- News>
- World
First test flight of Sino-Pak joint fighter plane this week
Beijing, Sep 02: The maiden test flight of the super-7 (JF-17) multi-role fighter plane, a Sino-Pakistani joint venture, would be undertaken this week, defence sources said here today.
Beijing, Sep 02: The maiden test flight of the super-7 (JF-17) multi-role fighter plane, a Sino-Pakistani joint venture, would be undertaken this week, defence sources
said here today.
Pakistan's Air Force Chief, Air Chief Marshal Kaleem Saadat arrived in China to take part in the test flight of the first prototype of the plane in Chengdu, capital of southwest
China's Sichuan province, the sources said.
According to the sources, the JF-17 would gradually replace the F-7, MiG-21 and Q-5 series aircraft that are currently in service in Pakistan. Both countries are also targeting the export market, the sources added. The JF-17 is a light-weight, all weather and multi-role aircraft and its performance matches that of the US-made F-16, Pakistani defence officials say.
With an advanced flight control system, which is a mix of conventional and fly-by-wire controls, the plane is agile and manoeuvrable. It is capable of carrying short-range, beyond-visual-range, anti-ship as well as anti-radiation missile.
China, which is Pakistan's main weapons supplier, made the joint venture offer in 1992 and the Pakistani government accepted it in 1998. The production of the small batch aircraft is expected to start in June 2004 and serial production will start in January 2006.
Bureau Report
According to the sources, the JF-17 would gradually replace the F-7, MiG-21 and Q-5 series aircraft that are currently in service in Pakistan. Both countries are also targeting the export market, the sources added. The JF-17 is a light-weight, all weather and multi-role aircraft and its performance matches that of the US-made F-16, Pakistani defence officials say.
With an advanced flight control system, which is a mix of conventional and fly-by-wire controls, the plane is agile and manoeuvrable. It is capable of carrying short-range, beyond-visual-range, anti-ship as well as anti-radiation missile.
China, which is Pakistan's main weapons supplier, made the joint venture offer in 1992 and the Pakistani government accepted it in 1998. The production of the small batch aircraft is expected to start in June 2004 and serial production will start in January 2006.
Bureau Report