KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has lauded the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) JF-17 Thunder fighters and expressed interest in acquiring them for the Malaysian air force.
In an interview, Mahathir – who was the Guest of Honour at the annual Pakistan Day parade – praised the warplanes and said that “they [Pakistan] have built a weapon which performs very well”.
Following the March 23 parade, Mahathir was also given a briefing on the warplane at the Nur Khan Airbase.
JF-17 warplanes were assembled locally by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex in collaboration with the Chengdu Aerospace Corporation. The Sino-Pakistani jets demonstrated their ability when they downed at least one intruding Indian Air Force (IAF) MiG-21 in a dogfight last month.
The Malaysian premier also lauded the Pakistan Army and said it is very professional and a strong military force.
He also warned the enemies of Pakistan against military adventures and said that “if you fight against their [Pakistani] army, you will get a bloody nose”.
Apart from Malaysia, Azerbaijan is also considering to purchase the JF-17 Thunder jets.
