Xian JH-7

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Xian JH-7
The Xian JH-7 fighter-bomber.
Type	Fighter-bomber
Manufacturer	Xi'an Aircraft Industry Corporation
Introduced	mid-1990s
Primary user	People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force

The Xian Jian Hong (JH)-7, also known as the FBC-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 possibly the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). The main contractors are Xian Aircraft Industry Corporation (XAC) and the 602nd Aircraft Design Institute. 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.^[1]

Contents 1 History and description 2 PLANAF Deployement 3 PLAAF Deployement 4 Specifications (JH-7) 5 References 6 External links 7 Related content

[edit] History and description

In the early 1970s, the PLA submitted a request to the Ministry of Aeronautics (MoA) to develop a new fighter-bomber that could replace the Harbin H-5 and Nanchang Q-5. Initially, due to different requirements from the PLAAF and PLANAF, there were two variants under development. 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. Western observers speculated that this design might have been influenced by the F-11. However, this variant was dropped in the early 1980s.

The PLANAF's variant was for an all-weather, two-seat (tandem), strike/reconnaissance aircraft. 6 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 WoShang-9 (WS-9).

In 2004, the improved JH-7A entered service with PLANAF. The JH-7A is updated with JL-10A PD 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 bleak as China's People's Liberation Army turns to more capable fighter/bombers such as the Shenyang J-11 and the Chengdu J-10 for their maritime strike roles.

The JH-7 is China's newest and most capable domestically-built fighter-bomber. Critics are quick to point out that the aircraft is underpowered with Mk.202/WS-9 engines, and inferior weapons load of only 6.5 tons, compared to the Sukhoi Su-24/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.

[edit] PLANAF Deployement

As of November 2005, there are 3 PLANAF regiments equipped with the JH-7:^[2]

East Sea Fleet, 6th PLANAF Division6th Naval Division. China-military.org.</ref>

• 16th Regiment based in Shanghai Dachang Naval Air Station (JH-7)
• 17th Regiment based in Yiwu (Yiwi) Airbase, Zhejiang (JH-7)

South Sea Fleet, 9th PLANAF Division^[3]

• 27th Regiment based in Ledong Naval Airbase, Hainan Island (JH-7A)

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.

[edit] PLAAF Deployement

As of May 2006, there are three PLAAF Regiment known to operate the JH-7A. It's speculated that the PLAAF 19 JH-7A will serve in precision ground-strike role, rather than anti-shipping.

Nanjing Military Region, 28th PLAAF Division^[4]

• ?? Regiment based in Hangzhou Jianquiao Airbase, Zhejiang (JH-7A)

On May 16, 2006, the Washington Post reported that U.S. Admiral William J. Fallon, the commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, was invited to sit in the cockpit of a JH-7 (reported as FB-7) on his visit to the PLAAF 28th Division base.^[5]

[edit] Specifications (JH-7)

Data from Sinodefence.com^[1]

General characteristics

• Crew: 2: pilot, weapons operator
• Payload: 4,500 kg (10,000 lb) of weapons
• Length: 21.0 m (68 ft 10 in)
• Wingspan: 12.8 m (42 ft 0 in)
• Height: 6.22 m (20 ft 4 in)
• Wing area: m² (ft²)
• Empty weight: kg (lb)
• Loaded weight: kg (lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 27,500 kg (60,600 lb)
• Powerplant: 2× Xian WS9 (a license-built Spey Mk202) turbofans

Performance

• Maximum speed: Mach 1.69 (1,808 km/h, 1,122 mph) at 11,000 m (36,000 ft)
• Cruise speed: 903 km/h (488 knots, 561 mph)
• Combat radius: 1,650 km (890 nm, 1,025 mi)
• Ferry range: 3,650 km (1,970 nm, 2,270 mi)
• Service ceiling: 15,500 m (50,850 ft)
• Wing loading: kg/m² (lb/ft²)

Armament

• Guns: 1× twin-barrel 23 mm (0.906 in) GSh-23L machine gun, 300 rounds
• Rockets: Rocket launchers
• Missiles:
  
  • Air-to-air missiles:
    • PL-5^[6]
  • Anti-ship missiles:
    • Yingji-8K^[7]
    • Yingji-82K Anti-Ship Missile (AShM)^[8]
  • Anti-radiation missiles:
    • Yingji-91^[9]
• Bombs:
  
  • Free-fall bombs
  • Laser-guided bombs

[edit] References

Note: some of these links are no longer active; they are retained here for historical reasons.

[edit] External links

• JH-7 at SinoDefence.com
• JH-7 at GlobalSecurity.org

[edit] Related content

 

Comparable aircraft

• BAC TSR-2
• General Dynamics F-111
• Panavia Tornado
• Sukhoi Su-24

Designation sequence

• H-5 - H-6 - JH-7

 

See also