A JF-17 fighter jet attached to the Pakistan Air Force flies towards the designated airspace during an air-to-ground offensive operation drill conducted by two Chinese JH-7 fighter bombers and two Pakistani JF-17 fighter jets on Sept. 20, 2017, which is part of the "Shaheen VI " joint training exercise launched by the air forces of China and Pakistan on Sept. 8 and scheduled to conclude on Sept. 27, 2017. (Photo/eng.chinamil.com.cn)

Indonesia and Pakistan are closing in on a defense deal involving JF-17 fighter jet jointly developed by China and Pakistan, Reuters reported on Monday, citing sources. A Chinese expert said on Tuesday that JF-17 is an outstanding warplane with advanced radar and weapon systems, and foreign interest reflects that it is gaining more international recognition.

Indonesia's Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin met Pakistan's Air Force Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu in Islamabad, Pakistan to discuss a potential deal that includes the sale of combat jets and killer drones to Jakarta, Reuters quoted three security officials with knowledge of the meeting as saying.

One source said the talks revolved around the sale of JF-17 jets, a multi-role combat aircraft jointly developed by Pakistan and China, and drones designed for surveillance and striking targets, according to the report. The other two sources said the talks were in an advanced stage and involved more than 40 JF-17 jets. One of them said Indonesia was also interested in Pakistan's Shahpar drones.

The sources did not share any discussions about delivery timelines and the number of years a proposed deal would span, but the two sides confirmed the meeting, Reuters reported.

Wang Ya'nan, chief editor of the Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the JF-17 fighter jet has attracted more foreign interest, primarily due to its outstanding performance. The JF-17 is a top-level fourth generation fighter jet that has kept receiving upgrades to its radar, weapons and communications systems, while maintaining a considerably low procurement cost, he noted.

Another reason behind the growing foreign interest in China-Pakistan co-developed weapons and equipment could be the air clash between Pakistan and India in May 2025, in which they demonstrated their capabilities in actual combat, Wang said. 

The JF-17 is not the only type of Chinese warplane Indonesia is considering procuring. In October 2025, the Indonesian Defense Minister reportedly said that the country would procure China's J-10 fighter jets. When asked to confirm the information, Zhang Xiaogang, a Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson, said at a press conference on October 30 that the Chinese side takes a prudent and responsible attitude towards export of military products.

"We are willing to share the latest achievements of equipment modernization with peace-loving countries, and jointly maintain peace and stability of the region and beyond," Zhang said.