India Adopts a Watchful, Yet Non-Interfering Approach to Bangladesh's Potential Acquisition of JF-17 Fighter Jet from Pakistan

Recent reports suggesting Indian opposition to Bangladesh's potential acquisition of JF-17 "Thunder" fighter jets from Pakistan have been countered by statements from the Indian Air Force (IAF).

An IAF official clarified that the Indian government has no objections to the proposed deal, contradicting earlier narratives that depicted India as strongly opposing the purchase due to the aircraft's Pakistani and Chinese origins.

Bangladesh is seeking to modernize its air force, which currently relies on an aging fleet of F-7 and MiG-29 fighters. The JF-17, a joint venture between Pakistan and China, presents a modern, multi-role alternative capable of performing both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.

Bangladesh's interest in the JF-17 was evident during a January visit to Pakistan by a high-ranking military delegation, headed by Lt. Gen. SM Qamarul Hassan, where they expressed considerable interest in the aircraft and other advanced defence systems.

India traditionally maintains a cautious stance regarding the military capabilities of its neighbours, particularly when those capabilities are enhanced by Pakistan and China.

However, the IAF's recent statement suggests a nuanced, if not a shift, in India's approach to regional military developments. This could be interpreted as an acknowledgement of Bangladesh's sovereign right to determine its defence partners and procure equipment as it sees fit.

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the subsequent Western sanctions on Russia have impacted Bangladesh's ability to maintain and service its existing MiG-29 fleet.

This situation has compelled Bangladesh to explore alternative aircraft suppliers, with the JF-17 presenting a potentially suitable option due to its cost-effectiveness and performance characteristics.

For Bangladesh, acquiring the JF-17 is both a military and an economic decision. The aircraft's lower cost compared to Western-made equivalents, coupled with the familiarity of its systems due to their similarities with the retiring Chengdu J-7 aircraft, makes it a financially and operationally appealing choice.

Initial Pakistani reports of Indian disapproval sparked considerable discussion, particularly on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), where users debated the geopolitical implications and India's strategic interests.

The IAF's subsequent clarification, however, has moderated these discussions, shifting the focus to the practical considerations of Bangladesh's defence modernization efforts and the potential for continued regional cooperation.

Analysts note that while India may not openly oppose the deal, they are likely to maintain a close watch on the evolving security dynamics in the region. Some experts suggest that India's tacit acceptance may be a strategic move to avoid pushing Bangladesh further into the orbit of China and Pakistan.

 

[FIDA INDIA]

Bangladesh giving itself some brownie points. These media reports are self generated by Bangladeshis. Just like once Imran Khan said we are under tremendous international pressure to open embassy in Tel Aviv. Victimhood and Al takiya won't get you money. Earn yourself

 

[Hari Sud]

Go ahead and buy JF-17 and like Myanmar learn the hardware that these fighters are second or third class Chinese made. These stay more in the maintenance shop than fly.

 

[Scronkfinkle]

let them get some, we do need some brownie points for target practice on these JF flying contraptions, Tejas will have a couple of JF kills on its plaque; These are good propoganda for our equipment; Pls encourage them to get those JF's

 

[kumar]

Where is the money. With US aid stopped and thier railways coming to a standstill, where is the money?

 

[Enforcer]

It is in our best interest that Bangladesh actually acquires JF-17. Its actually great for India that all her adversaries use the same equipment. Once we have identified the capabilities and vulnerabilities of JF 17, it's much easier to tackle both countries at the same time. Also I am glad Bangladesh is not buying something modern and capable western plane like F16, which would have been a great threat to us.

JF 17 uses a russian engine and we all know the benefits of that - Short Engine life, Unreliable, more maintenance cycles, Dark exhaust ... Typically Russian jets have a readiness level of 50 percent at best meaning only 50 percent of the time they are ready to fly. Which means if they acquire 20 jets, only 10 will be available to fly at any time.

 

[Alok Gupta]

Let them have the J-17s. These planes spend more time under repair than on active duty patrol. Other countries are trying to get rid of them.

 

[Bhishma]

During Operation Swift Retort, the official claim from Pak's side is 2 JF17s were used along with 4 Mirages. ie 33% - this shows not even Pakistan places trust in their own "made in Pakistan" JF17s. This ofcourse hides the fact that they primarily relied on F16s, which they are denying. So Pakistan has no trust in their JF17s, they relied on F16s, now they are phasing those out for J10-Cs. Good job BD, you made friends with a beggar, now they will turn you into a beggar.

 

[saffronsword]

its called "Junk Fighter 17 " for a reason....

 

[Sandeep Singh]

Go ahead and buy JF-17 and like Myanmar learn the hardware that these fighters are second or third class Chinese made. These stay more in the maintenance shop than fly.

There is actually no reliable evidence of "Myanmar learn the hardware that these fighters are second or third class Chinese made". You're buying too much into Indian propaganda from the likes of Wion or Eurasian Times.

From what I see, one should not underestimate China’s military capabilities. How many people here even knew that China was working on not one but two next-generation fighter aircraft before footages of them emerged on December 26th? This alone shows that all the components in their next gen will be indigenous.

Chengdu and Shenyang are large cities of 34 million people. If the PLAAF had the confidence to fly those aircrafts over such crowded areas, it means they must have flown it many times before.

On the other hand, it’s fair to say that the IAF’s capabilities are highly highly highly exaggerated. The AMCA has been bragged about for decades now, i've heard it all (AMCA 5th gen, AMCA 5.5 gen, AMCA 6th gen, AMCA 6.5 gen, AMCA BEAST mode), But it's still on the drawing board, still don't have an engine. In fact, the U.S. won’t even provide F-404 engines for the light Tejas aircraft.

The Kaveri engine has been plagued with failures. Initially designed for the extremely light Tejas aircraft, DRDO and GTRE couldn’t even get it to work. Now it has to be downgraded for use in tiny UAVs. The Kaveri engine is a massive failure, considering how light the Tejas is, the engine is still too weak to lift it properly and they had 39 years to work on it.

 

[Sandeep]

Bangladesh must be incompetent and delusional if they get rid of their Mig 29 jets for the junk fighter 17 😂.

The junk fighter has major problems with its unreliable and faulty technology, equipment and capabilities. Most of the junk fighters are grounded in Myanmar, Pakistan, Nigeria and all of them face a lot of issues and problems and regret buying it.

The main problem is that the jet doesn’t perform or do anything that the Chinese claim it can. Also their weapons face the same problem with their range, engine, radio frequency seeker etc which diminishes it’s effectiveness.