Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu. Photo: YouTube
RAWALPINDI:
Iraq has expressed strong interest in acquiring Pakistan’s JF-17 Thunder fighter jets as senior air force chiefs from both countries held talks in Baghdad, underscoring growing defense cooperation and Islamabad’s growing profile as a supplier of fighter platforms.
The interest was conveyed during a meeting between Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu and Iraqi Air Force Commander Lt Gen Staff Pilot Mohanad Ghalib Mohammed Radi Al-Asadi, according to an official statement issued on Saturday.
The Iraqi air chief praised the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) professionalism, technological advancements and operational standards, while signaling a desire to benefit from the PAF’s combat experience, training systems and capability-building support, with a particular focus on the JF-17 Thunder program and Super Mushshak trainer aircraft.
On arrival at Iraqi Air Force Headquarters, Air Chief Marshal Sidhu was presented with a guard of honour, a gesture described as symbolizing mutual respect and the strengthening of institutional ties between the two air forces.
Discussions revolved around strengthening bilateral military cooperation, including joint training, operational cooperation and interoperability, with the air chief highlighting deep-rooted religious, cultural and historical ties between Pakistan and Iraq.
He reaffirmed the PAF’s commitment to support the Iraqi Air Force through training initiatives and professional exchanges, while both commanders agreed to pursue structured joint exercises aimed at improving operational readiness and coordination.
The engagement comes amid broader regional interest in Pakistan’s aviation platforms, particularly the JF-17, which has been positioned as a cost-effective multi-role fighter supported by indigenous training and maintenance frameworks.
Earlier this week, the ISPR said the Bangladesh Air Force chief called on Air Chief Sidhu at Air Headquarters for discussions on defense cooperation, including the potential purchase of JF-17 Thunder fighter jets.
A few days later, Reuters news agency, citing three sources familiar with the matter who requested anonymity, reported that Pakistan was in the final stages of a $1.5 billion arms deal with Sudan, including Super Mushshak training aircraft and possibly JF-17 fighter jets.
The report followed another Reuters story about a possible JF-17 fighter jet deal with Saudi Arabia, with which Pakistan had already signed a mutual strategic defense agreement last September.
A report on the PTV Digital website on Saturday said Turkiye is seeking to join the agreement, a move that could lead to a new trilateral security alignment. It cited a US-based Bloomberg report that Ankara sees joining the pact as a way to bolster security and deterrence.
Citing its sources, Bloomberg reported that negotiations were at an advanced stage and that “a deal is very likely”. It noted that Turkey’s strategic interests increasingly overlap with those of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia across South Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
According to PTV, the Bloomberg story also quoted comments from Nihat Ali Ozcan, a strategist at Ankara-based think tank TEPAV, who highlighted the complementary strengths of the three countries.
The report added that an expanded alliance could change regional and global security calculations, especially as countries reassess alliances and seek clearer distinctions between friends and rivals in a changing geopolitical environment.
Bloomberg noted that Turkiye has already deepened defense ties with both countries, including building corvette warships, sharing drone technology and upgrading F-16s to Pakistan, adding that Ankara now aims to involve Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in its Kaan fifth-generation fighter jet program.
Meanwhile, security sources in Islamabad have warned that any military-to-military engagement with friendly countries was routine; therefore, such matters should not be subject to any speculation.
They emphasized that such engagements are generally disclosed through minimal public statements. “Details of such engagement are being shared sparingly and should not be matters of conjecture,” a source told The Express Pakinomist.
In Islamabad on Thursday, the State Department also played down media speculation linking the JF-17 sale to broader financial or security arrangements, reiterating that any confirmed defense deal will be announced once it is formally made.
(With INPUTS FROM NEWS DESK)
