Chengdu FC-1
| Chengdu FC-1 | |
|---|---|
 Pakistani JF-17 |
|
| Type: | Multipurpose fighter |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: |
Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation |
| First flight: |
August 25, 2003 |
| Commissioning: |
March 12, 2007 |
| Production time: |
In series production since 2007 |
| Number of pieces: |
140+ (2019) |
The Chengdu FC-1 , in Pakistan PAIC JF-17 Thunder , also CAC FC-1 Xiaolong ( Fierce Dragon ; Chinese: 枭 龙; pinyin: Xiāo Lóng), is conceptually a typical 3rd generation multi- role fighter . It was further developed by the People's Republic of China and Pakistan to withstand the fight against 4th generation hunters. Your latest variant should achieve the standard of the “4+” generation. This includes, for example, full BVR capability after it was determined that India should receive the Russian Su-30s . The first prototype was completed on May 31, 2003, the first flight took place on August 25, 2003, a final test flight of the fourth prototype with complete avionics was carried out on April 28, 2006 after extensive modifications. The aircraft is being built by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation (CAC) and Pakistani Aviation Integrated Company (PAIC) .
The FC-1 is often incorrectly referred to as the J-9 , but this was a separate design, see Chengdu J-9 .
On October 24, 2013, a Pakistani newspaper reported that Pakistan would sell JF-17 to friendly states from 2014 onwards.
description
The JF-17 Thunder is primarily intended to replace the Pakistani F-7M / P fighter aircraft. The Chengdu Fierce Dragon / Thunder was explicitly planned as a lightweight, multi-purpose all-weather machine that was affordable for the Third World to maintain and which would be an adequate successor to the aging Northrop F-5 and MiG aircraft . In China, the JF-17 is supposed to round off the Chengdu J-10's performance spectrum at the same time . The tasks of the JF-17 are the operation as a fighter and reconnaissance aircraft as well as the support of the army and the navy through ground and ship attacks. It is also possible to equip the aircraft with nuclear-capable Ra'ad cruise missiles.
The Pakistani Air Force and the PLAAF put several Chengdu FC-1 / JF-17 pre-production aircraft into service for pilot training in 2006. Development of the machine began in 1991. China had agreed with Grumman to further develop some of their F-7s in the Super-7 project . But these plans were canceled after the demonstrations on Tian'anmen Square ( Tian'anmen Massacre ) in 1989 and in view of the 40% increase in costs, which were originally estimated at 550 million US dollars .
Then China began to develop its own fighter aircraft based on the Super-7 . The Pakistani government joined in in 1994 when it was looking for a modern combat aircraft to gradually modernize its aging fleet of around 273 Chinese A-5 , F-7 and around 221 French Mirage III / 5s . They therefore invested 75 million US dollars to reanimate the project, which had meanwhile been bogging down. The Russian Mikoyan Aero-Science Production Group and several European countries were involved in the development. Shortly before the Kargil conflict , General Musharraf visited Beijing and officially agreed to purchase 150 units, 134 of which are to be manufactured in Pakistan.
The project is expected to cost half a billion dollars. Each individual aircraft will cost around US $ 15 to 20 million, so there are good opportunities for export . Azerbaijan ordered 26 machines, Sudan and Zimbabwe each ordered 12. Other possible customers are Egypt , Algeria , Bangladesh , Iran , Malaysia and Myanmar . Pakistan is funding at least 50% of this project. Series production began in 2007 at both the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) in Kamra, with an estimated production rate of around 20 aircraft per year, and at Chengdu Aircraft Corporation . China should buy at least 200 pieces to reduce unit costs. In late 2014, the Pakistani Ministry of Defense announced that the Nigerian Air Force would purchase 25 to 40 JF-17s from Pakistan.
The first JF-17 Thunder squadron of the Pakistani Air Force went into service in February 2010 ; the last of the first batch of 50 aircraft was delivered in the first half of 2012. 42 of these JF-17s were produced in Pakistan.
construction
The JF-17 is a classic mid-decker design with trapezoidal wings, horizontal stabilizers at the rear and a vertical stabilizer. The wings have a leading edge sweep of 42 ° and are equipped with slats and flaps. A single Klimow RD-93, which is a derivative of the Russian RD-33, is used as the engine . The machines for Pakistan will be delivered with an Italian fire control radar FIAR Grifo S-7. China is using the Israeli Doppler radar Elta EL / M 2032 instead. All versions are equipped with a Chinese Jianghan TY6 zero / zero ejection seat. Pakistan plans to install an aerial refueling probe on its machines.
The JF-17 has seven pylons for carrying various weapons. In addition to AAMs and ASMs , laser-guided bombs, additional tanks, rocket containers, target containers, data link containers and jammers can also be carried at the suspension points (two under each wing, one each at the wing tips and a central pylon) . Next to the central pylon under the fuselage, the double-barreled 23-mm cannon of the type GSch-23-2 is attached.
variants
JF-17 Block 1 : Production of basic version began in June 2006. Equipped was "Block 1" with AAM or YJ-8 - anti-ship missiles . "Block 1" should cost around 15 million US dollars.
JF-17 Block 2 : Production of "Block 2" began on December 18, 2013. These aircraft are air-to-air refuelable, have improved avionics and have increased load capacity, as well as improved data connectivity and electronic capabilities Warfare on. Construction is to last until 2016, when “Block 2” is to be replaced by “Block 3”. "Block 2" should cost around 30 to 35 million US dollars.
JF-17B : This is a two-seat version of the JF-17. The prototype of the JF-17B had its maiden flight on April 28, 2017. The Chinese name for the two-seater is FC-1B.
JF-17 Block 3 : Construction of "Block 3" began in 2016. The aircraft is to receive a new AESA radar system and a new engine in order to achieve Mach 2+. A two-seat version of the JF-17 is still being considered. In April 2018 it was announced that the integration of the AESA radar had been completed.
Users
-
Pakistan 50 (110 more ordered) -
Nigeria 25-40 ordered (delivery from 2015/2016) -
Zimbabwe 12 Chengdu FC-1 ordered from China (delivery from 2015/2016)
Technical specifications
- Length: 13.95 m
- Span: 9.5 m
- Height: 5.02 m
- Wing area: 24.40 m²
- a Klimow RD-93 engine with 81.4 kN
- Empty weight: 9.3 t
- Max. Takeoff weight: 12.5 t
- Max. Speed: Mach 1.8
- Service ceiling: approx. 16,500 m
- Max. Range: 1600 km
- Operational range: 1200 km as a fighter and 700 km as a fighter-bomber
Armament
Fixed guns
- 1 × double-23 mm automatic cannon Grjasew-Schipunow GScha-23L (9A-4071K). The MK can be replaced by a 30 mm machine gun GSch-30-2.
Gun loading of 3600 kg at seven external load stations
Air-to-air guided missile
- 2 × start rails for 1 × EOTDC PL-5E each (improved copy of Wympel R-3) - infrared controlled for short distances
- 2 × LAU-7 / A start rails for 1 × Raytheon AIM-9L / M "Sidewinder" each - infrared controlled for short distances
- 2 × start rails for 1 × CNAIEC PL-9C each (improved copy Rafael Python III) - infrared controlled for short distances
- 2 × start rails for one CATIC SD-10 each (export version of the PL-12 ) - semi-active radar-guided for medium- haul routes
Air-to-surface guided missile
- 4 × starting rails for 1 × Mectron / CTA MAR-1 each - searching for radar radiation
- 2 × CHETA C-802A anti-ship missiles
- 2 × Norinco C-803 anti -ship missiles
- 1 × Ra'ad (cruise missile) (nuclear-armed cruise missile)
Unguided free-fall bombs
- 2 × Mk.84 (907 kg / 2000 lb free-fall bomb, made in Pakistan)
- 5 × Mk.82 LDGP (227 kg / 500 lb free-fall bomb , made in Pakistan)
- 5 × Marquardt Mk.20 "Rockeye II" (CBU-100) (222 kg / 490 lb anti-tank cluster bomb with 247 Mk.118 bomblets)
- 5 × Matra "Durandal" (BLU-107, rocket-propelled 219 kg anti-runway bomb)
Guided bombs
- 2 × GBU-10 / B Paveway II (laser-guided glide bomb; 907 kg)
- 4 × GBU-12 / B Paveway II (laser-guided glide bomb; 227 kg)
- 2 × LT-2 (laser-guided glide bomb)
- 2 × H-2 (electro-optical / television-controlled bomb)
- 2 × H-4 (electro-optical / television-controlled bomb)
- 2 × LS-6 (satellite navigation guided gliding bomb)
See also
Web links
- Pakistan's JF-17 Fighter Program (English)
- FC-1 "Chao Qi" / JF-17 Thunder (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ https://theprint.in/defence/how-pakistan-planned-to-hit-india-back-for-balakot-the-mission-the-fighters-the-tactics/
- ↑ PakistanToday: Pakistan ready to start sale of JF-17 Thunder planes from next year
- ↑ Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) November 30, 2007: Azeri Defense Spending Under Fire (English)
- ↑ Sudan Tribune (English)
- ↑ The Zimbabwe Situation (English)
- ↑ Photo at www.imageshack.us
- ↑ IDEAS 2014: Nigeria 'close to signing up' for JF-17 ( Memento from December 5, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Thunder joins PAF's fighter fleet The Dawn Media Group (English)
- ^ Heiko Thiesler: Chinese-Pakistani fighter aircraft JF-17 Thunder - South Asian thunder. In: Flieger Revue 12/2012, p. 26.
- ^ Vol inaugural pour le JF-17B / FC-1B! , April 28, 2017 (French)
- ↑ AESA radar for the JF-17!
- ↑ Correction on air force jet names ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
