Russia would be developing upgraded engines for Pakistan's JF-17 fighters
The Russian state-owned United Engine Corporation (UEC) is developing upgraded RD-93MA engines for Pakistan's JF-17 fighters.
Uec controls the development and manufacture of all engines for military, civil and space use in Russia and for Russian exports.
The RD-93MA was specially developed to power single-engine fighters. It is an update of the RD-93 engine that currently powers the Sino-Pakistani PAC JF-17/Chengdu FC-1 fighter.
In a press release on its website on Wednesday, the UEC said the RD-93MA engine had been shipped from St. Petersburg to Moscow for thermal pressure chamber testing at the Central Motor Aviation Institute (TsIAM). Pressure chamber tests on ciam are expected to subject the RD-93MA engine to simulated heat and altitude conditions that the engine would experience in real flight.
The UEC press release states: "The RD-93MA mechanism has improved performance. In particular, improved thermodynamic parameters, an improved fan and hot part design, an updated automatic engine control system ... An additional mode of emergency engine start-up has been provided ... and the possibility of emergency fuel drain was performed. All this is due to the specificities associated with the possible use of the engine in a single-engine aircraft... "
The reference to being used in single-engine aircraft has given rise to speculation that the new engine is intended for jf-17 fighter. This is because Russia has no single-engine fighter design active at the moment.
Upon successful completion of the thermal chamber test, the next phase will begin for flight design testing. Several tests on the large TsIAM thermal pressure chamber will be conducted as part of the experimental design test on rd-93MA, a UEC statement said.
During testing, the engine will simulate actual flight conditions for further testing with the BARK-93MA, the automatic engine control system designed and manufactured in uec-klimov.
JF-17 Thunder Block III jet.
These new engine systems will power JF-17 Block III jets.
According to reports, the RD-93MA engine can produce maximum thrust of 9,300 kgf (kilogram-force). The RD-93MA would have a significantly higher thrust than the existing RD-93 engine used in Pakistan's JF-17 fighter, which can produce a maximum thrust of 8,300kgf, according to uec.
Having a new mechanism offers advantages beyond increased buoyancy in combat situations. In December, Chinese state media confirmed that the latest version of the JF-17, dubbed JF-17 Block 3, had made its maiden flight. The upgraded fighter will have new electronically scanned radar and other electronic systems, all of which require higher power requirements than those that can be met by the existing engine.
Pakistan has already built more than 100 JF-17 fighters for its air force and officials have indicated that 62 JF-17 Block 3 fighters will be ordered by 2024.
In 2015, Jane's reported that Pakistan would continue to use Russian engines for the JF-17, even though China was developing an alternative engine. "We are completely satisfied with this Russian-made engine," said an official Pakistan aviation complex. Pakistani authorities claimed that "switching to another mechanism would make no sense and would be disruptive and would cause a huge expense for the JF-17 program."
Interestingly, the RD-93 has a connection to India. The RD-93 is developed from the RD-33 engine that powers the Indian Air Force's MiG-29UPG fighters and the Indian Navy's MiG-29K jets. India operates more than 60 MiG-29UPG jets and about 40 MiG-29K fighters. Recently, the government authorized the purchase of 21 MiG-29 fighters for the Indian Air Force.
Despite repeated Indian protests over the past two decades, Russia has continued to supply rd-93 to China and Pakistan.
https://www.cavok.com.br/russia-est...res-atualizados-para-cacas-jf-17-do-paquistao
