fleet in December last year. 
“We have ensured timely roll out of the remaining 14 aircrafts despite disruption in our production unit due to the coronavirus pandemic,” the air chief said, thanking China for helping achieve the milestone. 
Talking about the export of fighter jets, the air chief said numerous countries were taking interest in buying the JF-17, but it would be premature to name them. 
Speaking during the induction ceremony, the Chinese ambassador congratulated Pakistan for the Block-II dual-seat joining its air defense fleet. 
“Pakistan Air Force Block-3 is a very important project,” Nong said, adding that Pakistan-China “cooperation in the defense production is an example of our friendship.”