China's FTC-2000, Advanced Fighter-Trainer Aircraft Rolls Off Production Line

China’s Guizhou Aircraft Industries Corporation (GAIC) has rolled off the production line of the export version of FTC-2000 fighter trainer aircraft in Anshun in Guizhou Province Monday.

The FTC-2000 is the export designation for the company’s JL-9 jet trainer, also known as the Shanying (Mountain Eagle).

As one of the first batch of its model in the global-military trade market, it will be delivered to overseas clients after necessary procedures and tests, according to AVIC.

"The domestic version and export version have the same flying platform. And both are installed with China's home-developed WP-13 turbojet engine, which has been tested for high performance," Xinhua quoted Hu Jianxing, deputy manager and chief designer with the AVIC Guizhou Aviation Industry Corporation, as saying. "The export version will be installed with various avionics systems, navigation guidance systems or external stores tailored for overseas client's demand for multiple missions".

The single-engine light versatile aircraft is a new generation of advanced-fighter trainer designed for advanced training and lead-in fighter training for modern fighters. It is also capable of performing combat missions. The supersonic aircraft has a mach number of 1.5, and a maximum service ceiling of 16,000 meters.

"It can be used for senior training, elementary combat training and tactical countermeasure training for fighter pilots. And it also has the ability to perform air-to-air and air-to-ground combat," Hu said.

"It completed the 'Stall and Spin Flight Test' within two seconds at the research stage. The FTC-2000 has high safety characteristics," Hu added.