BEIJING, February 9: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is expected to press the Chinese government for a ``firm commitment'' on˙the joint development of a jet trainer and a multi-role fighter aircraft during his six-day official visit starting on Wednesday.``The two programmes have suffered long delays and are now in a state of limbo pending any firm development or production go-ahead from China,'' sources told PTI here.
The two ambitious Sino-Pakistani defence projects are the new FC-1, a single-seat, multi-role fighter, and the jointly developed Nanc Ang K-8 trainer and light ground attack aircraft.
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has identified a clear requirement for both the aircraft and wants the two projects to move ahead without any further delay. However, sources said the PAF could not afford to proceed without active support from the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) air force.
A leading defence magazine recently reported that both sides had˙developed the K-8 in a joint project inwhich Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) had a 25 per cent stake.
The PAF has reportedly finished evaluating six pre-production series aircraft and is using them for training at its Risalpur academy. It hopes to order up to 100 jets to replace Cessna 7-37 trainers, the sources said.
PAC has also reportedly delivered to China's Nanchang aircraft manufacturing company (NAMC) the first batch of local Y-built airframe sub-assemblies for the NAMC K-8 (Karakoram-8) tandem-seat aircraft.
Pakistan, a staunch ally of China, is also negotiating to take a 25 to 30 per cent stake in the development of the FC-1 multi-role fighter aircraft.
The sources said the present plan was for China to design the airframe with help from one leading Russian company while another Moscow firm would provide˙the engine. Pakistan will specify the radar, avionics and weapons packages it wants.
However, this project has so far failed to take off due to a variety of reasons, the sources said.
They, however, described the plannedjoint venture as a ``classic example both of hybridisation and of international cooperation to˙meet an export requirement''.
The FC-1 project is facing severe competition for Chinese funding from the more advanced Chengdu F-10 fighter and Xian FB-7 strike aircraft now under development as well˙as off-the-shelf purchases from Russia, Beijing's new strategic partner.
During Sharif's visit, a number of agricultural, industrial and technological cooperation agreements will be signed between the two countries, Pakistan's ambassador in Beijing Inamul Haque was quoted as saying by Xinhua.
Islamabad will also organise its first investment conference in China to inform the business community here about investment opportunities in Pakistan, Haque said.
Referring to the Taiwan issue, he said Pakistan adhered to the ``one China'' policy and supported the reunification of the country with the island.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
