Pakistan to strike multi-billion-dollar fighter jet deal with Libya’s Haftar
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Pakistan and Benghazi are in the process of signing a major defense memorandum of understanding that could include the supply of 16 to 18 JF-17 Thunder fighter jets, in a deal estimated to be worth several billion dollars.
The report follows a visit by Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Asim Munir, to Benghazi, where he met with Khalifa Haftar to discuss strengthening cooperation in training and capacity building, with a focus on providing Haftar’s forces with advanced defense platforms, according to the newspaper.
The JF-17 Thunder is a 4.5-generation multirole fighter aircraft developed jointly by Pakistan and China. It has achieved notable international export success, including the sale of 40 aircraft to Azerbaijan in a deal valued at $4.6 billion, according to defense reports.
According to the newspaper, Khalifa Haftar is seeking reliable partners outside traditional suppliers constrained by UN sanctions or political conditions, such as Russia.
The report notes that the potential deal comes amid the continued UN arms embargo on Libya, imposed since 2011 and monitored by the European Union’s Operation Irini, raising questions about how such a transaction could be implemented and whether it would comply with international restrictions.
