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Pakistan Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC)
JF-17 Thunder Block 3
The most advanced version of the jointly developed Pakistan-China JF-17 Thunder, adding an AESA radar, helmet-mounted display, wide-angle holographic HUD and a modernized cockpit with a large touchscreen display, giving the Pakistan Air Force a beyond-visual-range missile capability comparable to newer fourth-generation-plus fighters.
In service since 2020 · 2 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
1,980
km/h
2,000
km range
16,920
m ceiling
3,629
kg payload
0.95
T/W
💲 ≈ $32,000,000, Approximate quoted export unit cost
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
National export licensing
Subject to Pakistan export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Limited · 2 operators
In service since 2020. Status: active · ~60 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$80M – $112M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost, operating & support dominate over ~30 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Compatible munitions & weapons
Publicly reported weapons the JF-17 Thunder Block 3 can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 1,980 km/h Stronger than 39% of fighters
- Max speed (Mach)
Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.
- 1.6 Mach Stronger than 13% of fighters
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 2,000 km Stronger than 17% of fighters
- Combat radius
Distance an aircraft can fly, complete its mission and return without refueling. Roughly a third of ferry range.
- 750 km Stronger than 32% of fighters
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 16,920 m Stronger than 54% of fighters
- Thrust-to-weight
Engine thrust divided by loaded weight. Above 1.0 the aircraft can accelerate going straight up.
- 0.95 Stronger than 31% of fighters
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Main armament
Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.
- 23 mm GSh-23-2 twin-barrel cannon
- Hardpoints
External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.
- 7 Stronger than 17% of fighters
- Weapons payload
Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.
- 3,629 kg Stronger than 11% of fighters
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 14.93 m
- Wingspan
Wingtip-to-wingtip span.
- 9.45 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 6,586 kg
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 12,474 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 1
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- Guizhou WS-13E afterburning turbofan
- Engines
Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.
- 1
- Thrust
Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable).
- 86 kN Stronger than 34% of fighters
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turbofan
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Radar
Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.
- KLJ-7A AESA
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- helmet-mounted display, wide-angle holographic HUD
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $32,000,000 Stronger than 79% of fighters
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 60 Stronger than 20% of fighters
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 2 Stronger than 50% of fighters
Specifications compiled from public Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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What is the top speed of the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) JF-17 Thunder Block 3? +
The Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) JF-17 Thunder Block 3 has a maximum speed of 1,980 km/h.
What is the range of the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) JF-17 Thunder Block 3? +
The Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) JF-17 Thunder Block 3 has a maximum range of 2,000 km.
What is the weapons payload of the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) JF-17 Thunder Block 3? +
The Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) JF-17 Thunder Block 3 can carry up to 3,629 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) JF-17 Thunder Block 3 weigh? +
The Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) JF-17 Thunder Block 3 has a combat weight of 12,474 kg.
How many crew does the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) JF-17 Thunder Block 3 require? +
The Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) JF-17 Thunder Block 3 requires a crew of 1.
What is the main armament of the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) JF-17 Thunder Block 3? +
The Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) JF-17 Thunder Block 3's primary weapon is the 23 mm GSh-23-2 twin-barrel cannon.
What engine does the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) JF-17 Thunder Block 3 use? +
The Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) JF-17 Thunder Block 3 is powered by the Guizhou WS-13E afterburning turbofan.
What is the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) JF-17 Thunder Block 3 used for? +
The Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) JF-17 Thunder Block 3 is a fighter aircraft typically used for air superiority, multirole combat.
How many countries operate the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) JF-17 Thunder Block 3? +
The Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) JF-17 Thunder Block 3 is operated by 2 countries.
How much does the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) JF-17 Thunder Block 3 cost? +
The Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) JF-17 Thunder Block 3 has an approximate unit cost of 32,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
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