Equation
Lieutenant General
Not only J-7's but probably a few JF-17 as well, if it's in the budget of course.
The Q-5, J-7, J-8 and older PLAAF aircraft
- Thread starter adeptitus
- Start date
Not only J-7's but probably a few JF-17 as well, if it's in the budget of course.
franco-russe
Senior Member
If there are no new orders soon, Chengdu will no doubt close down the J-7 production line (after close to fifty years....).
Miragedriver
Brigadier
Have you seen, or read anything about the FTC-2000G with LEX and 9 hard points?
The aircraft has been stretched a couple of meters. But the fight time has been reduce from 3 hours to 2 hours. I still think it make a decent point defense fighter, or as an aggressor aircraft.
At least it's better than old Mirage IIIs or Kfir's
Miragedriver
Brigadier
Among the 3rd world there is still a market for simple point defense interceptors like the F-5 and the Mig-21. Considering the F-5 is no longer in production and the Mig-21 is also not in production the market with the exception of the J-7 and derivatives like the FTC-2000G.
One could make an argument that if the F-5 was put back on the market with a simple radar, and some BVR missiles it would still find buyers. I seams that so many nations are caught up with stealth, AESA radars, supercruise and long range BVR performance that we miss the fact that for many 3rd tier air forces that it just isn't required.
If your main local threat is another 3rd tier air force or you need the ability to look over airspace violations then a J-7/FTC-2000G derivative is perfect.
One could make an argument that if the F-5 was put back on the market with a simple radar, and some BVR missiles it would still find buyers. I seams that so many nations are caught up with stealth, AESA radars, supercruise and long range BVR performance that we miss the fact that for many 3rd tier air forces that it just isn't required.
If your main local threat is another 3rd tier air force or you need the ability to look over airspace violations then a J-7/FTC-2000G derivative is perfect.
The J-5/F-5 is long out of production, but the A-5/Q-5 was still being built last year. I don't know the price difference between the A-5 and the J-7, but it'd appear that foreign customers on limited budgets prefer to spend their money on the faster J-7 for air superiority.
As for "3rd tier nations", I'd point to Ethiopia and her smaller neighbor Eritrea. Even as poor-er African countries, when it came to bumping heads, they still somehow paid for Su-27's and MiG-29's to shoot each other with.
SteelBird
Colonel
So far as to my understanding, F-5 mentioned here is not Chinese J-5/F-5 but the American F-5 Freedom fighter.
Miragedriver
Brigadier
Yes that is correct. I was talking about the F-5E Freedom Fighter and Chinese J-7
kwaigonegin
Colonel
If your poor sworn enemy buys an AK-47 you (who is also poor) will do whatever it takes to chuck your machete and invest in similar type firearm.
Buying much older generation fighters only makes sense if you're fighting insurgents or poorly armed militia and not actual nation states no matter how poor it may be. You can buy 2 dozen F-5s, J-5, Skyhawks etc and your less than friendly neighbor buys a few SU-33, Mig-29Ms or even F-16A/B couple years later and your entire AF is rendered obsolete overnight.
To your point, the truth is there are very very few Ethiopia/Eritrea left in this world to make much economic sense to keep producing large numbers of old fighters in the hopes of making a quick buck. Like you said most nations can afford newer type fighters albeit in small numbers.