Aug. 06 (China Military News cited from ainonline.com and written by Chris Pocock) -- In the same week that the Chengdu JF-17 Thunder combat aircraft made its international debut at the Farnborough airshow, the product of this co-development between China and pakistan was offered to Indonesia. The pakistan Defence Minister signed a defense cooperation agreement with his Indonesian counterpart in Jakarta. The list of countries that the Sino-pakistan joint venture is targeting for sales is expanding fast: it reportedly also includes Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Congo, Egypt, Iran, Nigeria, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Turkey, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.

Chengdu JF-17 Thunder combat aircraft at the Farnborough airshow

At Farnborough, joint-venture partners Catic and PAC described the JF-17 as a multi-role light fighter with an “outstanding performance-to-cost ratio.” The two aircraft on display were ferried to Farnborough but did not fly during the show, and officials were reluctant to allow journalists into the cockpit to view the three multifunction displays plus head-up display, HOTAS (hands on throttle and stick) and other avionics. The aircraft were shown with PL-5II IR-guided air-to-air missiles on wingtip rails and ferry tanks on the centerline and inner wing stations, leaving the outer wing stations unloaded. Mockups of five Chinese stores were displayed next to the aircraft: a C802A anti-ship missile; an SD-10A active radar-guided air-to-air missile; an LS-6 glide bomb; a WMD-7 targeting pod; and a KG300G electronic warfare pod.

Program officials said that a development JF-17 is now flying in China with a Chinese-developed engine, presumably the WS-13 Taishan. All other JF-17s are powered by the Russian-supplied RD-93 turbofan. On the eve of Farnborough, a Russian newspaper reported the opposition of Sukhoi and MiG director-general Mikhail Pogosian to a further sale of RD-93s to China because the JF-17 is competing with the MiG-29 for export sales. At the show, however, Russian officials, including Pogosian, played down this concern.

YINCHUAN, July 3 (Xinhua) -- China and pakistan kicked off a joint anti-terrorism drill in Qingtongxia in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region on Saturday.

The drill, code-named "Friendship-2010," is the third of its kind between the two countries. More than 200 people, including soldier participants and military spectators, attended the opening ceremony of the drill.

The joint exercise is of profound and far-reaching importance in consolidating the friendship between the two countries and armies, upgrading their capabilities in fighting terrorism together and safeguarding regional peace and stability, said Wang Guosheng, commander of China's Lanzhou Military Area Command, at the opening ceremony.

He said the drill would also help promoting military understanding and mutual trust, enhancing military exchanges and cooperation between the two sides.

Lieutenant General Khalid Shameem Wynne, Chief of the General Staff of the pakistan Army, said pakistan and China had all-weather friendship, which could transcend borders and have enjoyed popular support.

He said the drill showed the two countries' determination to combat the "three forces" -- referring to extremism, separatism and terrorism.

China and pakistan held their first-ever joint anti-terrorism exercise, "Friendship-2004," in Xinjiang's Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County bordering Tajikistan, Afghanistan and pakistan. About 200 border soldiers from both sides participated.

The second joint anti-terror military drill, "Friendship-2006," was carried out in the hills of northern pakistan's Abbottabad. More than 400 soldiers from both armies took part.