JDW: timely delivery of JF-17 in doubt

JF-17 deliveries to Pakistan still uncertain

JANE’S DEFENCE WEEKLY – SEPTEMBER 29, 2004

Robert Sae-Liu JDW Special Correspondent,

Beijing – Timely deliveries to Pakistan from 2006 of the Chinese-made JF-17 attack fighter remain in doubt, despite assurances from Islamabad. Problems involve the re-export of Russian-made components, according to sources monitoring the programme.

The JF-17, previously known as the FC-1, is being developed by China’s Chengdu Aircraft Industry under a joint development and production agreement signed with Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) in June 1999. Published
reports indicate that Islamabad’s requirement is for 150 platforms.

The first JF-17 prototype started formal flight testing on 2 September 2003 and several other prototypes are to be evaluated before series production is launched. Two Pakistani test pilots began a regular flight test programme on 7 April 2004.

JDW reported a year ago that China holds no rights to re-export the Russian-made Klimov RD-93 turbofan engine that powers the prototype aircraft. This indicated that the programme involving Pakistan could suffer
delays.

Islamabad subsequently brushed aside such concerns and chief project director Air Vice Marshal Shahid Lateef affirmed in April that deliveries would start in mid-2006. He said 16 aircraft would be produced initially:
eight for Pakistan and eight for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force, with four of the former to be assembled at PAC’s Kamra facility.

More recently, Pakistani sources told JDW that Moscow is unlikely to object to the sale in view of a bilateral agreement on intelligence co-operation signed earlier this month. Foreign sources familiar with the programme are less certain. They point out that there remains no agreement on re-export of the RD-93 engine. Russian hesitation is centred on Moscow’s close relationship with India and this would remain an issue even if China began manufacturing the engine under licence.

These sources say the JF-17’s radar system poses another problem, but it is unclear whether this centres on a similar issue related to re-export rights.

The choice of a multimode pulse-Doppler radar was reported last year as involving a competition between Phazotron of Russia with the Kopyo system, Galileo (FIAR) of Italy with the Grifo S-7 and Thales of France with the RC 400.

Additional reporting by Farhan Bokhari JDW Correspondent, Islamabad