Dubai: Pakistan's JF-17 Thunder fighter jets drew significant international attention at the Dubai Airshow 2025, culminating in the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a friendly country for the purchase of additional aircraft, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced on Thursday.

ISPR described the MoU as 'a significant milestone' in Pakistan's expanding defence and industrial cooperation, noting that the growing global interest in the JF-17 reflects rising confidence in Pakistan's aviation industry.

The announcement coincided with Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of the Air Staff, meeting military leaders from several friendly nations on the sidelines of the airshow. Discussions with UAE Undersecretary of Defence Lieutenant General Pilot Ibrahim Nasser Al-Alawi and UAE Air Force and Air Defence Commander Major General Rashid Mohammed Al-Shamsi focused on advanced training cooperation, joint aerospace technology initiatives, and operational coordination mechanisms.

The UAE leadership lauded the Pakistan Air Force's (PAF) modernisation drive and expanding indigenous capabilities. Pakistan's airshow contingent included the latest JF-17 Thunder Block-III and Super Mushshak trainer aircraft.

The JF-17 Block-III has earned a reputation as a capable and cost-effective multirole fighter, particularly after its performance during Marka-e-Haq, Pakistan's response to Indian aggression in May, where it destroyed India's S-400 air defence system at Adampur using hypersonic missiles and targeted more than 20 Indian military sites.