After starting to strengthen the latest Sukhoi Su-30SME fighter jets from Russia, there is news that the Myanmar Air Force will be strengthened by a Chinese-made fighter jet trainer, the FTC-2000G Mountain Eagle.
In preparation for the acquisition, around eight pilots, eight technicians and two weapons officers from the Myanmar Air Force have been dispatched to China since last June.
Quoting from irrawaddy.com (18/10/2022), the Chinese government has strict regulations regarding Covid-19 and Myanmar Air Force personnel must undergo quarantine in Kunming. The fighter pilot who was dispatched to China was known to have flown the Chengdu F-7 fighter jet and the K-8 W trainer jet, both of which were manufactured in China.
Later, upon arrival in Myanmar, the FTC-2000G tandem seat fighter jet will be stationed at Namsang air base in Shan State.
It is not yet known when an agreement was reached between China and Myanmar. Unofficial sources say the purchase of fighter jets from China may have started in 2020, but deliveries and pilot training have been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and China's strict policies to contain the disease.
The FTC-2000G is an advanced multirole light trainer/fighter aircraft designed and manufactured by Guizhou Aviation Industry Corporation (GAIC) under the supervision of the state-owned aerospace and defense company Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).
The FTC-2000G is an export variant of the Guizhou JL-9 trainer/fighter aircraft, which is operated by the Chinese Air Force and Navy. This two-seat fighter jet has training capabilities with the ability to strike both air and surface targets.
From the specifications, this fighter jet with a price per unit of US $ 8.5 million, is equipped with instruments and weapons that are not 'nuts'. The FTC-2000G is powered by a single engine Guizhou Liyang WP-13F (C) afterburning turbojet with a power of 43.15 kN, or 63.25 kN with afterburner. The maximum speed is Mach 1.05, the cruising speed is 870 km per hour and the lowest speed is 210 km per hour.
The FTC-2000G is equipped with a 1x 23 mm cannon and five hardpoints with a maximum payload capacity of 2 tonnes. The main weapons mix for this fighter jet trainer is – for short-range air-to-air missiles, 2x PL-8 AAM, 2x PL-9 AAM, SD-10 medium-range air-to-air missiles and CM-102 anti-radiation missiles.
The FTC-2000G has a maximum take-off weight of 9.8 tons. China claims that this fighter jet is easy to operate on various types of runways, for take-off it only needs a runway of 500 meters and for landing it only takes 700 meters of runway. For information, the original variant, the JL-9 was designed for training for Chinese Navy fighter pilots, who will operate on aircraft carriers.
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