The Xi'an JH-7 (Jianjiji Hongzhaji – fighter-bomber; NATO reporting name Flounder),[3] also known as the FBC-1 (Fighter/Bomber China-1) Flying Leopard, is a tandem two-seat, twin-engine fighter-bomber in service with the People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force (PLANAF), and the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).[4] The main contractors are Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) and the 603rd Aircraft Design Institute (later named the First Aircraft Institute of AVIC-I).
The first JH-7s were delivered to the PLANAF in the mid-1990s for evaluation, with the improved JH-7A entering service in 2004.[5]
Contents
- 1 Development history
- 1.1 A new fighter bomber
- 1.2 JH-7
- NATO reporting name Flounder),[3] also known as the FBC-1 (Fighter/Bomber China-1) Flying Leopard, is a tandem two-seat, twin-engine fighter-bomber in service with the People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force (PLANAF), and the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).[4] The main contractors are Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) and the 603rd Aircraft Design Institute (later named the First Aircraft Institute of AVIC-I).
The first JH-7s were delivered to the PLANAF in the mid-1990s for evaluation, with the improved JH-7A entering service in 2004.[5]
Development history
A new fighter bomber
In the early 1970s, the PLAAF required a new fighter-bomber to replace the Harbin H-5 and Nanchang Q-5. A request was duly submitted to the Ministry of Aviation Industry (later renamed to the Aviation Industry Corporation of China), which organized a domestic development program when efforts to secure a joint venture with foreign partners failed. The program was authorized on 19 April 1983 by then-paramount leader Deng Xiaoping. The program was also aiming to make use of newly imported British Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan engines at the time.[6]
JH-7
evaluation, with the improved JH-7A entering service in 2004.[5]
In the early 1970s, the PLAAF required a new fighter-bomber to replace the Harbin H-5 and Nanchang Q-5. A request was duly submitted to the Ministry of Aviation Industry (later renamed to the Aviation Industry Corporation of China), which organized a domestic development program when efforts to secure a joint venture with foreign partners failed. The program was authorized on 19 April 1983 by then-paramount leader Deng Xiaoping. The program was also aiming to make use of newly imported British Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan engines at the time.[6]
JH-7
The PLANAF required a similar aircraft and the program set out to develop a variant for each set of requirements. The PLAAF variant would be a two-man all-weather deep strike bomber, with side-by-side cockpit seating, electronic countermeasures (ECM), and terrain following capabilities similar to the General Dynamics F-111. The PLANAF would receive a two-man all-weather, tandem cockpit, strike and reconnaissance aircraft. The PLAAF variant was dropped in the early 1980s, with the PLANAF variant becoming the JH-7.
Six prototypes were built by December 1988, and the PLANAF received 12 to 18 aircraft in the early 1990s for evaluation. The first aircraft used imported Rolls-Royce Spey Mk.202 engines, later replaced by a license-built copy, the WS-9. They were equipped with the Type 243H multifunction radar, which could detect ships at a maximum of 175 kilometres (109 mi), and MiG-21-sized aerial targets at 75 kilometres (47 mi).
The JH-7 was designed as an anti-shipping fighter-bomber. As with the later JH-7A, its aerial combat capability was insignificant given the large number of specialist aircraft for that role.
JH-7A
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
- A-5 Vigilante
- General characteristics
Performance
- Maximum speed: 1,808 km/h (1,123 mph, 976 kn)
- Maximum speed: Mach 1.52
- Combat range: 1,760 km (1,090 mi, 950 nmi) with one in-flight refueling (estimated)
- 900 km (560 mi; 490 nmi) without refueling (estimated)
- Service ceiling: 16,000 m (52,000 ft)
Armament
- Guns: 1× 23mm twin-barrel GSh-23L autocannon, 300 rounds
- Hardpoints: 9 in total (6× under-wing, 2× wing-tip, 1× under-fuselage) with a capacity of 9,000 kg (20,000 lb) external fuel and ordnance,
- Rockets:
Armament
- Guns: 1× 23mm twin-barrel GSh-23L autocannon, 300 rounds
- Hardpoints: 9 in total (6× under-wing, 2× wing-tip, 1× under-fuselage) with a capacity of 9,000 kg (20,000 lb) external fuel and ordnance,
- Rockets: 57mm/90mm unguided rocket pods
- Missiles:
- Avionics
JL-10A radarSee also
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
- A-5 Vigilante
- F-111 Aardvark
- Panavia Tornado
- SEPECAT Jaguar
- Sukhoi Su-24
- IAR-93 / J-22 Orao
- Mitsubishi F-1
Related lists
References
- ^ Fisher, Richard (27 May 2015). "ANALYSIS: Can China break the military aircraft engine bottleneck?". FlightGlobal. Archived from the original on 30 May 2015.
- Avionics
evaluation