CHENGDU / PAKISTAN AERONAUTICAL COMPLEX JF-17 THUNDER
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(2007 till date)
The JF-17 Thunder is also designated as Chengdu FC-1 Xiaolong (Fierce Dragon).JF-17 is a modern light-weight multi role combat aircraft. The Pakistani designation JF-17 and Chinese designation FC-1 stand for "Joint Fighter" and "Fighter China" respectively. The aircraft was developed jointly by the Chengdu Aircraft Industries Corporation (CAC) of China, the Pakistan Air Force and the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC).
The aircraft is a small, light-weight fighter powered by a single engine. It has been developed to meet the requirements of the Pakistan Air Force and for export to other developing nations. It was designed to be a low-cost solution for replacing large fleets of obsolete types and an alternative to more expensive Western fighter aircraft.
The maiden test flight of the first prototype took place during 2003 in China, later test flights of a more advanced version taking place in 2006.
Deliveries to the Pakistan Air Force for further flight testing and evaluation began in 2007, the aircraft's first aerial display also taking place the same year in Islamabad, Pakistan. The project is expected to cost around USD500 million, divided equally between China and Pakistan. The project is supported by China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation for the Chinese side. Each individual aircraft is expected to cost around US$15 million. Initial development of JF-17 was completed in a period of four years, although later improvements to the aircraft design did take up more time.
Pakistan has announced that it has 150 aircraft on order, but this may well go up to 275. The JF-17 will replace Pakistan's Chengdu F-7, Nanchang A-5 and Dassault Mirage-III/Mirage-V aircraft currently in service.
Azerbaijan, Zimbabwe and eight other countries have expressed interest in purchasing the JF-17 at a recent military exhibition in Pakistan.
JF-17s are
armed with 1×
23 mm GSh-23-2 twin-barrel cannon (can be
replaced with 30 mm
GSh-30-2). 3629 kg
combat load can be carried on 7 hard points (1 × under fuselage, 4 × under wing
and 2 x wing tip rails). Combat load consist a combination of rockets, air to
air / air to surface missiles, guided / non guided bombs and drop tanks.
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