Chinese Fighter Jets to Reach Pakistan
Russia has officially sanctioned China to re-export aircraft engines to Pakistan. The permit revives the chance of supplying 150 China’s JF-17 fighter jets to Pakistan and the $238-million contract for delivering aircraft engines from Russia with the optional extension to $3.75 billion. In president’s administration, they don’t think deliveries will cloud military and engineering cooperation of Russia and India, which budget is estimated at $1.5 billion a year. It was a source with Russia’s government that leaked information about Russia’s-Chinese agreement for joint assembly of JF-17 fighter jets with RD-93 engines of Klimov works’ design (made by Chernyshev works) and for selling the aircraft to third countries – Pakistan and a few states of South-East Asia and Africa. “The standing of China is traditionally very strong” there, the source said.
President Vladimir Putin personally supervised the deal and inked sanctioning documents, representatives of president’s administration specified. The deal was backed up by all parties concerned – Defense Ministry, Federal Industry Agency and Rosoboronexport, which is the state exporter of weapons.
But the sanction doesn’t mean adding Pakistan to the list of states of direct military and technical cooperation with Russia. It is rather the matter of a single contract.
Under the contract with China, Pakistan will get 150 JF-17 Thunder (FC-1) fighter jets worth $2.3 billion overall. In 2005, Rosoboronexport made a $238-million contract with China to deliver for FC-1s a hundred RD-93 engines, spares to them and to provide maintenance. Beijing is ready to buy up to 1,000 engines, should they be upgraded for thrust augmentation. In this case, the aggregate budget of contract will step up to $3.75 billion.
