JL-9G. Pay attention to the wing tips.
Chinese Trainer Aircraft (JL-8, JL-9, JL-10 (L-15), etc.)
- Thread starter tphuang
- Start date
lcloo
Captain
These are wing tip brake. Mainly purpose is to slow down landing speed.
SU-25 style wing airbrakes
What’s the point? They already sell JF-17 and FTC-2000 which occupy the same niche.
Semi-Lobster
Junior Member
My guess is, as a private venture for export, like the JF-17. While rugged and battle tested, the FTC-2000G is still constrained by its 60s origins and there may be coming to the limits of what the design can offer, including its old style hydro-mechanical control surfaces. Meanwhile the new blocks of the JF-17 continues to improve and develop, which also makes it more and more expensive. My guess is that AVIC/Hongdu is thinking theres now a big enough gap in the market for a VERY cheap but modern single engine fighter aircraft that isnt being serviced. Its a very risky decision if they go ahead without an exisiting contract or tender, a good example of the risk would be the Czech Aero L-159 ALCA, which languished for decades in storage until they were bought by the post-war Iraqi government. The Italians afterall are marketing their twin seat M-346FA (Fighter/Attack) and the South Koreans with the single seat FA-50 light fighter variant all seem to be sniffing around the same market.
The "big enough gap" that you speak of is increasingly served by MALE drones, which tend to be significantly more affordable to acquire and operate than any would be ground attack version of the L-15 or anything in its class.
lcloo
Captain
If anyone still remember the Jordanian pilot of a F-16 shot down and burned alive in an iron cage by ISIS? I would rather sacrificed 5 MALE drones downed by missiles rather than losing a pilot and his aircraft. The psychological effect on the World by ISIS's barbaric action is simply devastating.
Using light strike trainer jet for ground attack is out of fashion in forward thinking military.
Using light strike trainer jet for ground attack is out of fashion in forward thinking military.
Semi-Lobster
Junior Member
I'm not talking about advanced, modern militaries. The marketing by South Korea and Italy for these sort of aircraft are aimed at much more basic militaries, with limited budgets who can't afford more advanced new or even second hand aircraft. These air forces, may lack any supersonic or fixed wing capabilities and an armed trainer which can also serve basic air policing/sovereignty roles or rebuilding pilot flight time/infrastructure is the priority. While MALE drones are cheaper and more efficient for attack or suicide, any other role is out of the question, such as air policing and light combat (The K-8 video from early being a good example) while these planes are certainly not GOOD at any of these more advanced roles, they are better than nothing and many of these countries are looking for a 'one size fits all' approach due to budgetary constraints. An example of this would be the FA-50 in the Philippines or similar countries in Asia or Africa, such as the M-346 in Nigeria, where dual training and combat roles are the main selling point of the aircraft.
I'm not saying its a very big niche, it's a very narrow, risky choice, and crowding into the combat proven FTC-2000 and the more advanced JF-17.