Engine without a single known serial installation v. engine working on hundreds of fighters between 3 countries?
I wonder.
JF-17/FC-1 Fighter Aircraft thread
- Thread starter johnqh
- Start date
I wonder.
Not the RD-93, I meant the alleged MA and at least via my contacts I heard, the PAF has lots of issues with supply chain related to maintenance for the RD-93.
China isn't exporting the J-20. They don't export Flankers either because they seem to have some sort of understanding with the Russians not to do it. Between the Su-35 and the J-10 which aircraft would you rather have? When you are already operating a heavy Teen Series aircraft like the F-14 going to the J-10 seems like a downgrade.
I would have rather waited until the Su-57, Su-75, and J-35 were available before committing to a purchase if I was Iran. But it seems they think they need aircraft now rather than later so this limits their choices.
If the Iranians want a light fighter, the Russians have the production line for the MiG-35 essentially idle at the moment.
I doubt that the Russians would try to block a sale of the JF-17, like you guys think might happen, since they haven't done this anywhere they could have. For example in Argentina the MiG-35 and JF-17 were both competing for a sale and they didn't try to block it.
RD-93MA/RD-33MK is still installed on ~200 production aircraft, between mig-29K, mig-29M(2), and jf-17 blk.3.
i.e. it's a widely known quantity with significant export.
Mig-35 the light fighter weights empty way more than jf-17 at MTOW.
A new country ?
So...
plawolf
Lieutenant General
The JF17 may actually be a more mature multirole platform than the J10C, since the PLAAF has J16s, MKKs and JH7As for strike missions as well as its vast and growing UCAV fleets, it really doesn’t place great importance in adding strike capabilities to its J10s.
I think the JF17s existing integrated ASuW capabilities especially will be of great interest to Iran.
Another factor that may benefit the JF17 is engine compatibility and future proofing.
J10s have moved off AL31s to WS10s, even if China supplied new built J10s with AL31s, the model used in the J10 is different from those used in flankers.
With a JF17 purchase, Iran could potentially future proof itself in terms of engine maintenance if it also went for a future J31/35 purchase.
With Iran getting Su35s, it takes a lot of the pressure off it’s light/medium fighter purchase decision in terms of top-end performance, so good-enough may well be sufficient for their needs.
I think the JF17s existing integrated ASuW capabilities especially will be of great interest to Iran.
Another factor that may benefit the JF17 is engine compatibility and future proofing.
J10s have moved off AL31s to WS10s, even if China supplied new built J10s with AL31s, the model used in the J10 is different from those used in flankers.
With a JF17 purchase, Iran could potentially future proof itself in terms of engine maintenance if it also went for a future J31/35 purchase.
With Iran getting Su35s, it takes a lot of the pressure off it’s light/medium fighter purchase decision in terms of top-end performance, so good-enough may well be sufficient for their needs.