Click to see full-size image. (Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan)
Azerbaijan’s brand new JF-17C Block III Thunder fighter jets have taken part in an aerial exercise for the first time since entering service last year.
The announcement was made by the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, which said in a statement released on July 6 that the Azerbaijani Air Force (AAF) exercise also involved Su-25ML, Su-25, and L-39 warplanes.
“During the exercise, the pilots conducted both individual and group flights, enhancing their proficiency in airspace coordination, execution of simulated combat missions and tactical maneuvers, target detection and destruction, effective decision-making in special operational scenarios,” the ministry added.
“The training activities conducted to enhance combat readiness and professional competence of the flight crews, placed primary emphasis on the precise and safe execution of missions under diverse meteorological and tactical conditions, as well as on improving combat employment capabilities of aviation assets,” it concluded.
Video footage released by the ministry shows two JF-17C Block III fighter jets carrying the tactical numbers 24-501 and 24-502. Notably, the fighter jets were only carrying three large external fuel tanks mounted on the centerline and underwing pylons.
In February of 2024, Azerbaijan inked a contract to purchase 16 JF-17 Thunder fighter jets from Pakistan, which manufactures the warplane in partnership with China. The AAF accepted the delivery of its first JF-17C Block III later in September of the same year.
Pakistan announced in June of 2025 that Azerbaijan had expanded its order from 16 fighter jets to 40 as part of a $4.6 billion defense agreement.
The JF-17C Block III 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.
Azerbaijan’s new fighter jets are said to 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 in May of 2025. The conflict, which saw the downing of multiple Indian fighter jets, including French-made Rafales, likely encouraged Baku to quickly expand the deal with Pakistan.
The JF-17C Block III contract represents a serious upgrade to the AAF, both quantitatively and qualitatively. It gave Azerbaijan an aerial edge not just against Armenia, but also against Iran, which has not yet modernized its air force.
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