| tiers | |
|---|
| categories | | "WEG" |
| "Aircraft" |
| "Fixed Wing Aircraft" |
| "Multirole Aircraft" |
| "Tier2" |
|
|---|
| notes | "The PAC JF-17 Thunder (Urdu: جے ایف-١٧ گرج), or CAC FC-1 Xiaolong (pinyin: Xiāo Lóng; lit.: 'Fierce Dragon'), is a lightweight, single-engine, multi-role combat aircraft developed jointly by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) of China. It was designed to replace the A-5C, F-7P/PG, Mirage III, and Mirage V combat aircraft in the Pakistan Air Force. The JF-17 can be used for multiple roles, including interception, ground attack, anti-ship, and aerial reconnaissance. Its designation "JF-17" by Pakistan is short for "Joint Fighter-17", while the designation and name "FC-1 Xiaolong" by China means "Fighter China-1 Fierce Dragon".
The JF-17 can deploy diverse ordnance, including air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, and a 23 mm GSh-23-2 twin-barrel autocannon. Powered by a Guizhou WS-13 or Klimov RD-93 afterburning turbofan, it has a top speed of Mach 1.8. The JF-17 is to become the backbone of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), complementing the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon at half the cost.[5] The PAF inducted its first JF-17 squadron in February 2010. In 2015 Pakistan produced 16 JF-17s. As of 2016, Pakistan is believed to have the capacity to produce 25 JF-17 per year. 58% of the airframe is Pakistani and 42% Chinese/Russian-origin. As of December 2016 Pakistan Aeronautical Complex has manufactured 70 jets in the country for use by the Pakistan Air Force of the Block 1 type,and 33 jets of the Block 2 type.
The Pakistan Air Force plans, by 2017, to induct a twin-seater version known as the JF-17B for both enhanced operational capability and training. Preparations for a more advanced and technologically sophisticated block III version of the aircraft are underway and the AESA radar, KJ-7A, has been developed, which can track 15 targets and engage 4 targets simultaneously.
Since its induction in 2011, the JF-17 Thunder has accumulated 19,000 hours of operational flight. The JF-17 has seen active military service as it is used by the Pakistan Air Force to bomb militant positions in North Waziristan, using both unguided munitions and guided missiles for precision strike capability.
The air frame is of semi-monocoque structure constructed primarily of aluminum alloys. High strength steel and titanium alloys are partially adopted in some critical areas. The air frame is designed for a service life of 4,000 flight hours or 25 years, the first overhaul being due at 1,200 flight hours. Block 2 JF-17s incorporate greater use of composite materials in the air frame to reduce weight. The retractable undercarriage has a tricycle arrangement with a single steerable nose-wheel and two main undercarriages. The hydraulic brakes have an automatic anti-skid system. The position and shape of the inlets is designed to give the required airflow to the jet engine during maneuvers involving high angles of attack.
The mid-mounted wings are of cropped-delta configuration. Near the wing root are the LERX, which generate a vortex that provides extra lift to the wing at high angles of attack encountered during combat maneuvers. A conventional tri-plane empennage arrangement is incorporated, with all-moving stabilators, single vertical stabiliser, rudder, and twin ventral fins. The flight control system (FCS) comprises conventional controls with stability augmentation in the yaw and roll axis and a digital fly-by-wire (FBW) system in the pitch axis. The leading edge slats/flaps and trailing edge flaps are automatically adjusted during manoeuvring to increase turning performance. The FCS of serial production aircraft reportedly have a digital quadruplex (quad-redundant) FBW system in the pitch axis and a duplex (dual-redundant) FBW system in the roll and yaw axis.
The glass cockpit is covered by a transparent, acrylic canopy that provides the pilot with a good, all-round field of view. It has three large Multifunction Colour Displays (MFD) and smart Heads-Up Display (HUD) with built-in symbol generation capability. A centre stick is used for pitch and roll control while rudder pedals control yaw. A throttle is located to the left of the pilot. The cockpit incorporates hands-on-throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) controls. The pilot sits on a Martin-Baker Mk-16LE zero-zero ejection seat. The cockpit incorporates an electronic flight instrument system (EFIS) and a wide-angle, holographic head-up display (HUD), which has a minimum total field of view of 25 degrees. The EFIS comprises three colour multi-function displays, providing basic flight information, tactical information, and information on the engine, fuel, electrical, hydraulics, flight control, and environment control systems. The HUD and MFD can be configured to show any available information. Each MFD is 20.3 cm (8.0 in) wide and 30.5 cm (12.0 in) tall and is arranged side by side in portrait orientation. The central MFD is placed lowest to accommodate a control panel between it and the HUD.
Up to 3,629 kg (8,001 lb) of ordnance, equipment, and fuel can be mounted under the hard points, two of which are on the wing-tips, four are under the wings and one is under the fuselage." |
|---|
| dateOfIntroduction | 2007 |
|---|
| countryOfOrigin | "Pakistan" |
|---|
| proliferation | "Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan" |
|---|
| selectedregions | |
|---|
| checkedregions | |
|---|
| checkedcountries | | "Myanmar" |
| "Nigeria" |
| "Pakistan" |
|
|---|
| dis | | name | "JF17 THUNDER PAK" |
|---|
| string | "01.02.165.001.015.000.000" |
|---|
|
|---|
| images | | "PAC_JF-17_Thunder(C).jpg" |
| "PAC_JF-17_Thunder(B).jpg" |
| "PAC_JF-17_Thunder(A).jpg" |
|
|---|
| sections | | name | "System" |
|---|
| properties | | name | "Alternate Designation(s)" |
|---|
| value | "JF-17 THunder" |
|---|
|
| name | "Primary Function / Type" |
|---|
| value | "Multirole Combat Aircraft" |
|---|
|
| name | "Manufacturer" |
|---|
| value | "Pakistan Aeronautical Complex" |
|---|
|
| name | "Crew" |
|---|
| value | "1 (single-seat) or 2 (dual-seat)" |
|---|
|
| name | "Number of Engines" |
|---|
| value | "1" |
|---|
|
| name | "Number of Hard Points" |
|---|
| value | "7 (2 × wing-tip, 4 × under-wing, 1 × under-fuselage) with capacity for dual ejector racks on each under-wing hardpoint" |
|---|
|
|
|---|
|
| name | "Dimensions" |
|---|
| properties | | name | "Length" |
|---|
| value | "14.93 m" |
|---|
|
| name | "Width (Wing Span)" |
|---|
| value | "9.44 m" |
|---|
|
| name | "Height" |
|---|
| value | "4.77 m" |
|---|
|
| name | "Wing Area" |
|---|
| value | "24.43 m2" |
|---|
|
| name | "Empty Weight" |
|---|
| value | "6,586 kg" |
|---|
|
| name | "Max Takeoff Weight" |
|---|
| value | "12,700 kg" |
|---|
|
| name | "Payload" |
|---|
| value | "4,600 kg" |
|---|
|
|
|---|
|
| name | "Automotive" |
|---|
| properties | | name | "Engine Name" |
|---|
| value | "1 × Klimov RD-93MA afterburning turbofan with digital electronic engine control (DEEC)" |
|---|
|
| name | "Number of Engines" |
|---|
| value | "1" |
|---|
|
| name | "Engine Type" |
|---|
| value | "Afterburning Turbofan" |
|---|
|
| name | "Engine Power" |
|---|
| value | "50.4 kN (11,300 lbf) thrust [197] dry, 85.6 kN (19,200 lbf) with afterburner" |
|---|
|
| name | "Maximum Speed" |
|---|
| value | "Mach 1.6" |
|---|
|
| name | "Cruise Speed" |
|---|
| value | "1,359 km/h" |
|---|
|
| name | "Stall Speed" |
|---|
| value | "150 km/h" |
|---|
|
| name | "Maximum Range" |
|---|
| value | "2,500 km" |
|---|
|
| name | "Combat Range" |
|---|
| value | "1,352 km" |
|---|
|
| name | "Ferry Range" |
|---|
| value | "3,500 km" |
|---|
|
| name | "Service Ceiling" |
|---|
| value | "16,930 m" |
|---|
|
| name | "G Limits" |
|---|
| value | "+8/-3 (limited by flight control system)" |
|---|
|
| name | "Rate of Climb" |
|---|
| value | "300 m/s" |
|---|
|
|
|---|
|
| name | "Main Gun System" |
|---|
| sections | | name | "System" |
|---|
| properties | | name | "Name" |
|---|
| value | "Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23" |
|---|
|
| name | "Type" |
|---|
| value | "Autocannon" |
|---|
|
| name | "Caliber" |
|---|
| value | "23" |
|---|
| units | "mm" |
|---|
|
| name | "Length" |
|---|
| value | "1,387 mm" |
|---|
|
| name | "Barrel Length" |
|---|
| value | "1,000 mm" |
|---|
|
| name | "Weight" |
|---|
| value | "49.2 kg" |
|---|
|
|
| name | "Action" |
|---|
| value | "Gas principle" |
|---|
|
| name | "Rate of Fire" |
|---|
| value | "3,400–3,600 rounds/min" |
|---|
|
| name | "Muzzle Velocity" |
|---|
| value | "715 m/s" |
|---|
|
|
|---|
|
| name | "Ammunition" |
|---|
| properties | | name | "Type" |
|---|
| value | "Rifle, Autocannon" |
|---|
|
| name | "Caliber" |
|---|
| value | "23" |
|---|
| units | "mm" |
|---|
|
| name | "Cartridge" |
|---|
| value | "23x115 mm" |
|---|
|
| name | "Basic Load" |
|---|
| value | "INA" |
|---|
|
|
|---|
|
|
|---|
|
| name | "Main Missile Systems" |
|---|
| sections | | name | "Main Missile System #1" |
|---|
| properties | |
| name | "Type" |
|---|
| value | "Short-Range Air-to-Air Missile" |
|---|
|
| name | "Manufacturer" |
|---|
| value | "Luoyang Electro-Optics Technology Development Centre (EOTDC),
Hanzhong Nanfeng Machine Factor" |
|---|
|
| name | "Length" |
|---|
| value | "2.893m" |
|---|
|
| name | "Diameter" |
|---|
| value | "0.127m" |
|---|
|
| name | "Wingspan" |
|---|
| value | "0.617m" |
|---|
|
|
| name | "Warhead" |
|---|
| value | "6kg blast-frag, or expanding rod (RF-fuse)" |
|---|
|
| name | "Detonation Mechanism" |
|---|
| value | "Active infrared, laser proximity fuse" |
|---|
|
| name | "Engine" |
|---|
| value | "Solid-fuel rocket" |
|---|
|
| name | "Operational Range" |
|---|
| value | "16~18km" |
|---|
|
| name | "Maximum Speed" |
|---|
| value | "Mach 2.5" |
|---|
|
| name | "Guidance System" |
|---|
| value | "Infrared homing, multi-element, dual band detector" |
|---|
|
|
|---|
|
| name | "Main Missile System #2" |
|---|
| properties | |
| name | "Type" |
|---|
| value | "Infrared-Homing Air-to-Air Missile" |
|---|
|
|
| name | "Diameter" |
|---|
| value | "0.157m" |
|---|
|
| name | "Wingspan" |
|---|
| value | "0.856m" |
|---|
|
|
| name | "Warhead" |
|---|
| value | "11.8kg blast-frag, or expanding rod (RF-fuse)" |
|---|
|
| name | "Detonation Mechanism" |
|---|
| value | "laser proximity fuse" |
|---|
|
| name | "Engine" |
|---|
| value | "Solid-fuel rocket" |
|---|
|
| name | "Operational Range" |
|---|
| value | "22km (PL-9C, air-to-air), > 8km (surface-to-air)" |
|---|
|
| name | "Flight Altitude" |
|---|
| value | "4.5km (surface-to-air)" |
|---|
|
| name | "Maximum Speed" |
|---|
| value | "Mach 2+" |
|---|
|
| name | "Guidance System" |
|---|
| value | "multi-element infrared" |
|---|
|
|
|---|
|
| name | "Main Missile System #3" |
|---|
| properties | |
| name | "Type" |
|---|
| value | "Short-Range Air-to-Air Missile" |
|---|
|
| name | "Manufacturer" |
|---|
| value | "Raytheon Company
Ford Aerospace
Loral Corp." |
|---|
|
|
|
|
|
| name | "Warhead Type" |
|---|
| value | "" |
|---|
|
| name | "Warhead Weight" |
|---|
| value | "" |
|---|
|
| name | "Detonation Mechanism" |
|---|
| value | "" |
|---|
|
|
| name | "Operational Range" |
|---|
| value | "" |
|---|
|
| name | "Maximum Speed" |
|---|
| value | "" |
|---|
|
| name | "Guidance System" |
|---|
| value | "" |
|---|
|
|
|---|
|
|
|---|
|
| name | "Rocket Weapon Systems" |
|---|
| sections | | name | "Rocket Weapon System #1" |
|---|
| properties | |
|---|
|
| name | "Rocket Weapon System #2" |
|---|
| properties | |
|---|
|
|
|---|
|
| name | "Bomb Weapon Systems" |
|---|
|
| name | "Fire Control / Avionics" |
|---|
| properties | | name | "Fire Control Radar" |
|---|
| value | "KLJ-7 v2 Airborne Pulse Doppler Fire-Control Radar ( Range-150 km for 3m2 RCS aircraft.)" |
|---|
|
| name | "Radar Warning Receiver" |
|---|
| value | "Northrop Grumman ALR-67 Rader Warning Recever (RWR)" |
|---|
|
| name | "Airborne Missile Approach Warning System" |
|---|
| value | "S740 Airborne Missile Approach Warning System (MAWS)" |
|---|
|
| name | "Tactical Data Link" |
|---|
| value | "Link-17 Tactical Data Link and the MIL-STD-1760 data-bus" |
|---|
|
| name | "Advanced Targeting Pod Electro-Optical Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Targeting System" |
|---|
| value | "Aselsan ASELPOD Advanced Targeting Pod Electro-Optical Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Targeting System" |
|---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|---|
|
| name | "Protection" |
|---|
| properties | | name | "Stealth Properties" |
|---|
| value | "INA" |
|---|
|
| name | "Heat Signature Reduction" |
|---|
| value | "INA" |
|---|
|
| name | "Add on Armor" |
|---|
| value | "INA" |
|---|
|
| name | "EW Counter Measures" |
|---|
| value | "Indra ALQ-500P Electronic Countermeasure (ECM)" |
|---|
|
| name | "Chaffs/Flares" |
|---|
| value | "Yes" |
|---|
|
| name | "Jamming Pod" |
|---|
| value | "KG300G Airborne Self-Protection Jamming Pod and
KG600 Airborne Self-Protection Jamming Pod" |
|---|
|
|
|---|
|
|
|---|
| variants | | name | "JF-17A Block 1" |
|---|
| notes | "Single-seat variant. Production in China began in June 2006. The first three Chinese weapons to be integrated are the PL-5E II AAM, the SD-10 AAM, and the C-802A anti-shipping missile. Block 1 aircraft had performed "better than expected" according to PAF Air Commodore Junaid. Production of Block 1 was completed on 18 December when the fiftieth aircraft—58% of which was produced in Pakistan—was delivered. A Block 1 JF-17 had cost approximately US$15 million per unit." |
|---|
|
| name | "JF-17A Block 2" |
|---|
| notes | "Single-seat variant. Production began on 18 December 2013 and initial testing began on 9 February 2015. These aircraft have air-to-air refuelling capability, improved avionics, enhanced load carrying capacity, data link, and electronic warfare capabilities. The construction will continue until 2016, after which the manufacture of Block 3 is planned. A Block 2 JF-17 costs approximately US$25 million per unit. Chairman of PAC, Air Marshal Javaid Ahmed said: "We will hand over 16 Block-II JF-17s to the PAF every year", and that the manufacturing plant has the capacity to produce 25 units in a year. According to local media, PAC rolled out the 16th Block 2 aircraft in December 2015 enabling the JF-17's 4th squadron formation. The JF-17B is a tandem two seat version would start testing in September 2016." |
|---|
|
| name | "JF-17A Block 3" |
|---|
| notes | "Single-seat variant. Projected to feature further avionics advancements such as helmet-mounted display and sight (HMD/S) system, a new single panel multi-functional display (MFD), an active electronically-scanned array (AESA) radar paired with an infrared search and track (IRST) system, and a cockpit with a flight-control stick on the side, an NRIET KLJ-7A AESA radar, more use of composites, a new engine, and a two-seater cockpit option, with a top speed of 2.0+ Mach. Pakistani Air Force officials have described it as a "fourth generation plus" fighter jet. According to unconfirmed media reports the induction is expected to start around 2019. As of September 2016, the design of the JF-17 Block III has been finalized. The PAF is expected to place an order for 50 JF-17 Block-III fighter jets in the first half of 2017." |
|---|
|
| name | "JF-17B Block 2" |
|---|
| notes | "Dual-seat variant, 8 of which were rolled out at PAC Kamra in December 2019. Its multi-roles include use as a (i) JF-17 conversion trainer; (ii) Lead-In Fighter Trainer (LIFT); (iii) ground-attack aircraft; and (iv) reconnaissance aircraft. The production of the first JF-17B was initiated by Pakistan and China in 2016. On 28 April 2017, the JF-17B took its maiden test flight in Chengdu" |
|---|
|
|
|---|
| type | "WEG" |
|---|
| version | 1 |
|---|
