ISLAMABAD, Jan 1 (APP): Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) would soon start serial production of multi‑role fighter aircraft (JF‑17 Thunder) in collaboration with China, Standing Committee of the National Assembly on Defence Production on Thursday was informed. The Committee headed by Sheikh Aftab Ahmad visited the PAC and was given detailed briefing about the ongoing projects being undertaken by the prestigious organisation in the defence production sector.

The Chairman PAC Air Marshal Khalid Chaudhry HI (M) T Bt gave detailed briefing about the projects whereby informing that the PAC has set up the factory for initiating the serial production of JF‑17 Thunder aircraft.

He said PAC has the capability to manufacture 75 % avionics and 58 % of air‑frame of the modern fighter aircraft.

About other project being carried out by PAC, he said PAC had been overhauling around 180 engines of various fighter jets and 60 aircraft a year. As during the last three years, since he joined as Chairman of PAC, around 160 aircraft and some 580 engines of the aircraft have been overhauled.

He also informed that the Mirage Rebuild Factory, which is a part of PAC has been rebuilding 35 years old version of the Mirage aircraft which were bought as scrap from various countries.

In the avionics sector he said state‑of‑the‑art machinery recently imported from various developed countries has been installed to manufacture various gadgets for different versions of the aircraft in the inventory of Pakistan Airforce.

      In reply to a question, he said PAC has the capability to manufacture 50 aircraft annually and as soon as the project was approved by the government the factory would start its production. In line to meet with the PAF’s future requirement of fighter aircraft, he said, the factory has to work on war footings as prototype project, small batch production and serial production have to be run simultaneously.

He said PAC was awarded a contract worth US $ 15 million for manufacture of different parts of Boeing aircraft and the PAC had been successfully supplying the parts to the US aircraft manufacturing firm.

The Chairman as well as members of the Committee highly appreciated the work being carried out under the dynamic leadership of Air Marshal Khalid Chaudhary at PAC. They assured their full support to the management of PAC and help them in overcoming various impediments on the successful completion of various projects at PAC.

Later, the Committee went around various factories at the Complex and took keen interest in the sophisticated and modern work being carried out by the skillful workforce.