Making history, Pakistan has joined the exclusive club of countries who are indigenously producing jet fighters, thanks to old ally and time tested friend China and hard work of Pakistani engineers, air force men and technical staff.
Pakistan Air force has started final assembling of the first Pakistani-built JF-17 Thunder combat aircraft, and six aircraft would be completed by end of this year. Pakistan’s decision to begin production of the JF-17 jet comes at a time when the military is making extensive use of its airpower in operations against the Taliban in the northwestern part of the country.
The Joint Fighter-17 (JF-17) Thunder, also known as the Fighter China-1 (FC-1) Fierce Dragon in China, is a single-seat multi-role fighter aircraft. The maiden test flight of the first prototype took place during 2003 in China, later test flights of a more advanced version taking place in 2006.
The first two pre-production aircraft were delivered to the Pakistan Air Force on 12 March 2007 for further flight-testing and evaluation, also taking part in the aircraft's first aerial display 11 days later in Islamabad.
Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman inaugurated the final assembly work in a ceremony at Kamra. Addressing the ceremony, the Air Chief Marshal said today Pakistan had joined the club of those 8 countries who are indigenously producing jet fighters.
PAF is a singular force in the world that is preparing JF-17 thunder combat aircraft itself, he said, adding that the assembling of JF-17 thunder combat aircraft would be completed by end of December and the whole nation would celebrate the day as a national event. 
He praised the Chinese cooperation and said that the joint Sino-Pak project is a living example of the cooperation between the two countries. Keeping in view the regional and international scale, the production of JF-17 will enhance Pakistan's air power, he said. 
"The project was near to end in 1999 due to sanction imposed on Pakistan after the nuclear tests, but in 2001 it was reviewed. The agreement in this respect could not be signed in 2007-08 due to unavailability of funds, but Government of China arranged loans on soft installments, and the role of CATIC Company in this respect is laudable", Qamar said.   
The project is supported by China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation for the Chinese side. Each individual aircraft is expected to have a fly-away cost of around US$8-15 million.
On 22 January 2008, Pakistan started limited serial production of the aircraft at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, Kamra, but on Tuesday full-fledged production of JF-17 has been started in PAC after completing testing and avionics evaluation.
The JF-17 will replace Pakistan's MiG-21-derived Chengdu F-7, Nanchang A-5 and Dassault Mirage III/Mirage V aircraft currently in service. JF-17 can be armed with up to 3,629 kg (8,000 lb) of air-to-air and air-to-ground ordnance, as well as other equipment.
Pakistan, Rao Qamar said, has eight JF-17 thunders and soon PAF would complete its squadron of JF-17 jets. The project has two aims: one is to ensure national security and second is to strengthen Pakistan Aviation Industry, he said. “We would also sell JF-17 thunders to other countries,” he said while lauding the role of China in development of PAF.
He hoped that the technician of PAF would come up to the expectations of nation by introducing the new technology.  No comprise would be made on country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, Rao Qamar said.    
Vice President CATIC Lei Pay said at end of this year, assembling and flying testing of 6 JF-17 thunders would be completed. “We are facing several challenges, but the Chinese Government would continue to collaborate with Pakistan,” he said, adding that the project would boost the Sino-Pak friendship.
According to Chairman PAC Air Marshal Farhat Hussain, a total of  40 JF-17 thunders would be prepared in Kamra. Twelve JF-17 thunders would be prepared by 2010, 15 to 20 by 2011, and after 2010 all the JF-17 would be prepared in Pakistan.
With the indigenous production of fighter jets, Pakistan’s defense has not only become stronger, but it is also a big achievement and a milestone.