Somalia Eyes JF-17 Fighter Jets From Pakistan To Counter Israel

Illustrative image. (Telegram)

Somalia is in advanced talks with Pakistan to purchase up to 24 JF-17C Block III Thunder in a defense deal valued at nearly $900 million, The News International, Daily Times and other Pakistani outlets reported on February 22.

The move signals the Horn of Africa nation’s most ambitious attempt since 1991 to reestablish a sovereign air combat capability and secure control over its aerospace and coastline.

Discussions on the deal accelerated following a visit to Islamabad by Somali Air Force Commander Mohamud Sheikh Ali last month.

The deal will reportedly cover weapons integration and operational readiness, in addition to a multi-phase defense arrangement that include pilot training programs and comprehensive logistics support. This structure would ensure that Somali personnel can operate and maintain the fighter jets effectively.

“Our airspace must be protected by Somali hands,” a Somali defense ministry official was quoted by The News International as saying.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Defence Production Minister Raza Hayat Harraj highlighted the financial logic behind the potential deal with Somalia.

“While some Western options may be more technologically advanced, they cost more than three times as much as an approximately $30 million to $40 million JF-17,” he said.

The reports also indicate that external financial backing may support the agreement, with potential involvement from Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

Last month, a report by Reuters revealed that Saudi Arabia is in talks with Pakistan to convert about $2 billion of Saudi loans into a JF-17 fighter jet deal. Taking into consideration that the kingdom’s air force operates only Western-made fighter jets, the talks reported back then may be related to Somalia.

The JF-17 is manufactured by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex in partnership with China’s Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group.

The latest Block III version of the fighter jet is equipped with the highly-capable KLJ-7A active electronically scanned array radar, which has a range of up to 200 kilometers, and upgraded avionics. The fighter jet can be armed with a wide range of weapons, most notably the Chinese-made PL-15E beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile which proved its worth during the Pakistani-Indian conflict last year.

24 JF-17s will be more than enough to turn the Somali Air Force, which does not currently operate any fighter jets, into one of the most capable in the Horn of Africa.

The deal is likely meant to counter the influence of Israel, which last month became the first United Nations member state to formally recognize Somaliland, a breakaway region in northern Somalia. Since then, Turkey has expanded its military presence in the nation, going as far as deploying its own fighter jets there. Recent reports also suggest that Somalia could join a defense pact with both Saudi Arabia and Egypt

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