Xian JH-7

Infobox Aircraft
name= Xian JH-7 FBC-1 Flying Leopard


caption= A JH-7A at a military museum
type= Fighter-bomber
manufacturer= Xi'an Aircraft Industry Corporation
designer=
first flight= 14 December 1988
introduced= 1992
retired=
status=
primary user= People's Liberation Army Navy
more users= People's Liberation Army Air Force
produced=
number built= 96-103+
program cost=
unit cost=
developed from=
variants with their own articles=

The Xian JH-7 ("Jian Hong"-7; NATO reporting name Flounder [cite news | title = British and Russian Technology for the Xian JH-7A FLOUNDER | url = http://www.uscc.gov/researchpapers/2004/04fisher_report/7airforcesystems.htm| publisher = U.S.-China Economic and Security review commission | accessdate = 2007-04-06] ), also known as the FBC-1 (Fighter/Bomber China-1) Flying Leopard, is a two-seater (tandem), 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). The main contractors are Xian Aircraft Industry Corporation (XAC) and the 603nd Aircraft Design Institute,now named First Aircraft Institute of AVIC-1. The first batch of JH-7 aircraft were delivered to the PLANAF in the mid-1990s for evaluation, and the improved JH-7A variant entered service in 2004.cite web|url=http://www.sinodefence.com/airforce/groundattack/jh7.asp|title=JH-7/A (FBC-1) Fighter-bomber|work=Sinodefence.com|accessdate=2007-01-16|date=2006-04-13]

Design and development

In the early 1970s, the PLA submitted a request to the Ministry of Aeronautics (MoA) to develop a new fighter-bomber to replace the Harbin H-5 and Nanchang Q-5. Due to failure to secure a joint design venture with foreign countries, an indigenous program was initiated on April 19, 1983. Initially, two different variants were intended to meet the separate requirements from the PLAAF and PLANAF. The PLAAF variant was to be an all-weather deep-penetration strike bomber, with side-by-side cockpit seating, electronic countermeasures (ECM), and terrain following capabilities similar to the General Dynamics F-111. However, this variant was dropped in the early 1980s.

The PLANAF's variant was for an all-weather, two-seat (tandem), strike/reconnaissance aircraft. Six prototypes were built by December 1988, and a small batch of 12 to 18 JH-7s were delivered to the PLANAF in the early 1990s for evaluation. The first JH-7s used imported Rolls-Royce Spey Mk.202 engines. Later, they were replaced by license-built Spey Mk.202s named WoShan-9 (WS-9). These first batch of JH-7 used Type 243H multifunction radar, with maximum range of 175 km against ships and 75 km maximum range against MiG-21 sized aerial targets.

The JH-7 is China's newest and most capable domestically-built fighter-bomber. The aircraft is underpowered with Mk.202/WS-9 engines, and has a weapons load of 9 tons [http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/archive/index.php?t-45895.html] , compared to the Sukhoi Su-24 and Su-30 at 8 tons, and the General Dynamics F-111 at 14 tons. However, the JH-7 is a much lighter and simpler aircraft than the variable sweep winged Su-24 or F-111, and far cheaper to produce than the high performance Su-30 multi-role fighter. The JH-7 represents a significant strike capability for the PLANAF, and its load capacity allows the aircraft to carry 2 (JH-7) or 4 (JH-7A) domestically-made YJ-82s in maritime strike missions.

Operational history

In 2004, the improved JH-7A entered service with PLANAF. The JH-7A is updated with JL-10A pulse doppler radar, new fly-by-wire (FBW) system, one-piece windscreen, additional hardpoints, and capability to use Russian LGBs and Kh-31 anti-radiation missiles. The aircraft is currently used by the PLANAF 6th Div, PLANAF 9th Div, and PLAAF 28th Div. Although a significant improvement over the original JH-7, the future of this aircraft looks uncertain as China's People's Liberation Army turns to more capable fighter/bombers such as the Sukhoi Su-30/Shenyang J-11 and the Chengdu J-10 for their maritime strike roles. A PLANAF JH-7 regiment typically consists of 18 to 20 aircraft, which is fewer than the usual 24 to 28 aircraft for PLAAF air regiments.

Operators

;PRC
* People's Liberation Army Navy - The Naval Air Force has 3 regiments (as of November 2005) equipped with the JH-7: [cite web|url=http://www.china-military.org/units/planaf.htm|title=PLANAF|publisher=China-military.org]
**East Sea Fleet, 6th PLANAF Division [cite web|url=http://www.china-military.org/units/naf/6ndiv/6ndiv.htm|title=6th Naval Division|publisher=China-military.org]
***16th Regiment based in [http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/china/facility/shanghai-dachang.htm Shanghai Dachang Naval Air Station] (JH-7)
***17th Regiment based in [http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/china/facility/yiwi.htm Yiwu (Yiwi) Airbase] , Zhejiang (JH-7)
**South Sea Fleet, 9th PLANAF Division [cite web|url=http://www.china-military.org/units/naf/9ndiv/9ndiv.html|title=9th Naval Division|publisher=China-military.org]
***27th Regiment based in Ledong Naval Airbase, Hainan Island (JH-7A)

*People's Liberation Army Air Force has 1 regiment (as of May 2006) known to operate the JH-7A. It's speculated that the 19 PLAAF JH-7A will serve in precision ground-strike role, rather than anti-shipping.
**Nanjing Military Region, 28th PLAAF Division [cite web|url=http://www.china-military.org/units/nanjing/28div/28div.htm|title=28th Division|publisher=China-military.org]
***?? Regiment based in [http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/china/facility/jianqiao.htm Hangzhou Jianquiao Airbase] , Zhejiang (JH-7A)

pecifications (JH-7)

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=jet

ref=Sinodefence, AVIC I

crew=2: pilot, weapons operator
payload main=6,500 kg
payload alt=14,500 lb
payload more=of weapons
length main=22.32 m
length alt=73 ft 2 in
span main=12.7 m
span alt=41 ft 7 in
height main=6.57 m
height alt=21 ft 6 in
area main= m²
area alt= ft²
empty weight main=14,500 kg [CATIC brochure, Zhuhai 1998]
empty weight alt=31,900 lb
loaded weight main= kg
loaded weight alt= lb
max takeoff weight main=28,475 kg
max takeoff weight alt=62,720 lb
engine (jet)=Xian WS9 (a license-built Spey Mk202)
type of jet=afterburning turbofans
number of jets=2
thrust main=54 kN
thrust alt=12,140 lbf
afterburning thrust main=91.2 kN
afterburning thrust alt=20,500 lbf
max speed main=Mach 1.75
max speed alt=1,808 km/h, 1,122 mph
combat radius main=1,759 km
combat radius alt=890 nm, 1,093 mi
ferry range main=3,700 km
ferry range alt=1,970 nm, 2,299 mi
ceiling main=16,000 m
ceiling alt=51,180 ft
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main= kg/m²
loading alt= lb/ft²
thrust/weight=

guns=1× twin-barrel 23 mm (0.906 in) GSh-23L autocannon, 300 rounds
missiles=
** Air-to-air missiles:
*** PL-5 [cite web|url=http://www.sinodefence.com/airforce/weapon/pl5.asp|title=PL-5 Short-range Air-to-air Missile|date=2006-04-09|work=Sinodefence.com|accessdate=2007-01-16]
** Anti-ship missiles:
*** Yingji-8K [cite web|url=http://www.sinodefence.com/airforce/weapon/yj8k.asp|title=YJ-8K (C-801K) Air-launched Anti-ship Missile|date=2006-04-09|work=Sinodefence.com|accessdate=2007-01-16]
*** Yingji-82K Anti-Ship Missile (AShM) [cite web|url=http://www.sinodefence.com/airforce/weapon/yj82k.asp|title=YJ-82K (C-802K) Air-launched Anti-ship Missile|work=Sinodefence.com|accessdate=2007-01-16|date=2006-04-09]
** Anti-radiation missiles:
*** Yingji-91 [cite web|url=http://www.sinodefence.com/airforce/weapon/kh31.asp|title=KH-31P/YJ-91 Anit-radiation Missile|work=Sinodefence.com|date=2006-04-01|accessdate=2007-01-16]
bombs=
** 9 tonnes of free-fall bombs [http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/archive/index.php?t-45895.html]
** 9 tonnes of laser-guided bombs [http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/archive/index.php?t-45895.html]
rockets=Rocket launchers

ee also

aircontent
related=

similar aircraft=
* F-15E Strike Eagle
* Sukhoi Su-24
* Tupolev Tu-22M
* General Dynamics F-111
* Panavia Tornado

lists=

see also=

References

External links

* [http://www.sinodefence.com/airforce/groundattack/jh7.asp JH-7 at SinoDefence.com]
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/china/jh-7.htm JH-7 at GlobalSecurity.org]