Recently, according to Russian media reports, the head of the Russian aero engine manufacturer Klimov Design Bureau revealed in an interview that the latest and improved RD-93MA turbofan engine of the company’s RD93 turbofan engine is expected to be exported Over 400 units, the Xiaolong fighter jet jointly developed by China and Pakistan will be the main installation model, while the Russian MiG-35 and MiG29K fighter jets will also use this new turbofan engine one after another. At the time of export, the Klimov Design Bureau will continue to upgrade and improve the RD-93 engine to make it a product that can truly be the same as Saturn’s AL-31F. After obtaining sufficient profits, the company will invest a lot of money to start research and development in the field of a new generation of natural circulation engines to ensure that the technology will not lag behind.
At present, the third batch of JF-17 "Fierce Dragon" fighters has confirmed the installation of RD-93MA turbofan engines. The production of this batch of Xiaolong fighters is expected to exceed 200 scales. In addition to being equipped with the Pakistan Air Force, It will also be exported to the international market, competing with the US F-16 fighter jet and South Korean FA-50 fighter jet for the light fighter market. Generally speaking, after a Xiaolong fighter is delivered for use, it will prepare two turbofan engines for it. One engine is used for normal flight and the other is used for backup. So it is not difficult to understand why Cremo The Fu Design Bureau will give an estimate of 400 engines.
Although the Xiaolong fighter is improved by Chengfei Company on the basis of the F-7, the avionics system, radar system, sensor equipment and weapon system of the fighter are basically provided by China, but the most critical engine of the fighter has always been Is provided by Russia. The 135 Xiaolong fighters currently equipped by the Pakistan Air Force are equipped with RD-93 turbofan engines. The Xiaolong fighters exported to Myanmar and Nigeria are also equipped with RD-93 turbofan engines. Expert analysis believes that if the current production quantity of JF-17 block3 Xiaolong fighters is added, the total production quantity of future Xiaolong fighters will exceed 500, becoming the second light fighter with global production after F16 fighters.
Although a large number of exports of Xiaolong fighters have brought Chinese fighters to the international market, it is very embarrassing that the Chinese WS13 engine has still been ignored. The WS-13 engine is a medium-thrust turbofan engine developed by China based on the Russian RD-33 engine. The maximum afterburner thrust is 98KN, and the thrust-to-weight ratio is close to 9. The latest improved model WS-13E engine has a single maximum thrust exceeding 100KN. , The thrust-to-weight ratio reached 9. If you don't look at the service life, the level of this engine can already be comparable to the EJ-200 and M-88 mid-power turbofan engines in Western countries. But even the more powerful WS-13E has not been recognized by the Pakistan Air Force. Instead, they still chose the RD-93MA turbofan engine.
I guess that apart from the price factor, Pakistan is more concerned about the stability and reliability of the WS-13E engine. After the WS-13E engine missed the power system of the Xiaolong fighter, it is estimated that this engine should appear in the list of the domestic FC-31 technology demonstrator and the domestic jet UAV power system. Domestic media have repeatedly reported that the 3.0 version of the FC-31 technical verification machine that Shenfei Company launched some time ago uses the new WS-13E engine, which replaces the previous RD-33 engine.
Although the future supporting engine of the FC-31 technology demonstrator is the WS-19 engine with a thrust-to-weight ratio of more than 10, this fifth-generation turbofan engine will turn the FC-31 into a true fifth-generation stealth fighter, but The WS-13E engine is still the main power system during the flight test and initial equipment stage. At the same time, domestic jet drones, such as the Attack-11 and Yunying drones, will also be equipped with WS-13E engines without the afterburner. By then, they will be able to perform a variety of tasks including reconnaissance, strike and surveillance. The greatest value of WS-13.
