Pakistan signed an agreement with Azerbaijan for sale of 10 Super Mushshak aircraft to Azerbaijan Air Force. The contract was signed in Azerbaijan by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, Kamra, Chairman Air Marshal Arshad Malik and Azerbaijan Air Force Commander Lt Gen Ramiz Tahirov, says a press release issued here on Sunday.
Approximately 300 Super Mushshak aircraft are being used by the PAF and Pakistan Army for military training of pilots and other defence-related activities.
Pakistan recently signed agreements to sell Super Mushshak aircraft to Turkey, Nigeria and Qatar. The aircraft are already in service in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iran and South Africa.
China and Pakistan jointly produce the Karakorum-8 (K-8) jet trainer, manufactured by Hongdu Aviation Industry Corporation and Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC). The Hongdu JL-8 (Nanchang JL-8), also known as the Karakorum-8 or K-8 for short, is a two-seat intermediate jet trainer and light attack aircraft designed in the People's Republic of China by China Nanchang Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation. The primary contractor is the Hongdu Aviation Industry Corporation. Its export variant, K-8 Karakorum is co-produced by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex for the Pakistan Air Force.
They are replacing the Pakistan Air Force’s Cessna T-37 Tweet jet trainers and its 25 obsolete Shenyang FT-5s, which were retired in January. Pakistan has 75 K-8s on order, in addition to six initially delivered. The low cost K-8 has been widely exported to around a dozen countries, which also use it for other duties, including light attack. A ton of weapons can be carried, including a 23 mm cannon pod and PL-5 and PL-7 air-to-air missiles. Pakistan also flies nine Shenyang FT-6s, seven Chengdu FT-7s and more than a dozen T-37B/Cs, together with PAC MFI-17 Mushshak and PAC Super Mushshak ab initio trainers. Pakistan has shown interest in acquiring Hongdu L-15s to bridge the gap between the K-8 and its frontline combat aircraft.