Chengdu FC - 1 Xiaolong The Chengdu FC - 1 Xiaolong ( Also known as JF - 17 Thunder ) is a Mutirole Fighter made by a joint program made by China and Pakistan Description . The FC - 1 ( Fighter China - 1 ) Xiaolong is the result of a joint Sino - Pakistani development programme that started in 1999 , with each side contributing 50 % of the total development cost . Chengdu Aircraft Corporation ( CAC ) of China is the prime contractor for aircraft development and manufacture , while Pakistani Aeronautical Complex ( PAC ) is the main partner responsible for post - sale service and maintenance , as well as the production of some parts for the aircraft in Pakistan . The aircraft was designed by Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute ( 611 Institute ) . Russia supplied its Klimov RD - 93 turbofan jet engine for the aircraft . The initial order was from the Pakistani Air Force ( PAF ) for eight aircraft , which were delivered in 2007 ~ 08 . A further order for 42 aircraft worth about US $ 800 million was signed in March 2009 . The aircraft is currently being built by CAC at a rate of 15 aircraft per annum , and this will increase to 30 aircraft per annum later . The total number required by the PAF could be as many as 250 , worth US $ 3 ~ 5 billion . Several other countries also showed interest in the aircraft . Despite previous reports suggesting that the FC - 1 would also be equipped by the PLAAF , no order has been reported so far . Programme . The FC - 1 traces its origin to the Super - 7 fighter programme , a joint Chengdu - Grumman development project worth US $ 500 million to upgrade the Chinese J - 7 ( MiG - 21 ) fighter . Proposed upgrades included removing the fighter ' s nose air intake and replacing it with a ‘ solid ’ nose with two lateral air intakes , as well as upgrading the fighter with Western - made avionics and engine . The development agreement was signed in 1986 , but the programme was cancelled in 1990 , in the wake of the cooling political relations between China and the West , as well as in response to a 40 % increase in the cost of the project . Chengdu continued the Super - 7 project independently and re - branded the design as FC - 1 . In 1999 , China and Pakistan concluded a joint development and production agreement to co - develop the FC - 1 fighter . Under the agreement , the programme was to be jointly funded by the China Aviation Import and Export Corporation ( CATIC ) and Pakistan , each with 50 % stake of the joint venture . The total cost of the development programme was estimated to be US $ 150 million . Russian Mikoyan Aero - Science Production Group ( MASPG ) reportedly provided some assistance in the development of the aircraft The first prototype of the FC - 1 rolled out on 31 May 2003 , and the aircraft made its maiden flight successfully on 25 August . A total of three flying prototypes were developed , along with a static prototype . Flight trial of the aircraft completed in 2005 and the aircraft entered production in June 2006 . In March 2007 , CAC delivered two JF - 17 fighters ( # 101 , # 102 ) to the PAF on 12 March 2007 . They made their debut on 23 March during a fly - past as part of the Pakistan Day military parade in Islamabad . A further six aircraft were delivered to the PAF in 2008 . Under the joint development agreement , the PAF will acquire up to 250 examples of the fighter in several batches , with the avionics systems gradually upgraded in later batches . Some production will also be carried out by PAC in Pakistan , including the manufacture of the aircraft ’ s wings and fin . CAC and CATIC are also actively marketing the FC - 1 to other developing countries as a low - cost replacement for the Northrop F - 5 Tiger , Dassault Mirage III / 5 , Shenyang J - 6 , MiG - 21 / F - 7 Fishbed , and Nanchang Q - 5 . Potential customers could include Bangladesh , Iran , Egypt and Nigeria . Design . The FC - 1 adopts a rather conventional aerodynamic layout , with mid - mounted wings , lateral air intakes , single - frame bubble cockpit canopy , and two under - belly stabilising fins . The drag chute bay is located at the root of the rudder . An electronic equipment pod is mounted on the tip of the rudder . The formal production variant of the FC - 1 features a diffuser supersonic inlet ( DSI ) similar to those of the U . S . F - 35 fighter for better air - intake efficiency . Radar . The JF - 17s in service with the PAF are fitted with an Italian Grifo S - 7 multi - track , multi - mode , pulse Doppler radar radar . The radar has 25 working modes and a non - break - down time of 200 hours , and is capable of “ look - down , shoot - down ” , as well as for ground strike abilities . Alternatively , the aircraft can be fitted with the Thales RC400 , GEC Marconi Blue Hawk , Russian Phazotron Zemchug / Kopyo , and Chinese indigenous KLJ - 7 developed by Nanjing Research Institute of Electronics Technology ( NRIET ) . Cockpit and Avionics Sistem . The FC - 1 ’ s avionics architecture is supported by two mission computers based on Multi - Bus System ( MIL - STD - 1553B ) . The heart of the system is a 32 - bit Weapon and Mission management Computer ( WMMC ) which performs mission computations , flight management , reconfiguration / redundancy management and in - flight system self - test . Armament . Fixed weapon includes a GSh - 23 dual - barrel 23mm cannon . Alternatively the aircraft can be fitted with a GSh - 30 dual - 30mm cannon . There are 7 stores stations , including one under the fuselage , 4 under the wings , and 2 wingtip mounted , with up to 3 , 700 kg weapon payload . The aircraft is callable of ‘ beyond - visual - range ’ ( BVR ) attack capability with the PL - 12 / SD - 10 active radar - homing medium - range air - to - air missile ( MRAAM ) developed by China Leihua Electronic Technology Research Institute ( LETRI , also known as 607 Institute ) . The aircraft also carries two short - range AAMs on its wingtip - mounted launch rails . The options include U . S . AIM - 9P and Chinese PL - 7 , PL - 8 , and PL - 9 . The aircraft can carry a special pod allowing day / night delivery of laser - guided weapons . In addition , it can also carry unguided weapons such as low - drag general - purpose ( LDGP ) bombs and unguided rocket launchers . Engine . The FC - 1 / JF - 17 is powered by a Russian - made Klimov RD - 93 turbofan jet engine rated 49 . 4 kN dry or 84 . 4 kN with afterburning . The RD - 93 is a derivation of the RD - 33 used by the MiG - 29 fighter . In 2007 , China signed a contract with Russia to supply 150 RD - 93 engines for the JF - 17 production . Liyang Aero Engine Corporation in Guizhou is reportedly developing an indigenous turbofan engine designated WS - 13 ( or Tianshan - 21 ) as an alterative powerplant option for the FC - 1 . The engine was said to have been based on the RD - 93 design with some modifications . Operators . China