Jointly developed fighters escort Xi's plane to Pakistan

Islamabad, April 20: Eight fighter jets manufactured jointly by Pakistan and Chi escorted Chinese President Xi Jinping’s plane on Monday when he arrived on an official visit to Pakistan.

The jets are referred to as “JF-17” (“Joint Fighter-17”) in Pakistan and “FC-1 Xiaolong” (“Fighter Chi-1 Fierce Dragon”) in Chi. The fighter jet, a light-weight single-engine multi-role combat aircraft, can be used for aerial reconissance, ground attack and aircraft interception. The JF-17, which can carry various munitions, including air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, made its debut at the 8th Intertiol Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai in 2010.  (IANS)