The Pakistan Air Force said it would consider replacing the China WS13 engine for Xiaolong (photos).

Pakistan’s JF-17 Thunderbolt (FC-1 Xiaolong)

At present, Xiaolong fighter is equipped with Russian RD-93 engine.

　　Wang Qichao, a correspondent of Global Times in the United States, reported that the latest issue of American Defense News (published on September 22) published an article saying that Tanvir Hamaide, chief of staff of the Pakistani Air Force and general of the Air Force, said in an interview in early September that on the second batch of JF-17 Thunderbolt (called FC-1 Xiaolong in China) fighters,

　　General Hamaide mentioned that the first batch of JF-17 fighters used RD-93 engine made by kerimov Company, and the maintenance interval of this engine was short, only about a quarter of that of similar engines in the West.

　　The first batch of 42 JF-17s will join the first-line forces of Pakistan Air Force in late 2009, plus 8 that have been evaluated in Pakistan, and a total of 50 JF-17s will enter the service of Pakistan Air Force.

　　The first batch of 50 fighters used avionics from China, equipped with an upgraded RD-93 engine of RD-33 (used by MIG -29 fighters).

　　General Hamaide said that the second batch of 50 JF-17 fighters will enter active service in 2011.

　　In 1990s, Pakistan Air Force hoped to equip JF-17 fighter (then called "Super -7") with a western engine, but it failed to do so because of the western sanctions imposed on the nuclear test in 1998, so Pakistan turned to China and Russia.

　　It is reported that in 2006, Russia agreed to sell RD-93 engine to China to assemble FC-1 fighter (JF-17 fighter for export to Pakistan). Despite Indian pressure on Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin reached an oral agreement with President Musharraf at that time and agreed to supply this type of engine.