Iraq silent on JF-17 order

There have been no corroborating reports of a Pakistani claim that Iraq has ordered JF-17 multirole combat aircraft.

Pakistan's The Nation newspaper cited “top official sources” as saying that Iraq had ordered 12 Block III variants of the JF-17 Thunder that would be made by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, Kamra. The 25 September report said that the negotiations were completed during a visit by Major General Muhammad Majid Mahdi Mahmood, the deputy commander of the Iraqi Air Force. It added that Baghdad has approved USD664 million for the procurement, and a formal agreement is expected to be signed in Islamabad in October.

The Pakistani Air Force (PAF) reported Maj Gen Mahmood's visit on 23 September, saying that the PAF commander had assured him that the PAF would continue to provide training and technical support to its Iraqi counterpart. The two commanders also “agreed to explore further avenues of co-operation, including the JF-17 programme”, it added.

Neither the Iraqi Ministry of Defence nor the Iraqi Air Force reported the visit to Pakistan.