Russia To Sell Additional RD-93 Jet Engines To China

Russia's state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport is preparing a contract for the delivery of additional RD-93 jet engines to China, a senior official from the company said on Tuesday.

Beijing concluded a $238-mln contract with Moscow in 2005 for supplies of a 100 RD-93 engines with options for another 400 to equip its FC-1 Fierce Dragon fighter jets, jointly developed with Pakistan.

"We are holding new talks with the China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation [CATIC] on another option for additional 100 RD-93 engines," Deputy General Director of Rosoboronexport Alexander Mikheyev said at the Airshow China 2010, which is being held on November 16-21 in Zhuhai.

"We hope that this contract will be signed," Mikheyev added.

The RD-93 engines is a variant of the RD-33 engine developed to power the MiG-29 fighter jet.

The RD-93 was developed by Russia's Klimov design bureau specifically for the FC-1 fighter, known in Pakistan as the JF-17 Thunder.