Free Republic

In 1989, the Chinese Chengdu Aerospace Corporation unveiled a major upgrade for its locally-made F-7 jet fighter, a licensed copy of the classic Soviet MiG-21. The new F-7 variant moved the engine air intake from the nose tip to the sides of the fuselage, making room in the nose for a more powerful radar. Twenty-one years later, this upgrade—now named JF-17 Thunder—is flying combat missions with the Pakistani air force, so far its sole user. Further enhanced with a new wing, a cutting-edge intake design and a new, more powerful engine, the JF-17 is Pakistan’s most important front-line fighter—and a...

The head of Russia's MiG and Sukhoi aircraft design bureaus has stopped further export of RD-93 engines to China, citing use of the engines in MiG-29 clones. Pravda, in a report earlier this week, said Mikhial Pogosyan sent an official letter to Russia's defense export enterprise Rosoboronexport, saying he made the decision because China's FC-1 jet fighter, which has been using the RD-93 engines, is a competitor to the MiG-29. "Russian engineers are facing a tough choice: either to refuse from the contract (with China) worth $3.75 billion or lose African and Asian markets," Pravda wrote. "China's FC-1 does not...

Russian and Chinese weapons manufacturers are clashing head on within the international arms market as China’s new fighter jet seems to be a cheaper imitation of the Russian original. The deal is facing opposition from Russian aircraft manufacturers, such as Mikhail Pogosyan, the head of the MiG and Sukhoi aviation holding, who said that the FC-1 is extremely close, if not the same, as the Russian-made MiG-29. Pogosyan claimed that FC-1 is a direct competitor to Russia's MiG-29 and the deal would incur losses for the Russian manufacturers. A source quoted by the Kommersant newspaper said there are significant price...