Bangladesh Air Force pilots seen inside cockpit of Pakistan’s…, Dhaka had earlier opted for…

Bangladesh would be looking to upgrade its defence and military infrastructure.

New Delhi: Ever since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s regime from Bangladesh, the country has displayed rather unexpected preferences. It has been reported that India’s eastern neighbour is getting closer to Pakistan for its military and defence needs.

The latest report suggests that Dhaka is closing in some deals with its erstwhile real brother Islamabad to get its hands on the JF-17 Thunder fighter jet, which is a joint venture between China and Pakistan.

This is said to be after detailed contemplation over its previous deliberations t purchase more superior Western and Chinese fighter jets like the Eurofighter Typhoon, Rafale, and J-10CE. But it seems like the cost factor made it turn its attention to this corner.

The same was highlighted when Bangladeshi air force pilots were recently clicked in the cockpits of JF-17 jets during a visit to Pakistan, as reported by several Pakistani media outlets.

Bangladesh would be looking to upgrade its defence and military infrastructure along with its neighbours, marked by a meticulous assessment of various aircraft like the Eurofighter Typhoon and the French Rafale, both of which are well-known for their advanced capabilities and technology.

But as mentioned earlier, the high cost of these aircraft must have played a big role in turning towards PAF. The J-10CE is China’s fourth-generation-plus fighter and its induction could provide it a better aerial defence mechanism.

The price of a single unit of the JF-17 is about $40 million and is more economical compared to the Western machines, making it a good alternative for Bangladesh as it grapples with its economic restraints right now.

Moreover, Bangladesh’s pilots are familiar with the functioning of the JF-17, especially the engine which is the Russia made Klimov RD-93 engine, similar to the RD-33 engine that is fitted in the current fleet of Bangladesh’s MiG-29 jets.

This is one factor that could simplify and make it easy to train, maintain, and orchestration, thus cutting down the cost and making it comfortable to assimilate the JF-17 with the current set-up.