According to media reports by Azeri defence news monitor AzeriDefence, the country’s air force will be receiving ten new training aircraft from Pakistan. The deal, signed between the two sides in 2017, included the the purchase of ten two-seater, single-engine MFI-17 Mushshak training aircraft. The exact price of the deal was not disclosed, nor a timeframe for their delivery. The over two-year delay could possibly be explained by production capacity of the producer, Pakistan Aeronautical Complex.
Cockpit of the Mushshak MFI-17
Other users of the aircraft are Sweden, Denmark, Oman, South Africa, Oman and Norway among others. The aircraft has a maximum payload of 300 kg, and while producer did not specify, Azeri reports stated a maximum speed of 268 km/h and range of 814 km.
The aircraft does not necessarily have combat capabilities and is used to train cadets, but can be used for light reconnaissance missions over non-militarised areas. Its use over Nagorno Karabakh during military operations, however, will most likely not occur due to it easily becoming a target for anti-air defence units.
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