Russian defence experts said the reported sale of RD-93 engines to Pakistan for use in its JF-17 fighter jets could, in fact, work to India’s favour, according to news agency PTI. The remarks come amid criticism of Moscow’s alleged military cooperation with Islamabad.
“If reports about Russia providing engines for the JF-17 are correct, it actually benefits India in two ways,” said Pyotr Topychkanov, head of the Section on New Challenges in South and Southeast Asia at the Primakov Institute in Moscow.
“Firstly, it shows that China and Pakistan have not yet managed to replace the Russian-origin engine. Secondly, the new aircraft will be familiar and predictable to India, especially since they share the same engine and India observed the JF-17’s operational use during the May 2025 crisis (Operation Sindoor),” he told PTI.
CRITICISM IS NOT JUSTIFIED, SAYS RUSSIAN EXPERT
Topychkanov called the criticism of the Indian government as “unjustified”, saying the development must be viewed in the context of long-standing defence relations between Moscow and New Delhi.
He also noted that China had earlier requested Russia to supply RD-93 engines for its FC-17 jets as a temporary measure, and the possibility of the engines being transferred to Pakistan was discussed in India during the governments of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Dr. Manmohan Singh.
Another Russian expert, who declined to be identified, said he recalled those discussions and stressed that Moscow had assured New Delhi at the time that the RD-93 deal was a purely commercial arrangement without transfer of technology (ToT).
“Moscow convinced New Delhi that the RD-93 deal was commercial in nature. India, in contrast, received the license for a much superior RD-33 engine under a full technology transfer agreement,” he said.
The RD-93 engine, produced by the Klimov plant, is a variant of the RD-33 used in India’s MiG-29 aircraft. While the RD-93 offers higher thrust, it comes with a shorter service life — about 2,200 hours, compared with the RD-33’s 4,000 hours.
Since the early 2000s, Russia has supplied fully assembled RD-93 engines to Pakistan through a trilateral arrangement with China, which originally sought them for the FC-1 (JF-17) project. The latest reports suggest Pakistan is now seeking a modified version of the engine, which has yet to be developed.
There has been no official word from Moscow regarding a new sale.
POLITICAL DEBATE IN INDIA OVER REPORTS
The reports have drawn sharp response in India. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Saturday questioned the government over why India’s “once most reliable strategic ally” was allegedly supplying military equipment to Pakistan.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rejected the allegations, calling them as part of a “reckless information warfare” campaign. It accused the Congress of amplifying unverified reports and “choosing the side of the enemy” instead of standing with national interests.
BJP leaders also pointed out that India’s defence ties with Russia remain strong and that Moscow continues to provide India with advanced platforms such as the S-400 air defence system and nuclear submarine cooperation under long-term agreements.
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With inputs from PTI