AIDC F-CK Indigenous Defence Fighter
Encyclopedia
The AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo (經國號戰機), commonly known as the Indigenous Defence Fighter (IDF), is an air superiority jet fighter with multirole capability
named after Chiang Ching-kuo
, the late President of the Republic of China
. The aircraft made its first flight in 1989.
The IDF program was initiated when the United States of America refused to sell F-20 Tigershark
and F-16 Fighting Falcon
fighters to the Republic of China (Taiwan)
following pressure on the United States from the People's Republic of China (PRC)
. The Republic of China therefore decided to develop an indigenous fighter. The IDF jet fighter project was designed and built by the Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC)
based in Taichung
, Taiwan
, with assistance from American defense corporations.
It entered active service with the Republic of China Air Force
in 1994, and 130 production aircraft had been manufactured by 1999.
and ended the Mutual Defense Treaty with Republic of China, President Chiang Ching-Kuo
decided to expand the indigenous defense industry and on August 28, 1980, ordered AIDC
to design an indigenous interceptor. Originally, the ROCAF listed the priority of the XF-6 behind the XA-3 Lei Ming attack aircraft, due to the believed high risks of the XF-6 project.
The signing of the 1982 US-PRC
Joint Communiqué
, limited arms sales to the Republic of China. The United States refused to sell the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon and the Northrop F-20 Tigershark (which had been developed largely to meet Taiwanese needs for a follow-on to its F-5s, therefore ensuring the continuation of the indigenous fighter project. Although US President Ronald Reagan
reluctantly accepted his advisers' suggestion of building relations with the People's Republic of China
to counter the USSR, Reagan decided to balance the 1982 US-PRC Communiqué with the "Six Assurances
" to Taiwan. This opened the door for US technology transfer and assistance to Taiwan's defense industry, including the IDF project.
The AIDC
officially began the IDF development project in May 1982 following the ROCAF's failure to purchase new fighters from the United States as a result of the PRC
's diplomatic pressure. The project was named An Hsiang (安翔):Safe Flight) and divided into four sections in 1983:
The greatest difficulties were encountered by the propulsion group in attempting to develop or acquire suitable advanced jet engines. There is also speculation that the use of less powerful engines was due to political rather than technical reasons, namely that the US did not want to see the Republic of China
provoke the People's Republic of China
and thus mandated the IDF to have a "range no greater than the F-5E" and "ground attack capability no greater than the F-16". Regardless of the reason, many people consider the original 1980s prototype F-CK-1 to be somewhat underpowered due to its original engines.
In April 1997 American company Litton's Applied Technology division was awarded a production contract and options totaling $116.2 million by the Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation
for Improved Radar Warning Receivers (IRWR) to be installed aboard.
were not available to the Republic of China. Both the General Electric J85
and General Electric J79 were considered unsuitable in their performance, and most European and American engine companies declined to cooperate with the Republic of China. Joint investment with Garrett became the only practical solution.
In 1978, following the success of the TFE731
engine, U.S. engine company Garrett announced joint research of the TFE1042 afterburner
with the Swedish company Volvo Flygmotor
. The TFE731 Model 1042 was touted as a low bypass ratio
"military derivative of the proven commercial TFE731 engine" and that it would provide "efficient, reliable, cost effective propulsion for the next generation of light strike and advanced trainer aircraft", with a thrust
of 4260 lbf (18.9 kN) dry and 6790 lbf (30.2 kN) with afterburner. After the initial negotiation, the investment was going to be divided between Garrett, Volvo, AIDC, and the Italian company Piaggio
. The development would consist of the non-afterburning TFE1042-6 for light attack aircraft and advanced trainers, and the TFE1042-7 for the AMX
or the F-5 upgrade. AIDC also suggested upgrading the TFE1042-7 to 8000 lbf (35.6 kN) thrust in a twin-engine installation, in order to compete with the GE F404. However, the JAS 39 Gripen
project decided to continue with a single F404, and Piaggio asked to participate at a later date due to financial concerns.
ITEC completely redesigned the TFE1042-7 into the TFE1042-70 - for example, the bypass ratio was changed from 0.84 to 0.4 -, and the investment had increased from USD 180 million to about USD 320 million. However, to avoid pressures from the PRC, the United States government had asked all the US companies cooperating with the Republic of China on the IDF project to remain low-key. Therefore, the perception that "the TFE1042 is merely the civilian engine TFE731 with an afterburner" was never completely dispelled.
In 1985, the preliminary review of the IDF's design revealed some performance requirement shortfalls, and it was determined that an upgrade of engine thrust by 10% was the simplest solution. Due to American export license restrictions, ITEC used FADEC
to artificially limit the thrust below a certain altitude (the restriction was not removed until 1990). Although the upgrade essentially used the TFE1088-11 configuration, to reduce political interference ITEC renamed the original, lower-thrust version as the TFE1042-X70 and retained the TFE1042-70 designation for the upgraded version.
In 1988, ITEC decided to invest in the 12000 lbf (53.4 kN) thrust TFE1088-12, which was re-designated as the TFE1042-70A for political reason as well. Preliminary studies had shown that the IDF could supercruise
with the new engine. At the same time, General Electric Aviation decided to enter the market with the J101/SF, a smaller version of the F404. However, after the IDF order was cut in half due to budget concerns, the TFE1088-12 engine upgrade plan ended as well.
GD's assistance was restricted by the US State Department's arms export control, which limited GD's work to initial design consulting but not further development, production, or marketing.
Many different airframe design concepts were explored (e.g. the 2D Thrust-Vectoring nozzle of XX-201, the double delta wings/twin tailed 401). After the General Electric J79 was officially abandoned as the potential engine solution in 1983, three configurations emerged from AIDC.
At the same time, GD worked on the G configuration in parallel. Eventually the G-4 was selected, but with many features of the C-2 integrated. During this time, the project was named the "Light Weight Defense Fighter". In 1985, the configuration conceptual design had evolved into the SE-1 preliminary design. By the end of 1985, AIDC decided to skip the prototype stage and go into Full Scale Development (FSD) directly, in order to reduce time and save money. The project was again renamed into the "Indigenous Defense Fighter". Four FSD aircraft were made, with three single-seaters and one double-seater.
Pulse-Doppler radar
, which is based on the General Electric AN/APG-67 X band
radar developed for the F-20 while sharing some components and technologies of the AN/APG-66
radar of the F-16A, and using a larger antenna than used by the F-20. and this adaptation resulted in the look-down and shoot-down capability of GD-53 being greatly enhanced in comparison to that of the original AN/APG-67, reaching that of the AN/APG-66
. The radar can simultaneously track 10 targets and engage two of the 10 targets tracked with TC-2 active radar seeker BVRAAMs.
The design is inherently unstable in pitch, so the IDF incorporated a modern triple-redundant full authority fly-by-wire
control system. The avionics suite was based on modular architecture with dual redundant MIL-STD-1553B digital databuses. The Honeywell H423 Inertial navigation system
, the TWS-95 RHAWS, and the Bendix-King Head-up display
were selected. Some capabilities may have been delayed or dropped in order to meet the performance requirement, since the engine limitation has resulted in the necessity of strict weight control.
's Tien Chien (Sky Sword) project was slightly more independent, since it was considered to be a development for all the ROCAF's aircraft rather than only the IDF. The Tien Chien 1
(TC-1) is a short range infrared-seeking missile with an external configuration similar to that of the AIM-9 Sidewinder
, while the Tien Chien 2
(TC-2) is an active radar homing
Beyond Visual Range missile
that is claimed to be in the same class as the AIM-120 AMRAAM
.
The first test firing of the TC-1 missile was performed by a F-5E in April 1986, with the Beech
target drone
successfully destroyed. Initial production of the TC-1 began in 1989, and it entered service in 1991. Both the AIM-9 and the TC-1 have been seen in use on operational IDFs.
CSIST is believed to have cooperated with Motorola
and Raytheon
on the TC-2's active seeker, which is believed to be based on their seeker design which was proposed for the AIM-120. 40 pre-production TC-2 missiles were produced before 1995, and were the only BVR AAMs that the ROCAF had in its inventory during the 1995-1996 Taiwan Strait Missile Crisis
. Over 200 production TC-2s were originally planned.
The ROCAF's initial order for 256 aircraft was cut to 130 in 1991, following deals for the purchase of 150 F-16 Block 20 A/B and 60 Mirage 2000-5Ei/Di with the US and France
. The last IDF A/B rolled off the production line in 1999.
In a 2006 interview in Jane's Defence Weekly
, former AIDC Chairman Sun Tao-Yu said that two new prototypes had been manufactured. The upgrade would allow the IDF to carry an additional 771 kg of fuel. In addition, it includes an improved avionics suite, retrofitted electronic warfare
capabilities, and new weapons systems. The landing gear
has been strengthened to accommodate the additional payload and fuel, but the plan for a dielectric radar-absorbing "stealth
" fuselage
was dropped due to concerns over weight. The project consists of three phases:
The development contract for the upgraded IDF C/D flight control computer was awarded in 2002 to BAE Systems. The computer has a 32-bit PowerPC
-based processor with faster processing/computing, higher reliability, and better integration with avionics. AIDC said that the improvements of the flight computer will result in "a safer, higher-performing aircraft".
AIDC originally planned to launch the IDF C/D prototype on National Day, October 10, 2006. However, the first test flight of the upgraded IDF was reportedly successfully completed a few days ahead of schedule in early October.
A decision on production of the aircraft has not yet been announced. However, some media have already begun to speculate about project Hsiang Sheng’s demise, due to ROCAF’s recent interests in procuring Block 50/52 F-16s and some ROCAF officials' lack of confidence in the IDF upgrade project.
During the visit to AIDC's Taichung Shalu factory on March 27, 2007, President Chen Shui-Bian
witnessed a test flight of F-CK-1D, and announced that the upgraded IDF will be named Hsiung Ying (Brave Hawk), which signifies that the new fighter would protect the homeland just like the Crested Goshawk.
As of 12/2009, 71 F-CK-1 A/B will be allocated for upgrade to F-CK-1 C/D over 4 years span for over 500 million USD, according to AIDC CEO, under Project Hsiang Chang (翔展), as AIDC and ROCAF had signed contract for the expected upgrade program.
According to the media, the AIDC IDF trainer concept apparently involved the removal of the fire control radar and combat systems with the retention of rear-seat flight controls, so that the IDF could be used as a lead-in fighter trainer (LIFT). The ROCAF seemed to have reservations with the concept, however, as it would mean the IDF LIFT would not be usable in wartime. A MND letter said, "Regarding the newspaper report of AIDC's desire to use the IDF fighter as a basis for supersonic
trainer development, it is only that company's operational planning concept. The Ministry of National Defense and the Air Force currently do not have such a plan". The letter then said that due to a tight budget allocation the ROCAF would instead ask AIDC to extend the life of the AT-3 and continue to use the F-5 in the LIFT role.
In 2003, the former AIDC Chairman Huang Jung-Te said that AIDC still hoped the ROCAF would consider using a simplified version of the IDF for LIFT, and that such a concept could have a cost as low as USD 16 million per unit, compared to the T-50's
USD 19 million. However, the F-CK-1 LIFT modifications or new production concepts never received government funding or approval.
In May 2006, Lt. General Cheng Shih-Yu testified that the MND indeed plans to retire the F-5E/F by 2010 and allow the in-service IDFs to take over training missions. It is unclear what modifications (if any) will be made to IDFs after they become trainers.
All ROCAF pilots selected and sent to US and France to receive training on F-16 block 20 and Mirage 2000-5 fighters had to have flown with IDF/F-CK-1 for at least 6 months, which makes IDF a LIFT except in name.
Multirole combat aircraft
A multirole combat aircraft is an aircraft designed to act in at least two different roles in combat. The primary role is usually a fighter—hence, it is as often called a multirole fighter—while the secondary role is usually air-to-surface attack. More roles are added, such as air reconnaissance,...
named after Chiang Ching-kuo
Chiang Ching-kuo
Chiang Ching-kuo , Kuomintang politician and leader, was the son of President Chiang Kai-shek and held numerous posts in the government of the Republic of China...
, the late President of the Republic of China
President of the Republic of China
The President of the Republic of China is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the Republic of China . The Republic of China was founded on January 1, 1912, to govern all of China...
. The aircraft made its first flight in 1989.
The IDF program was initiated when the United States of America refused to sell F-20 Tigershark
F-20 Tigershark
The Northrop F-20 Tigershark was a privately-financed light fighter, designed and built by Northrop. Its development began in 1975 as a further evolution of Northrop's F-5E Tiger II, featuring a new engine that greatly improved overall performance, and a modern avionics suite including a powerful...
and F-16 Fighting Falcon
F-16 Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...
fighters to the Republic of China (Taiwan)
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
following pressure on the United States from the People's Republic of China (PRC)
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. The Republic of China therefore decided to develop an indigenous fighter. The IDF jet fighter project was designed and built by the Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC)
Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation
Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation is a state-owned aerospace company based in Taichung, Republic of China . It is known for developing the AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo fighter.-History:...
based in Taichung
Taichung
-Demographics:Taichung’s population was an estimated 1,040,725 in August 2006. There are slightly more females in the city than males.24.32% of residents are children, while 16.63% are young people, 52.68% are middle-age, and 6.73% are elderly....
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, with assistance from American defense corporations.
It entered active service with the Republic of China Air Force
Republic of China Air Force
The Republic of China Air Force is the aviation branch of the Republic of China Armed Forces. The ROCAF's primary mission is the defense of the airspace over and around Taiwan...
in 1994, and 130 production aircraft had been manufactured by 1999.
Development
The preliminary search for a replacement for the Taiwan Air Force's F-5s and F-104s began with the XF-6 indigenous fighter project, later renamed Ying Yang, in the late 1970s. After the US established formal relations with the People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
and ended the Mutual Defense Treaty with Republic of China, President Chiang Ching-Kuo
Chiang Ching-kuo
Chiang Ching-kuo , Kuomintang politician and leader, was the son of President Chiang Kai-shek and held numerous posts in the government of the Republic of China...
decided to expand the indigenous defense industry and on August 28, 1980, ordered AIDC
Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation
Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation is a state-owned aerospace company based in Taichung, Republic of China . It is known for developing the AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo fighter.-History:...
to design an indigenous interceptor. Originally, the ROCAF listed the priority of the XF-6 behind the XA-3 Lei Ming attack aircraft, due to the believed high risks of the XF-6 project.
The signing of the 1982 US-PRC
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
Joint Communiqué
Three Communiques
The Three Communiqué or The Three Joint Communiqués are a collection of three joint statements made by the governments of the United States and the People's Republic of China. The communiqué played a crucial role in the normalization of relations between the U.S. and the P.R.C...
, limited arms sales to the Republic of China. The United States refused to sell the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon and the Northrop F-20 Tigershark (which had been developed largely to meet Taiwanese needs for a follow-on to its F-5s, therefore ensuring the continuation of the indigenous fighter project. Although US President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
reluctantly accepted his advisers' suggestion of building relations with the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
to counter the USSR, Reagan decided to balance the 1982 US-PRC Communiqué with the "Six Assurances
Six Assurances
The Six Assurances are guidelines used in conducting relations between the United States of America and the Republic of China . They were proposed in 1982 by the Republic of China during negotiations between the United States and People's Republic of China over the Joint Communique on Arms Sales to...
" to Taiwan. This opened the door for US technology transfer and assistance to Taiwan's defense industry, including the IDF project.
Design
Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation
Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation is a state-owned aerospace company based in Taichung, Republic of China . It is known for developing the AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo fighter.-History:...
officially began the IDF development project in May 1982 following the ROCAF's failure to purchase new fighters from the United States as a result of the PRC
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
's diplomatic pressure. The project was named An Hsiang (安翔):Safe Flight) and divided into four sections in 1983:
- Yin-Yang (鷹揚): "Soaring Eagle". Development of the airframeFuselageThe fuselage is an aircraft's main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage which in turn is used as a floating hull...
. Cooperation with General DynamicsGeneral DynamicsGeneral Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. Its headquarters are in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Falls Church area.The company has...
. - Yun-Han (雲漢): "Cloud Man". Development of the aircraft powerplant and propulsion. Cooperation with GarrettGarrett AiResearchGarrett AiResearch was a manufacturer of turboprop engines and turbochargers, and a pioneer in numerous aerospace technologies. It was previously known as Aircraft Tool and Supply Company, Garrett Supply Company, AiResearch Manufacturing Company, or simply AiResearch...
(Now HoneywellHoneywellHoneywell International, Inc. is a major conglomerate company that produces a variety of consumer products, engineering services, and aerospace systems for a wide variety of customers, from private consumers to major corporations and governments....
). - Tien-Lei (天雷): "Sky Thunder". Development of the avionicsAvionicsAvionics are electronic systems used on aircraft, artificial satellites and spacecraft.Avionic systems include communications, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems and the hundreds of systems that are fitted to aircraft to meet individual roles...
systems. Cooperation with Smiths Industries, with some components purchased directly from Lear Astronics (later BAEBAE SystemsBAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
), LittonLitton IndustriesNamed after inventor Charles Litton, Sr., Litton Industries was a large defense contractor in the United States, bought by the Northrop Grumman Corporation in 2001.-History:...
(later Northrop GrummanNorthrop GrummanNorthrop Grumman Corporation is an American global aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company was the fourth-largest defense contractor in the world as of 2010, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over...
) and Martin-BakerMartin-BakerMartin-Baker Aircraft Co. Ltd. is a manufacturer of ejection seats and safety related equipment for aviation. The company origins were as an aircraft manufacturer before becoming a pioneer in the field of ejection seats...
. - Tien-Chien (天劍): "Sky Sword". Development of air-to-air missiles.
The greatest difficulties were encountered by the propulsion group in attempting to develop or acquire suitable advanced jet engines. There is also speculation that the use of less powerful engines was due to political rather than technical reasons, namely that the US did not want to see the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
provoke the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
and thus mandated the IDF to have a "range no greater than the F-5E" and "ground attack capability no greater than the F-16". Regardless of the reason, many people consider the original 1980s prototype F-CK-1 to be somewhat underpowered due to its original engines.
In April 1997 American company Litton's Applied Technology division was awarded a production contract and options totaling $116.2 million by the Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation
Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation
Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation is a state-owned aerospace company based in Taichung, Republic of China . It is known for developing the AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo fighter.-History:...
for Improved Radar Warning Receivers (IRWR) to be installed aboard.
Yun Han: engine research
Exports of advanced engines such as the General Electric F404 or the Pratt & Whitney F100Pratt & Whitney F100
-External links:* * *...
were not available to the Republic of China. Both the General Electric J85
General Electric J85
-External links:**...
and General Electric J79 were considered unsuitable in their performance, and most European and American engine companies declined to cooperate with the Republic of China. Joint investment with Garrett became the only practical solution.
In 1978, following the success of the TFE731
Honeywell TFE731
|-See also:-External links:*...
engine, U.S. engine company Garrett announced joint research of the TFE1042 afterburner
AfterBurner
The AfterBurner is a lighting solution for the Game Boy Advance system that was created by Triton-Labs.Originally, portablemonopoly.net was a website created to petition Nintendo to put some kind of light in their Game Boy Advance system...
with the Swedish company Volvo Flygmotor
Volvo Aero
Volvo Aero, a subsidiary of Swedish company Volvo, develops and manufactures components for aircraft and rocket engines with high technology content in co-operation with the world’s leading engine manufacturers.-History:...
. The TFE731 Model 1042 was touted as a low bypass ratio
Bypass ratio
The term bypass ratio relates to the design of turbofan engines, commonly used in aviation. It is defined as the ratio between the mass flow rate of air drawn in by the fan bypassing the engine core to the mass flow rate passing through the engine core....
"military derivative of the proven commercial TFE731 engine" and that it would provide "efficient, reliable, cost effective propulsion for the next generation of light strike and advanced trainer aircraft", with a thrust
Thrust
Thrust is a reaction force described quantitatively by Newton's second and third laws. When a system expels or accelerates mass in one direction the accelerated mass will cause a force of equal magnitude but opposite direction on that system....
of 4260 lbf (18.9 kN) dry and 6790 lbf (30.2 kN) with afterburner. After the initial negotiation, the investment was going to be divided between Garrett, Volvo, AIDC, and the Italian company Piaggio
Piaggio
Piaggio based in Pontedera, Italy encompasses seven brands of scooters, motorcycles and compact commercial vehicles. As the fourth largest producer of scooters and motorcycles in the world, Piaggio produces more than 600,000 vehicles annually, with five research and development centers, more than...
. The development would consist of the non-afterburning TFE1042-6 for light attack aircraft and advanced trainers, and the TFE1042-7 for the AMX
AMX International AMX
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography*Braybrook, Roy. "Assessing the AMX". Air International, June 1989, Vol 36 No 6. Bromley, UK:Fine Scroll. ISSN 0306-5634. pp. 267–278....
or the F-5 upgrade. AIDC also suggested upgrading the TFE1042-7 to 8000 lbf (35.6 kN) thrust in a twin-engine installation, in order to compete with the GE F404. However, the JAS 39 Gripen
JAS 39 Gripen
The Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a lightweight single-engine multirole fighter manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab. It was designed to replace the Saab 35 Draken and 37 Viggen in the Swedish Air Force...
project decided to continue with a single F404, and Piaggio asked to participate at a later date due to financial concerns.
ITEC completely redesigned the TFE1042-7 into the TFE1042-70 - for example, the bypass ratio was changed from 0.84 to 0.4 -, and the investment had increased from USD 180 million to about USD 320 million. However, to avoid pressures from the PRC, the United States government had asked all the US companies cooperating with the Republic of China on the IDF project to remain low-key. Therefore, the perception that "the TFE1042 is merely the civilian engine TFE731 with an afterburner" was never completely dispelled.
In 1985, the preliminary review of the IDF's design revealed some performance requirement shortfalls, and it was determined that an upgrade of engine thrust by 10% was the simplest solution. Due to American export license restrictions, ITEC used FADEC
FADEC
Full Authority Digital Engine Control is a system consisting of a digital computer, called an electronic engine controller or engine control unit , and its related accessories that control all aspects of aircraft engine performance...
to artificially limit the thrust below a certain altitude (the restriction was not removed until 1990). Although the upgrade essentially used the TFE1088-11 configuration, to reduce political interference ITEC renamed the original, lower-thrust version as the TFE1042-X70 and retained the TFE1042-70 designation for the upgraded version.
In 1988, ITEC decided to invest in the 12000 lbf (53.4 kN) thrust TFE1088-12, which was re-designated as the TFE1042-70A for political reason as well. Preliminary studies had shown that the IDF could supercruise
Supercruise
Supercruise is sustained supersonic flight of an aircraft with a useful cargo, passenger, or weapons load performed efficiently and without the use of afterburners ....
with the new engine. At the same time, General Electric Aviation decided to enter the market with the J101/SF, a smaller version of the F404. However, after the IDF order was cut in half due to budget concerns, the TFE1088-12 engine upgrade plan ended as well.
Yin Yang: Aerodynamic Design
The cooperation between AIDC and General Dynamics (GD) was divided into four phases:- GD analyzed the ROCAF's aircraft performance and force requirements.
- Taiwan assessed GD's reports and choose between AIDC's original design and GD's new design.
- AIDC sent personnel to GD for the preliminary design phase.
- GD sent personnel to Taiwan to complete the project.
GD's assistance was restricted by the US State Department's arms export control, which limited GD's work to initial design consulting but not further development, production, or marketing.
Many different airframe design concepts were explored (e.g. the 2D Thrust-Vectoring nozzle of XX-201, the double delta wings/twin tailed 401). After the General Electric J79 was officially abandoned as the potential engine solution in 1983, three configurations emerged from AIDC.
- Configuration A was similar to the F-5E.
- Configuration B was similar to the Eurofighter TyphoonEurofighter TyphoonThe Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole combat aircraft, designed and built by a consortium of three companies: EADS, Alenia Aeronautica and BAE Systems; working through a holding company, Eurofighter GmbH, which was formed in 1986...
and Saab GripenJAS 39 GripenThe Saab JAS 39 Gripen is a lightweight single-engine multirole fighter manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab. It was designed to replace the Saab 35 Draken and 37 Viggen in the Swedish Air Force...
. - Configuration C was similar to the F-15F-15 EagleThe McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
.
At the same time, GD worked on the G configuration in parallel. Eventually the G-4 was selected, but with many features of the C-2 integrated. During this time, the project was named the "Light Weight Defense Fighter". In 1985, the configuration conceptual design had evolved into the SE-1 preliminary design. By the end of 1985, AIDC decided to skip the prototype stage and go into Full Scale Development (FSD) directly, in order to reduce time and save money. The project was again renamed into the "Indigenous Defense Fighter". Four FSD aircraft were made, with three single-seaters and one double-seater.
Tien Lei: Avionics Integration
The IDF is equipped with a GD-53 Golden Dragon multi-mode monopulseMonopulse radar
Monopulse radar is an adaptation of conical scanning radar which sends additional information in the radar signal in order to avoid problems caused by rapid changes in signal strength. The system also makes jamming more difficult...
Pulse-Doppler radar
Pulse-doppler radar
Pulse-Doppler is a 4D radar system capable of detecting both target 3D location as well as measuring radial velocity . It uses the Doppler effect to avoid overloading computers and operators as well as to reduce power consumption...
, which is based on the General Electric AN/APG-67 X band
X band
The X band is a segment of the microwave radio region of the electromagnetic spectrum. In some cases, such as in communication engineering, the frequency range of X band is rather indefinitely set at approximately 7.0 to 11.2 gigahertz . In radar engineering, the frequency range is specified...
radar developed for the F-20 while sharing some components and technologies of the AN/APG-66
AN/APG-66
The AN/APG-66 radar is a solid state medium range Pulse-doppler radar designed by Westinghouse for use in the F-16 Fighting Falcon and in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's C-550 Cessna Citation, US Navy P-3 Orion, and Piper PA-42 Cheyenne II's as well as the Small Aerostat Surveillance...
radar of the F-16A, and using a larger antenna than used by the F-20. and this adaptation resulted in the look-down and shoot-down capability of GD-53 being greatly enhanced in comparison to that of the original AN/APG-67, reaching that of the AN/APG-66
AN/APG-66
The AN/APG-66 radar is a solid state medium range Pulse-doppler radar designed by Westinghouse for use in the F-16 Fighting Falcon and in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's C-550 Cessna Citation, US Navy P-3 Orion, and Piper PA-42 Cheyenne II's as well as the Small Aerostat Surveillance...
. The radar can simultaneously track 10 targets and engage two of the 10 targets tracked with TC-2 active radar seeker BVRAAMs.
The design is inherently unstable in pitch, so the IDF incorporated a modern triple-redundant full authority fly-by-wire
Fly-by-wire
Fly-by-wire is a system that replaces the conventional manual flight controls of an aircraft with an electronic interface. The movements of flight controls are converted to electronic signals transmitted by wires , and flight control computers determine how to move the actuators at each control...
control system. The avionics suite was based on modular architecture with dual redundant MIL-STD-1553B digital databuses. The Honeywell H423 Inertial navigation system
Inertial navigation system
An inertial navigation system is a navigation aid that uses a computer, motion sensors and rotation sensors to continuously calculate via dead reckoning the position, orientation, and velocity of a moving object without the need for external references...
, the TWS-95 RHAWS, and the Bendix-King Head-up display
Head-Up Display
A head-up display or heads-up display is any transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints...
were selected. Some capabilities may have been delayed or dropped in order to meet the performance requirement, since the engine limitation has resulted in the necessity of strict weight control.
Tien Chien: Missile R&D
The CSISTChungshan Institute of Science and Technology
The Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology is the primary research and development institution of the Republic of China Ministry of National Defense's Armaments Bureau and has been active in the development of various weapons systems and dual use technology. CSIST is also involved in...
's Tien Chien (Sky Sword) project was slightly more independent, since it was considered to be a development for all the ROCAF's aircraft rather than only the IDF. The Tien Chien 1
Sky Sword I
The TC-1 Sky Sword I is a short range infrared guided air-to-air missile developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology in Taiwan ROC, for the ROC Air Force. The missile was developed in the mid to late 1980s and is presently deployed on the ROCAF's F-CK IDF fighters...
(TC-1) is a short range infrared-seeking missile with an external configuration similar to that of the AIM-9 Sidewinder
AIM-9 Sidewinder
The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range, air-to-air missile carried mostly by fighter aircraft and recently, certain gunship helicopters. The missile entered service with United States Air Force in the early 1950s, and variants and upgrades remain in active service with many air forces...
, while the Tien Chien 2
Sky Sword II
The TC-2 Sky Sword II is a radar guided air-to-air missile developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology in Taiwan Republic of China during the 1990s for the ROC Air Force...
(TC-2) is an active radar homing
Active radar homing
Active radar homing is a missile guidance method in which a guided missile contains a radar transceiver and the electronics necessary for it to find and track its target autonomously...
Beyond Visual Range missile
Beyond Visual Range missile
A beyond-visual-range missile usually refers to an air-to-air missile that is capable of engaging at ranges beyond . This range has been achieved using dual pulse rocket motors or booster rocket motor and ramjet sustainer motor....
that is claimed to be in the same class as the AIM-120 AMRAAM
AIM-120 AMRAAM
The AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM , is a modern beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile capable of all-weather day-and-night operations. Designed with the same form-factor as the previous generation of semi-active guided Sparrow missiles, it is a fire-and-forget...
.
The first test firing of the TC-1 missile was performed by a F-5E in April 1986, with the Beech
Beechcraft
Beechcraft is an American manufacturer of general aviation and military aircraft, ranging from light single engine aircraft to business jets and light military transports. Previously a division of Raytheon, it has been a brand of Hawker Beechcraft since 2006....
target drone
Target drone
A target drone is an unmanned, remote controlled aerial vehicle, usually used in the training of anti-aircraft crews.In their simplest form, target drones often resemble radio controlled model aircraft...
successfully destroyed. Initial production of the TC-1 began in 1989, and it entered service in 1991. Both the AIM-9 and the TC-1 have been seen in use on operational IDFs.
CSIST is believed to have cooperated with Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
and Raytheon
Raytheon
Raytheon Company is a major American defense contractor and industrial corporation with core manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. It was previously involved in corporate and special-mission aircraft until early 2007...
on the TC-2's active seeker, which is believed to be based on their seeker design which was proposed for the AIM-120. 40 pre-production TC-2 missiles were produced before 1995, and were the only BVR AAMs that the ROCAF had in its inventory during the 1995-1996 Taiwan Strait Missile Crisis
Third Taiwan Strait Crisis
The Third Taiwan Strait Crisis, also called the 1995–1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis or the 1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis, was the effect of a series of missile tests conducted by the People's Republic of China in the waters surrounding Taiwan including the Taiwan Strait from July 21, 1995 to March 23, 1996...
. Over 200 production TC-2s were originally planned.
F-CK-1 A/B Ching-kuo
The first successful test flight by FSD A1 was made on May 28, 1989. The first two-seater (and the fourth prototype), FSD B1, conducted its first flight on July 10, 1990. The first successful firing of the Tien-Chien II (Sky Sword II) air to air missile took place in 1992, with the ROCAF establishing its first F-CK-1 squadron the following year with a batch of 10 pre-production aircraft.The ROCAF's initial order for 256 aircraft was cut to 130 in 1991, following deals for the purchase of 150 F-16 Block 20 A/B and 60 Mirage 2000-5Ei/Di with the US and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The last IDF A/B rolled off the production line in 1999.
F-CK-1 C/D Hsiang Sheng
The ROC's Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced that beginning in 2001, the government would include a new budget allocation for the IDF upgrade plan (as included in the five MND proposals to help AIDC). The five proposals were:- Upgrades of the AT-3, IDF, and F-5 would be assigned to AIDC in the future.
- The Army Utility Helicopter, the Navy's long range ASW aircraft, a helicopter for the Marines, and an Air Force medium transport will all be produced and assembled by qualifying domestic firms in conjunction with the foreign firms that originally designed them.
- CSIST and AIDC will jointly assemble a team for the early planning of the ROCAF's next generation fighter, in order to assess procurement methods and suggest concepts.
- AIDC's joint ventures with foreign firms or alliances with domestic firms will be given high priority in military aircraft service and maintenance.
- In the future, the military will give responsibility for weapons system flight tests, electronic warfare exercises, air towing drones, avionics maintenance, and weapons procurement planning to AIDC, in situations where AIDC has the professional capacity that the military lack> This is part of the seven-year IDF C/D R&D plan (FY2001~FY2007), which allocates 10 million New Taiwanese Dollars (NTD) annually for a total of 70 million NTD for both CSIST and AIDC. Initial media reports indicated that the upgraded IDF would be called the "Joint Countermeasure Platform".
In a 2006 interview in Jane's Defence Weekly
Jane's Defence Weekly
Jane's Defence Weekly is a weekly magazine reporting on military and corporate affairs, edited by Peter Felstead. It is one of a number of military-related publications named after John F. T. Jane, an Englishman who first published Jane's All the World's Fighting Ships in 1898...
, former AIDC Chairman Sun Tao-Yu said that two new prototypes had been manufactured. The upgrade would allow the IDF to carry an additional 771 kg of fuel. In addition, it includes an improved avionics suite, retrofitted electronic warfare
Electronic warfare
Electronic warfare refers to any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults via the spectrum. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent the advantage of, and ensure friendly...
capabilities, and new weapons systems. The landing gear
Landing Gear
Landing Gear is Devin the Dude's fifth studio album. It was released on October 7, 2008. It was his first studio album since signing with the label Razor & Tie. It features a high-profile guest appearance from Snoop Dogg. As of October 30, 2008, the album has sold 18,906 copies.-Track...
has been strengthened to accommodate the additional payload and fuel, but the plan for a dielectric radar-absorbing "stealth
Stealth technology
Stealth technology also termed LO technology is a sub-discipline of military tactics and passive electronic countermeasures, which cover a range of techniques used with personnel, aircraft, ships, submarines, and missiles, to make them less visible to radar, infrared, sonar and other detection...
" fuselage
Fuselage
The fuselage is an aircraft's main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage which in turn is used as a floating hull...
was dropped due to concerns over weight. The project consists of three phases:
- Increase the carrying capacity for the TC-2Sky Sword IIThe TC-2 Sky Sword II is a radar guided air-to-air missile developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology in Taiwan Republic of China during the 1990s for the ROC Air Force...
Beyond-Visual Range Air-To-Air missile from two to four. Integrate the TC-2A anti-radiation missileAnti-radiation missileAn anti-radiation missile is a missile which is designed to detect and home on an enemy radio emission source. Typically these are designed for use against an enemy radar, although jammers and even radios used for communication can also be targeted in this manner.- Air-to-Ground :Most ARM designs...
and the Wan ChienWan ChienThe Wan Chien is a cluster bomb researched and produced by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology. A total of 4 Wan Chien cluster bombs have been produced and are currently undergoing testing and evaluation with the Republic of China Air Force's AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo...
cluster bomb. Plus 2 CFT (Conformal Fuel Tanks) also seen on the 2 newly built prototype aircraft. - Upgrade the mission computers, the electronic counter-countermeasuresElectronic counter-countermeasuresElectronic counter-countermeasures is a part of electronic warfare which includes a variety of practices which attempt to reduce or eliminate the effect of electronic countermeasures on electronic sensors aboard vehicles, ships and aircraft and weapons such as missiles. ECCM is also known as...
, the electronic warfare systems, the Active Identification Friend or FoeIdentification friend or foeIn telecommunications, identification, friend or foe is an identification system designed for command and control. It is a system that enables military and national interrogation systems to identify aircraft, vehicles, or forces as friendly and to determine their bearing and range from the...
(AIFF) system and the terrain-following radarTerrain-following radarTerrain-following radar is an aerospace technology that allows a very-low-flying aircraft to automatically maintain a relatively constant altitude above ground level. It is sometimes referred-to as ground hugging or terrain hugging flight...
. - Ground and air testing. If the program is approved, service entry is projected to occur in 2010.
The development contract for the upgraded IDF C/D flight control computer was awarded in 2002 to BAE Systems. The computer has a 32-bit PowerPC
PowerPC
PowerPC is a RISC architecture created by the 1991 Apple–IBM–Motorola alliance, known as AIM...
-based processor with faster processing/computing, higher reliability, and better integration with avionics. AIDC said that the improvements of the flight computer will result in "a safer, higher-performing aircraft".
AIDC originally planned to launch the IDF C/D prototype on National Day, October 10, 2006. However, the first test flight of the upgraded IDF was reportedly successfully completed a few days ahead of schedule in early October.
A decision on production of the aircraft has not yet been announced. However, some media have already begun to speculate about project Hsiang Sheng’s demise, due to ROCAF’s recent interests in procuring Block 50/52 F-16s and some ROCAF officials' lack of confidence in the IDF upgrade project.
During the visit to AIDC's Taichung Shalu factory on March 27, 2007, President Chen Shui-Bian
Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian is a former Taiwanese politician who was the 10th and 11th-term President of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2008. Chen, whose Democratic Progressive Party has traditionally been supportive of Taiwan independence, ended more than fifty years of Kuomintang rule in Taiwan...
witnessed a test flight of F-CK-1D, and announced that the upgraded IDF will be named Hsiung Ying (Brave Hawk), which signifies that the new fighter would protect the homeland just like the Crested Goshawk.
As of 12/2009, 71 F-CK-1 A/B will be allocated for upgrade to F-CK-1 C/D over 4 years span for over 500 million USD, according to AIDC CEO, under Project Hsiang Chang (翔展), as AIDC and ROCAF had signed contract for the expected upgrade program.
IDF Lead-in Fighter Trainer
Supersonic
Supersonic speed is a rate of travel of an object that exceeds the speed of sound . For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C this speed is approximately 343 m/s, 1,125 ft/s, 768 mph or 1,235 km/h. Speeds greater than five times the speed of sound are often...
trainer development, it is only that company's operational planning concept. The Ministry of National Defense and the Air Force currently do not have such a plan". The letter then said that due to a tight budget allocation the ROCAF would instead ask AIDC to extend the life of the AT-3 and continue to use the F-5 in the LIFT role.
In 2003, the former AIDC Chairman Huang Jung-Te said that AIDC still hoped the ROCAF would consider using a simplified version of the IDF for LIFT, and that such a concept could have a cost as low as USD 16 million per unit, compared to the T-50's
T-50 Golden Eagle
The T-50 Golden Eagle is a family of South Korean supersonic advanced trainers and multirole fighters, developed by Korea Aerospace Industries beginning in the late 1990s. The T-50 is South Korea's first indigenous supersonic aircraft and one of the world's few supersonic trainers...
USD 19 million. However, the F-CK-1 LIFT modifications or new production concepts never received government funding or approval.
In May 2006, Lt. General Cheng Shih-Yu testified that the MND indeed plans to retire the F-5E/F by 2010 and allow the in-service IDFs to take over training missions. It is unclear what modifications (if any) will be made to IDFs after they become trainers.
All ROCAF pilots selected and sent to US and France to receive training on F-16 block 20 and Mirage 2000-5 fighters had to have flown with IDF/F-CK-1 for at least 6 months, which makes IDF a LIFT except in name.
Advanced Defense Fighter
There were some initial concepts for further developments of the IDF project. After the IDF basic variant was finalized, the next step would have involved an upgrade with systems improvement, new technologies, and adjustments of material and weight. Then the next advanced version of the IDF would have configuration modifications, performance improvement, advanced technologies, new materials and applications of advanced weapons. Finally, the next generation design would have taken place.Operators
- Republic of China Air ForceRepublic of China Air ForceThe Republic of China Air Force is the aviation branch of the Republic of China Armed Forces. The ROCAF's primary mission is the defense of the airspace over and around Taiwan...
- 130 aircraft, including 10 pre-production aircraft.