Pakistan team sent to Myanmar to repair combat aircraft

Pakistan Air Force has sent a technical team for repair and maintenance of Myanmar's JF-17 combat aircraft, a move that will help upgrade their defence partnership.

This comes as Myanmar Air Force officials are visiting Pakistan for a six-month training course on maintenance of JF-17, ET has learnt.

The near simultaneous visits reflect growing confidence in each other's military establishment, according to Myanmar watchers.

Myanmar has 11 JF-17 aircraft, developed jointly by China and Pakistan, all exported by Pakistan to Myanmar but currently grounded due to technical faults. Myanmar wants JF-17 combat ready to fight rebel groups within its territory.

ET had earlier reported on how the Myanmar military junta isolated by the West has created a military-industrial partnership with Pakistan at China's behest.

The JF-17-a lightweight multi-role combat aircraft-that the Myanmar Air Force added to its fleet have structural cracks and other technical issues, according to Myanmar watchers. The Myanmar military lacks the technical expertise to address the challenges.

Last year, a senior-level Pakistani military delegation visited Myanmar to inspect a defence industry complex near Yangon and participate in a workshop on JF-17 block II aircraft that Myanmar had purchased from Islamabad, ET had then reported. Another Pakistani team had also visited Myanmar to provide technical assistance to manufacture weapons, ET had reported.

Last year, another Myanmar military team had visited Pakistan to inspect delivery of bombs and bullets that it had ordered from Islamabad, ET had reported.

Pakistan, egged by China, has stepped up military-industrial partnership with Myanmar, one of India's key neighbours to the east. Myanmar is keen to develop its domestic arms industry with Sino-Pak support even as it has developed close defence partnership with Russia.