Somalia Reaches Agreement with Pakistan to Acquire JF-17 Fighter Jets
Somalia has reached an official agreement with Pakistan to purchase advanced JF-17 Thunder supersonic fighter jets, an aircraft developed and produced jointly by Pakistan and China.
- Advertisement -
Neither government has disclosed the full terms or size of the procurement package. Earlier reports, however, said Somalia was considering as many as 24 modern Block 3 aircraft. The deal has been valued at roughly $900 million, underscoring the scale of Mogadishu’s defense ambitions and its current operational needs.
The agreement comes as Somalia works to rebuild its military and defense institutions while confronting persistent domestic terrorism threats and heightened security pressures across East Africa.
The deal also follows efforts to expand military ties between the two countries. Pakistani Air Marshal Muhammad Sarfraz led a delegation to Mogadishu last month for detailed discussions with Somalia’s president, prime minister and defense minister. The talks covered plans for closer military and air-force cooperation, including comprehensive personnel training and the direct supply of aircraft to Somalia’s air force.
During the visit, Pakistani officials presented the Somali delegation with a model of the JF-17. China’s aviation industry in Beijing began developing the aircraft in close partnership with Pakistan in the 1990s, with the goal of providing the Pakistan Air Force with a modern, affordable and readily accessible fourth-generation fighter.
According to The Defense Post, the Chinese-Pakistani jet is equipped with an advanced defensive avionics suite and an internal 23 mm cannon. It can also carry and fire air-to-air missiles, multiple types of air-to-ground missiles, as well as precision-guided and autonomous bombs.
A Russian-made Klimov RD-93 turbofan engine powers the aircraft, giving it high maneuverability and a maximum speed of Mach 1.6. The JF-17 has a service ceiling of up to 16,900 meters and an operational range of 3,482 kilometers.
Somalia is expected to use these capabilities to expand its response to threats on land and at sea. The procurement could also advance the country’s defense modernization through deeper cooperation with Pakistan and China, while strengthening the Somali military’s long-term aerial strike and deterrence capacity.
