JF-17 Thunder makes Public Debut on Pakistan Day Parade – March 23, 2007
First prototype of the JF-17 Thunder fighter flew in 2003. Making rapid progress under dedicated teams of pilots, engineers, technicians and support personnel from both countries, the JF-17 soon began to exceed its design expectations and finally emerged as a high-performance, agile multi-role fighter possessing state-of-the-art capabilities in ordnance arrays, avionics and strike reach that are comparable to world's frontline fighters of the new century. The President, General Pervez Musharraf, performed the unveiling ceremony of the Thunder at PAC Kamra on 21 March 2007. Two days later, a pair of JF-17s made their first public appearance over Islamabad during the Pakistan Day Parade, reviewed by the President. The Painting shows one of the two Thunders, painted in the striking colours of China and Pakistan, as its pilot, Wing Commander Ahsan, passes before the spectator stands during a rolling manoeuvre.
