The Eagle
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Like I said, it is guess work on my part. I could be wrong & you could be right. We know that Block-III birds are being assembled as of now. If RD-93MA is not available then they would have to be powered by vanilla RD-93 - notice that I am treating WS-13E as a rumor because there is no confirmation about its use in JF-17. RD-93MA could easily be ~ 2 years away & that aligns with an order of 30 birds. PAF could easily place an order for 50 instead of 30. Its not as though JF-17 production is coming at an end, or that the completion of the order is somehow time-bound, or that PAF & PAC are in different hemispheres altogether. I do not see budgeting issues as the reason for an order of 30 vs an order of 50. But the availability & change of the engine could be a big enough reason to warrant a smaller order because that would effectively change the bird's performance. Again, this is pure guess-work & I would love to be wrong.
From a different point of view, it makes sense in all of its best guess work. I agree. Just wanted to add that in the meantime, PAF will be going through all the familiarization work & pilot getting acquaintance in process till the alleged new engine. At-least, it may not burden the operational process when it comes to learning the new engine as other tech/radar/EW/Weapons will be absorbed. Apparently, it is done in a manner to not to waste time and continue with process without delay. One cannot ignore the economic hammering & all the damage being done due to pandemic but, Force did a good job and kept with it without compromising. I say that, it's not that easy to absorb & induct a totally new tech from Electronics to Weaponry and Radar and everything at the same time while engine arrives and we start flying.
The above guess work seems plausible since, we are not insiders.
Till the time of initial 30s are inducted, pilots & ground crew are being trained accordingly or at-least as minimum bench mark except the new engine, the newer engine & its familiarization wouldn't take that much time as compare to sit and wait for it to come online. Even, theoretically speaking, these 30 engines can be swapped with newer and the older RD-93s can go to existing Block-IIs/Is fleet as an extra add and for spares. I see that instead of waiting for newer engine, PAF went along the existing RD-93s in inventory to fly Block-III, practice, evaluate it and if there is a replacement, these engines with so much of low hours spent; can be pretty much useful with Block-II/I frames and utilized accordingly. Nothing is wasted.
Just a crazy spin.