By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The air force chiefs of Pakistan and Bangladesh met on Tuesday to discuss deepening military cooperation, including the potential sale of Pakistan’s JF-17 Thunder fighter jets, amid shifting regional alliances and Dhaka’s fraying relations with India.
The talks, held at Pakistan’s Air Headquarters, centered on operational ties and came as Bangladesh seeks to modernise its aging air fleet. Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan of the Bangladesh Air Force led a high-level defence delegation in the meeting with his Pakistani counterpart, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu. “The meeting focused on strengthening operational cooperation and institutional synergy, with emphasis on training, capacity building, and collaboration in aerospace advancements,” Pakistan’s military said in a statement.
Detailed discussions also touched on the potential procurement of the JF-17 Thunder, a multi-role fighter jointly developed by Pakistan and China that has become the backbone of the Pakistan Air Force over the past decade. The aircraft, designed to replace legacy planes, has seen extensive combat use, including in counterterrorism operations in North Waziristan in 2014 and 2017, the downing of an Iranian drone near the Balochistan border in 2017, and cross-border strikes inside Iran and Afghanistan in 2024 targeting militant groups. The JF-17 proved its capabilities in two clashes with India, first during Operation Swift Retort in 2019 and again in the May 2025 conflict, when Pakistan downed six Indian fighter jets.
Marshal Sidhu briefed Marshal Khan on recent advancements in the Pakistan Air Force and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to supporting Bangladesh through a comprehensive training framework, from basic to advanced flying and specialized courses at Pakistani institutions. He also assured fast-tracked delivery of the Super Mushshak trainer aircraft, a lightweight, single-engine plane capable of operating from short, unprepared strips, along with a complete training and long-term support ecosystem. Marshal Khan praised the Pakistan Air Force’s combat record and expressed interest in benefiting from its operational expertise. He sought assistance in maintenance support for Bangladesh’s aging fleet and the integration of air defence radar systems to enhance air surveillance.
The Bangladeshi delegation was accorded a guard of honor upon arrival and toured key facilities, including the National ISR & Integrated Air Operations Center, the Pakistan Air Force Cyber Command and the National Aerospace Science & Technology Park. “The visit underscored the strong historical ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh and reflected a shared resolve to deepen defense cooperation and build a long-term strategic partnership,” the military statement said.
The engagement follows Pakistan’s announcement in November, at the Dubai Airshow 2025, of a memorandum of understanding with a “friendly country” to procure JF-17 aircraft, though details of the partner were not disclosed. It also unfolds against a backdrop of warming relations between Islamabad and Dhaka, even as Bangladesh’s ties with India remain strained since the 2024 ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The former prime minister fled to India after student-led protests, and New Delhi has not accepted Bangladesh’s request to extradite her.
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