Talk:CAC/PAC JF-17 Thunder

Doesn’t the JF-17 also to use the WS-13 as an alternative to the RD-93?^[1][2] ~2026-35630-44 (talk) 21:55, 3 July 2026 (UTC)

Possibly, but the first source isn't reliable and the second uses the language of presumably. fifteen thousand two hundred twenty four (talk) 04:43, 4 July 2026 (UTC)

@Fifteen thousand two hundred twenty four The WS-13 is mentioned on this article, so it deserves a mention in the specifications section, probably with a different source though. Problem is, I'm no mechanical engineer, so I may end up struggling to add the specifications. KashanAbbas (talk) 07:31, 7 July 2026 (UTC)

I've no objection to mentioning its specifications as an in development engine so long as there are supporting sources. fifteen thousand two hundred twenty four (talk) 07:58, 7 July 2026 (UTC)

@Fifteen thousand two hundred twenty four Eh, I tried my best. You can check the sources. They seem good enough to me. KashanAbbas (talk) 14:14, 7 July 2026 (UTC)

Two issues, one is that none of those sources give a thrust of 86-93 kN or state that has FADEC. The other is that none of those sources state it's actually deployed on the JF-17, so it shouldn't be listed as such.

doesn't mention the JF-17, says it's used in an "FC-1 ?", says there is a development JF-17 flying with a "presumably" WS-13 engine. fifteen thousand two hundred twenty four (talk) 08:05, 8 July 2026 (UTC)

@Fifteen thousand two hundred twenty four "FC-1" stands for "China Fighter-1" (also the "FC-1 Xiaolong"), and is the official name designation for the JF-17 in China. I actually managed to find at least 2-3 more citations more the WS-13 being used in the JF-17, but thought of it as being too excessive to cite. KashanAbbas (talk) 14:23, 8 July 2026 (UTC)

The question mark in FC-1 ? isn't my own addition, the source itself isn't sure if it's used in the FC-1 or not.

Review of below sources:

• – Already seen. Does not say the WS-13 is used with the JF-17, not even in a development capacity.
• – Non-RS blog, states the WS-13 completed a successful runway taxi test in 2010.
• – one JF-17 is reported to be flying in China with the Guizhou WS-13 engine, very weak 2013 claim, single unit mentioned is likely the same development model mentioned by other sources.
• – This is the same source at different times. The first version doesn't mention the WS-13. The second states One Chinese medium-thrust turbofan programme long reported as slated for the FC-1/JF-17 has been called the WS-13 and reportedly flew in 2010, "reported as slated for" means no evidence for current use, and this source is the most recent of this group (excluding the first).
• – Future models may see the engine replaced with China’s WS-13

None of the sources so far clearly state that the engine is out of development and generally deployed in the JF-17.

Also, you don't need to ping me here (please don't), I'm automatically notified of any replies. fifteen thousand two hundred twenty four (talk) 08:09, 9 July 2026 (UTC)

I could only find 2 more sources besides these, one from 2024 and another from 2026. Are they good enough or should we just end this whole saga here? KashanAbbas (talk) 08:59, 11 July 2026 (UTC)

doesn't seem to mention the WS-13 (and appears to be AI-generated).

is better, though there's no indication that any JF-17 has actually been fitted with a WS-13IPE. Another consideration is that the WS-13IPE is notably different than the WS-13, translated from However, he pointed out that the WS-13 engine had no suitable aircraft for installation, so further in-depth development was carried out, resulting in the WS-13IPE thrust-enhanced improved version. and provide some thrust specs, but no indication of deployment. fifteen thousand two hundred twenty four (talk) 10:35, 11 July 2026 (UTC)

So there are (to some degree) plans to deploy the WS-13 on the JF-17, but it hasn't yet been carried out. There are claims, but little definitive proof of deployment. I think the WS-13 still deserves at least a mention in the article, but there aren't enough reliable sources yet to suggest that there has been mass deployment. KashanAbbas (talk) 11:00, 11 July 2026 (UTC)

That seems to be the case. If there are sources that support active deployment I was unable to find them, though that may be a language barrier problem. fifteen thousand two hundred twenty four (talk) 11:03, 11 July 2026 (UTC)

I'm can try to check in Urdu (since its a language I speak) to see if I can find anything. Problem is, most stuff is reports or interviews on YouTube, so that will make finding a definitive source difficult. KashanAbbas (talk) 11:07, 11 July 2026 (UTC)

@Fifteen thousand two hundred twenty four Good news: There are plans to eventually have the JF-17 use the WS-13 engine. Bad news: That will only be the case for PFX Alpha (the 4th Block of the JF-17).

Thing is, Block IV isn't going be introduced till the 2027-2029 time frame, so around the same time as India's Tejas Mk2. So these past decade, Pakistan's PAC in Kamra and China's CAIC (primarily Shenyang Aircraft Cooperation) have primarily been testing and experimenting with WS-13 on the JF-17. The plan was to introduce it in the Block III, but the was ready before the new engine, so it got delayed. Now that the WS-13 is in mass-production with the J-35 (which Pakistan reportedly plans to buy), the WS-13 will likely be on the 4th Block of the JF-17. KashanAbbas (talk) 21:23, 14 July 2026 (UTC)

Thank you for the research, that's more than I ever found. I've gone ahead and removed the engine from the block III specifications for now. It would probably be good to give the WS-13 a mention in the "Under-Development" section about the block IV. fifteen thousand two hundred twenty four (talk) 10:09, 15 July 2026 (UTC)

We'll probably have to add it back later on in the future, though that's still years away so that's not our concern as of now.

What is our concern is that they finally take concrete steps to properly introduce that damn engine and properly announce it publicly instead of having us scratch our heads for several years trying to find sources. KashanAbbas (talk) 12:20, 15 July 2026 (UTC)

P.S, if you find any spelling mistakes or structuring in my response, it was primarily due to the fact that I was typing this late at night while my family was fast asleep. KashanAbbas (talk) 21:25, 14 July 2026 (UTC)

This sort of vagueness is something commonly done by the PAF. Project Azm, PFX Alpha (Pakistan Fighter Experimental), the JF-17's 4th block, Pakistan's purchase of the J-35, and Pakistan involvement in the TAI TF KAAN program. The public only knows the bare minimum and everything is full of speculation and they don't reveal stuff fully till years later.

Kind of a PR move, but it makes finding reliable scourges very difficult. KashanAbbas (talk) 11:05, 11 July 2026 (UTC)

@Fifteen thousand two hundred twenty four Here's all the citations that I could find: ^{[3][4][5][6][7][8]} KashanAbbas (talk) 14:28, 8 July 2026 (UTC)

@Fifteen thousand two hundred twenty four Also, I kinda copied that thrust information from the WS-13 wiki article, so that's on me, KashanAbbas (talk) 14:35, 8 July 2026 (UTC)