Pakistan Plans To Buy Chinese FC-31 Stealth Aircraft

Pakistan plans to procure the fourth generation stealth fighter aircraft FC-31 Shenyang from China, according to media reports.

Pakistani Defense Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain has confirmed that meetings with China were underway for the procurement of the stealth fighter, Dawn newspaper reported Tuesday.

"It is for the first time that a senior government functionary has confirmed talks with China over purchase of the longer-range stealth aircraft an issue that has been a subject of speculation in defence circles since the 10th edition of the Zhuhai Air Show (China) held earlier this month, when the aircraft was unveiled," the paper reported.

The Jane's Defence Weekly also quoted an unnamed Pakistani official as saying that the Pakistan Air Force was in talks with China to buy 30 to 40 of the Shenyang FC-31 fighters.

However China on Friday ignored questions about Pakistan plan to procure the fourth generation stealth fighter aircraft FC-31 Shenyang, according to a media reports.

“A number of Chinese aircraft were displayed at the recently held air show in China's city of Zhuhai. If you want to know more about them, please refer to relevant defense industry department", Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman, Geng Yansheng was quoted as saying by The Economic Times newspaper.

FC-31 being developed by China primarily for the export market and reportedly several countries are interested in the aircraft believed to be comparable to US F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

A prototype of the aircraft, designated as J-31, has been flown by the Chinese aircraft research and development firm Shenyang Aviation Company for a couple of years now.

What particularly interests the PAF is that FC-31 prototype (J-31) and JF-17 use the same Russian Klimov RD-93 engines.