Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia is reported to have reached an understanding with Pakistan to purchase JF-17 Thunder fighter jets, a potential step toward reviving the country’s long-dormant air force, although neither government has confirmed that a final deal was signed.
Turkish outlet TRHaber reported this week that Somalia had agreed to acquire the multirole aircraft from Pakistan. The report provided no details on the number of jets involved, the value of the proposed agreement or when deliveries might begin.
- Advertisement -
The reported arrangement comes as defense and security cooperation between Mogadishu and Islamabad expands rapidly.
A senior Pakistan Air Force delegation, headed by Air Marshal Muhammad Sarfraz, commander of air defense and deputy chief of the air staff, traveled to Mogadishu in September for talks on reconstructing the Somali Air Force and establishing stronger air-defense capabilities.
During the visit, Sarfraz held meetings with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi and senior Somali military commanders. Somali officials said the discussions addressed personnel training, institutional development, air-defense systems and longer-term collaboration between the two air forces.
The Pakistani delegation also toured Somali Air Force headquarters, where talks focused on organizational development, specialized training and improving the expertise of Somali officers.
Somali media reported that Sarfraz presented Brig. Gen. Abdirisaaq Mahmoud Haji, commander of the Somali Air Force, with a model of the JF-17 Thunder during the visit.
The meetings came after Fiqi visited Pakistan on Aug. 4, when the two governments signed a memorandum of understanding on defense and security cooperation. Somali officials said the accord included military training, capacity building, counterterrorism efforts and wider defense collaboration.
Previous reports indicated that Somalia was weighing the purchase of up to 24 JF-17 Block III aircraft in a package potentially valued at approximately $900 million. Neither Mogadishu nor Islamabad has confirmed those figures, and no official procurement announcement has identified the number or variant of aircraft under consideration.
Pakistan and China jointly developed the JF-17 Thunder, which is manufactured mainly in Pakistan. The newest Block III model is generally categorized as a 4.5-generation fighter and features an active electronically scanned array, or AESA, radar, advanced avionics and electronic warfare systems. The aircraft can deploy air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons.
The Somali Air Force operated combat aircraft under the government of Mohamed Siad Barre, but the service largely disintegrated with the collapse of the central state in 1991. Since then, successive Somali administrations have pursued its reconstruction, with early efforts centered largely on personnel, training and institutional capacity.
President Mohamud’s government has accelerated plans to modernize Somalia’s armed forces as Somali troops assume greater responsibility for national security and continue operations against al-Shabab.
Somali officials have portrayed the emerging partnership with Pakistan as part of a wider campaign to rebuild national defense institutions and create sustainable air-defense capabilities.
