Pakistan’s JF-17 Thunder fighter jet will be installed with a Russian engine, a Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) representative said.
“As we know, a Russian engine is being installed on the JF-17 Thunder and we are looking forward to further cooperation with the engine manufacturer in Russia,” the official told RIA Novosti news agency on the sidelines of the Dubai Air Show.
The PAC representative expressed interest in having Pakistani engine specialists undergo training in Russia and their help in modernising the company’s engine-repair facilities in Pakistan.
The JF-17, a light weight, single engine, and multi combat aircraft which has been developed by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), PAC and the Chengdu Aircraft Industries Corporation (CAC) of China, is set to be modified to include an ED-93 engine made in Russia.
The aircraft on Thursday bagged its first sale at the Dubai Air Show.
Aviation Industry Corp of China (Avic) and PAC signed the deal with an unidentified buyer, the Chinese Daily said. However, the report did not say when the contract was signed or how many jets were sold.