Hongdu JL-10

Last updated
JL-10 (L-15)
Hongdu L-15 Falcon.jpg
RoleAdvanced jet trainer
Light combat aircraft
Manufacturer Hongdu Aviation Industry Corporation
First flightMarch 13, 2006 [1]
Introduction2013 [2]
Primary users People's Liberation Army Air Force
United Arab Emirates Air Force
L-15 during a handover ceremony L15 (17810345710).jpg
L-15 during a handover ceremony

The Hongdu JL-10, also initially known as Hongdu L-15 Falcon, [3] is a supersonic advanced jet trainer and light combat aircraft developed by Hongdu Aviation Industry Corporation (HAIC). [4] [5] It is used by the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) as a lead-in fighter trainer (LIFT). [6]

Contents

Development

China Aviation Industry Corporation II (AVIC II) was working toward a new advanced trainer for the People's Liberation Army (PLA) by 2000; that year AVIC II contracted the Yakovlev Design Bureau from Russia — and designer of the Yak-130 trainer — as a technical and scientific consultant for the L-15 programme. [7] The L-15 would compete with the Guizhou JL-9 developed in parallel by China Aviation Industry Corporation I. [8] The prototype was completed in September 2005 [9] and first flew on March 13, 2006. [1] The initial variants were a subsonic advanced jet trainer and a supersonic advanced fighter trainer. [1]

Development of the L-15B, a supersonic variant for LIFT, was announced in 2010. [4] It first flew on December 21, 2017. [10]

The China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation (CATIC) ordered 12 L-15 jet trainers in November 2012; it was not known whether these were for — or would be delivered to — a third-party. [11]

Zambia ordered 6 advanced fighter trainers as the L-15Z [1] in 2014 for US$100 million; [12] they were delivered in 2016 [1] and 2017. [10]

The first L-15 in PLAAF colors was seen in 2016. [13] The PLA used a few L-15s for flight-test evaluation before 2018. [10] The People's Liberation Army Navy received 12 L-15s in August 2018. [14] The PLAAF began using the JL-10 for LIFT in 2019. Compared to the less sophisticated JL-9, the JL-10 reduces candidate and conversion training time for more recent PLAAF aircraft. [6]

On 23 February 2022, the United Arab Emirates announced its intention to buy 12 L-15s, with an option for 36 more. [15] [16] The value of the deal was not released, the Emirati newspaper The National reported that China sells the L-15 for $10–15 million per unit. [17]

Design

The L-15 uses fly-by-wire (FBW) and a glass cockpit. [6]

The prototypes were powered by Lotarev DV-2 turbofans. [1]

The L-15A subsonic advanced jet trainer is powered by the Ivchenko-Progress AI-222-25 [1] and has seven weapon hardpoints. [10] The supersonic advanced fighter trainer variant is powered by the afterburning AI-222K-25. [1] According to a Ukrainian source, 25% of the aircraft is composed of composite materials and its service life is 10,000 hours. [18]

The L-15B light attack aircraft is powered by the AI-222K-25F [13] for a maximum speed of Mach 1.4. [4] Compared to the L-15A, the L-15B has shorter take-off and landing distances and two more hardpoints. [5]

The L-15A and L-15B use a PESA radar. [10] [1]

Variants

Operators

Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  People's Republic of China
Flag of Zambia.svg  Zambia
Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg  United Arab Emirates
Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia [21]

Specifications (L-15B)

L-15 top view Hongdu L-15 top view 2.jpg
L-15 top view

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

Avionics

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Donald, David (2016-09-16). "China's L-15 Jet Displayed by Zambia In South Africa". Aviation International News. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
  2. ↑ Makichuk, Dave (2020-01-03). "China's L-15 Falcon: Cut-rate warfare on a budget". Asia Times . Retrieved 2022-04-18.
  3. ↑ "猎鹰L15高级教练机". Hongdu Aviation Industry Group (in Chinese). Retrieved 2022-04-18.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Waldron, Greg (1 November 2016). "Airshow China: AVIC advanced trainers in the spotlight". Flightglobal.com. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Waldron, Greg (6 November 2018). "AVIC burnishes combat credentials of L-15 family". Flight Global. Zhuhai. Archived from the original on 7 November 2018. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 Solen, Derek (February 2021). "Initial Fighter Pilot Training in the PLA Air Force" (PDF). United States Air Force Air University. China Aerospace Studies Institute. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
  7. ↑ "YAK-130 combat trainer of new century". Yakovlev. June 2005. Archived from the original on 2015-10-16. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
  8. ↑ "Zhuhai 2004 - Chinese jet trainer pair square up". Flight Global. 2004-11-08. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
  9. ↑ Francis, Leithen; Sobie, Brendan (2005-09-26). "Hongdu completes L-15 prototype assembly". Flight Global. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Chuanren, Chen (2018-03-07). "Uruguay Interested in Chinese L-15 Trainer". Aviation International News.
  11. ↑ Hoyle, Craig (2012-11-20). "CATIC lines up first international L-15 sale after agreeing to buy 12 trainers". Flight International . Vol. 182, no. 5367. p. 23.
  12. ↑ Fisher, Richard D. Jr. (30 December 2015). "Zambia to receive first Hongdu L-15 trainer". Jane's Defence Weekly. 53 (8). Surrey, UK: Jane's Information Group. ISSN   0265-3818.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Yeo, Mike (2016-09-01). "China's Air Force Apparently Receives First L-15 Jet Trainer". Aviation International News. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
  14. ↑ Waldron, Greg (2018-08-15). "Beijing boosts naval pilot training with L-15 acquisition". Flight Global. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
  15. ↑ أحمد النعيمي; زكريا محيي الدين (2022-02-23). "وزارة الدفاع تنوي شراء 12 طائرة صينية من طراز" [The Ministry of Defense intends to buy 12 Chinese L15 aircraft]. Emirates News Agency (in Arabic). Retrieved 2022-02-23.
  16. 1 2 3 Hoyle, Craig (2022-02-23). "UAE poised to order up to 48 Chinese L-15 jet trainers". Flight Global. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
  17. ↑ "UAE's Ministry of Defence to buy L-15 Falcon jets from China".
  18. ↑ "Ukraine conveys first engines for L-15 trainer airplane to China". Kyiv Post.
  19. ↑ The Military Balance 2023. International Institute for Strategic Studies. p. 243.
  20. ↑ The Military Balance 2021. International Institute for Strategic Studies. p. 254.
  21. ↑ "Military Watch Magazine". militarywatchmagazine.com. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
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