Morocco has appeared among the countries that have refused to discuss the acquisition of JF-17 fighter jets, along with Bangladesh and Indonesia, which have denied reports of advanced negotiations or formal interest in the Sino-Pakistan JF-17 fighters.
Morocco, Bangladesh, and Indonesia have confirmed that Pakistan is spreading the rumour that 13 countries have expressed interest in the JF-17 fighter jet.
Among the reasons, these three countries mentioned that JF-17 lacks a reliable engine, avionics and armaments. The KLJ-7A radar proved ineffective in combat operations in Nigeria and Myanmar. Regarding structural issues, the Pakistan Air Force has grounded many aircraft following severe accidents.
The Azerbaijani Air Force also grounded the newly received five JF-17 aircraft after realising stability issues with the fire control radar and avionics. Azerbaijan also confirmed that JF-17 needs to be upgraded with Turkish avionics, MURAD AESA radar and armaments; otherwise Azerbaijani Air Force will be constrained by the JF-17’s limitations.
Pakistan acknowledged structural constraints linked to co-production with China, as export approvals can be sensitive for certain destinations, particularly where U.N. arms embargoes apply, such as Libya and Sudan’s Darfur region.
Global Defense Corp reached out to ISPR Pakistan and requested details about the conversation about JF-17 and the names of the countries. ISPR confirmed that Pakistan has held talks with several countries, but none of them expressed interest, nor are they in advanced stages of discussion regarding its JF-17 Temu jets made jointly with China, training aircraft, drones, and weapons systems.
When asked about engine issues with the Russian-made engine, ISPR Pakistan has confirmed that there are known issues with the Russian-made RD-93MA engine, but a working engine, as Pakistan does not want to use the Chinese-made low-quality WS-13E engine, which has a 400-hour mean-time between overhaul and reliability issues.
“It’s a $30 million fighter jet; you have to accept some risks associated with the aircraft, including availability and downgraded combat operations as the KLJ-7A AESA radar overheats due to cooling issues with the radar”, ISPR said in a statement.
Pakistan stressed the significant price advantage of Pakistani weapons, noting that while Western alternatives may be more technologically advanced, they cost more than the $30-40 million JF-17.
Three Pakistani sources with knowledge of defence sales confirmed that Saudi Arabia is purchasing JF-17 fighter jets for Sudan in exchange for Saudi funds that Pakistan borrowed from the kingdom.
Morocco’s diversification of military equipment represents a diplomatic and risk strategy to keep core interoperability with Western partners while reducing single-supplier exposure and widening options across domains, including air, air defence, missiles, armoured vehicles, and electronic warfare system from South Korea.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)’s 2020-24 data shows the US remains Morocco’s largest supplier at 64%, but France at 15% and Israel at 11% now represent meaningful pillars too.
For 2026, Morocco has allocated MAD 157.17 billion ($15.7 billion) to defense, prioritizing force modernization, equipment acquisition, maintenance, and accelerated development of a domestic defense industry.
This intentional spread cushions political turbulence, delivery delays, and shifting export rules, while signaling that Rabat can rebalance partnerships without fully pivoting away from any camp.
Morocco’s capability priorities show up in layered air power and air defense, precision munitions, and modern ground systems that raise deterrence and readiness without requiring a single doctrine or vendor ecosystem.
Recent publicly documented additions include AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and US-approved 600 FIM-92K Stinger Block I missiles and 612 Javelin FGM-148F missiles, alongside reports that Morocco has begun operating Israel’s Barak MX air and missile defense system.
The pattern covers multiple threat types, including aircraft, missiles, and drones with overlapping systems sourced from different partners.
Morocco’s approach represents a hedging doctrine that maintains Western compatibility for training and high-end aviation, adds Israeli and other partners for niche technology, and cultivates production pathways where feasible so national security modernization becomes leverage in foreign policy and industry.
The kingdom also cultivates production and assembly pathways to generate know-how spillover, jobs, and regional export potential. This approach was reinforced in November by Israel’s BlueBird announcement training Moroccan engineers for local SPY-X drone manufacturing lines domestically.
the Royal Moroccan Air Force (RMAF) is currently structured around Western fighter jets, with the F-16 Fighting Falcon forming the core of its multirole fighter capability. Morocco has pursued a modernization program that includes the acquisition of 25 new F-16 Block 70/72s and the upgrade of 23 existing F-16C/D Block 52+ fighters to the F-16V standard, improving radar, avionics, and survivability. Legacy aircraft such as the Mirage F-1 and F-5E-F have historically supplemented the fleet, but the strategic emphasis has shifted toward concentrating capability within the F-16 ecosystem, and possibly the F-35 in the future.
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