Chengdu J-7
Encyclopedia
The Chengdu Jian-7 is a People's Republic of China
-built version of the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
. Though production ceased in 2008 it continues to serve, mostly as an interceptor
, in several air forces, including China's.
shared most of its conventional weapons technology with the People's Republic of China
. One of these was the limited cooperation between the two countries in the early stage development of the famous MiG-21
short-range interceptor-fighter aircraft. Powered by a single engine and designed on a simple airframe, these fighters were inexpensive but fast, suiting the strategy of forming large groups of 'people's fighters' to overcome the technological advantages of Western aircraft. However, the Sino-Soviet split
ended Chinese early participation in the developmental program of the MiG-21 abruptly, and from July 28 to September 1, 1960, the Soviet Union withdrew its advisers from China, resulting in the project being forced to stop in China.
However, Nikita Khrushchev
suddenly wrote to Mao Zedong
in February, 1962 to inform Mao that the Soviet Union was ready to transfer MiG-21 technology to China
and asked the Chinese to send their representatives to the Soviet Union
as soon as possible to discuss the details. The Chinese viewed this as a Soviet gesture to make peace, and were obviously suspicious, but they were extremely quick to take up on the Soviet offer for the aircraft deal. A delegation headed by Colonel General Liu Yalou (刘亚楼), the commander-in-chief of the PLAAF
and a Soviet military academy graduate was dispatched to Moscow
immediately and the Chinese delegation was even allowed to have three days to visit the production facility of the MiG-21, which was previously off limits to foreigners. The authorization was personally given by Nikita Khrushchev
himself, and on March 30, 1962, the deal was signed. However, given the political situation and relationship between the two countries, the Chinese were not optimistic about gaining the technology and thus were prepared for reverse engineering.
Russian sources stated that complete examples of the MiG-21 were sent to China flown by Soviet pilots, and China did receive MiG-21Fs in kits along with parts and technical documents. Just as the Chinese had expected, when the Soviets delivered the kits, parts and documents to Shenyang Aircraft Factory
five months after the deal was signed the Chinese discovered that the technical documents provided by the Soviets were incomplete and some of the parts could not be used. China set about to reverse engineer the aircraft for local production, and in doing so, succeeded in solving 249 major problems and came up with eight major technical documents that were not delivered. The effort was largely successful, as the Chinese design showed only minor differences from the original. In March, 1964, Shenyang Aircraft Factory
began the first domestic production of the jet fighter, which they successfully achieved the next year. However, the mass production of the aircraft was severely hindered by an unexpected problem—the Cultural Revolution, which resulted in poor initial quality and slow progress, which in turn, resulted in full scale production only coming about in the 1980s, by which time the design was showing its age. However, the fighter is affordable and widely exported as the F-7, often with Western systems incorporated like the ones sold to Pakistan. Based on the expertise gained by this program, China later developed the Shenyang J-8
by utilizing the incomplete technical information of the Soviet Ye-152 developmental jet.
Chinese sources reported the delivery of FT-7NGs in November 2006. Namibian AF ordered 12 Chengdu F-7NMs in August 2005 . This is believed to be a variation of the F-PG acquired by Pakistan.
Nigeria
In early 2008, Nigeria procured 12 F-7NI fighters and three FT-7NI trainers to replace her existing stock of MiG-21 aircraft. The first batch of F-7s arrived in December 2009.
Sudan
Sudanese F-7Bs were used in the Sudanese Civil War
against ground targets.
Tanzania
Tanzanian Air Force F-7As served in the Uganda–Tanzania War against Uganda
and Libya
in 1979. Its appearance effectively brought a halt to bombing raids by Libyan Tupolev Tu-22
s.
Zimbabwe
During Zimbabwe's involvement in the DRC
, six or seven F-7s were deployed to the Lubumbashi
IAP and then to a similar installation near Mbuji-Mayi
. From there, AFZ F-7s flew dozens of combat air patrols in the following months, attempting in vain to intercept transport aircraft used to bring supplies and troops from Rwanda
and Burundi
to the Congo. In late October 1998, F-7s of the No.5 Squadron were used in an offensive in east-central Congo. This began with a series of air strikes that first targeted airfields in Gbadolite
, Dongo
and Gmena, and then rebel and Rwandan communications and depots in the Kisangani
area on November 21.
The stationing of F-7As in north of the country, near the border successfully checked Yugoslav
incursions into Albania
n airspace.
In the mid 1990s, the PLAAF began replacing its J-7Bs with the substantially-redesigned J-7E variant. The wings of the J-7E have been changed to a unique "double delta" design offering improved aerodynamics and increased fuel capacity, and the J-7E also features a more powerful engine and improved avionics. The newest version of the J-7, the J-7G, entered service with the PLAAF in 2003.
The role of the J-7 in the People's Liberation Army
is to provide local air defence and tactical air superiority. Large numbers are to be employed to deter enemy air operations.
Myanmar
F-7Ms were planned to use for interception. But, they are now out of service and stored as reserve aircraft as new superior fighters arrived.
Relations between Egypt and Libya deteriorated after Egypt signed a peace accord with Israel
. Egyptian Air Force
MiG-21s shot down Libya
n MiG-23s, and F-7Bs were deployed to the Egyptian-Libyan border along with MiG-21s to fend off possible further Libyan MiG-23 incursions into Egyptian airspace.
Iran
Although not in any known combat actions, it was in several movies portraying Iraq
i MiG-21s during the Iran–Iraq War. One tells the story of an Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
strike on the Iraqi nuclear reactor at Osirak on September 30, 1980. Another "Attack on H3" tells the story of the 810 km-deep raids into the Iraqi heartland against Iraqi Air Force airfields on April 4, 1981, and other movies depicting the air combat in 1981 that resulted in the downing of around 70 Iraqi aircraft. However, unconfirmed reports claimed that during the later stages of the war, these aircraft were used for air-to-ground attacks. On July 24, 2007 an Iranian F-7 crashed in northern eastern Iran. The plane crashed due to technical difficulties.
Iraq
F-7Bs paid for by Egypt arrived too late for the aerial combat in the early part of the Iran–Iraq War, but later participated mainly in air-to-ground sorties.
The Bangladeshi Air Force, one of the largest F-7 operators, currently operates F-7MB Airguards, F-7MG and BVR capable F-7BG/Gs interceptors. The F-7MBs will be replaced by 100 or so BVR capable F-7BG fighters by 2010. BAF has also upgraded all of its F-7MBs and F-7BGs to fire Chinese built LS-6 and LT-2 ground attack munitions, giving them a potent strike capability.
Pakistan
Pakistan is currently the largest non-Chinese F-7 operator, with ~120 F-7P and ~60 F-7PG. The Pakistan Air Force
is to replace its entire fleet of F-7 with the JF-17 multirole fighter, all F-7P are planned to be retired and replaced with JF-17 Thunder
aircraft by 2015.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Air Force currently uses three F-7BS and for ground attack missions against the LTTE and three FT-7 trainer. Due to the lack of endurance and payload, SLAF some times uses their F-7s for pilot training purposes.
Early 2008 the air force received six more advanced F-7Gs, these will be primarily used as interceptors. All The F-7G's, F-7BS's and FT-7s are flown by the No 5 Jet Squadron
.
Sri Lankan officials reported that on 9 September 2008, three Sri Lankan Air Force
F-7s were scrambled after two rebel flown Zlín-143
were detected by ground radar, two were sent to bomb two rebel airstrips at Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi areas, the government claims the third intercepting one ZLin-143 resulting in one LTTE Zlín-143 shot down by the chasing F-7G using air to air missiles while the rebel flown light aircraft was returning to its base at Mullaitivu after a bombing run against Vavuniya base. There is no public evidence for shooting down LTTE flight.
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...
-built version of the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was popularly nicknamed "balalaika", from the aircraft's planform-view resemblance to the Russian stringed musical instrument or ołówek by Polish pilots due to...
. Though production ceased in 2008 it continues to serve, mostly as an interceptor
Interceptor aircraft
An interceptor aircraft is a type of fighter aircraft designed specifically to prevent missions of enemy aircraft, particularly bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Interceptors generally rely on high speed and powerful armament in order to complete their mission as quickly as possible and set up...
, in several air forces, including China's.
Design and development
In the 1950s and early 1960s, the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
shared most of its conventional weapons technology 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...
. One of these was the limited cooperation between the two countries in the early stage development of the famous MiG-21
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was popularly nicknamed "balalaika", from the aircraft's planform-view resemblance to the Russian stringed musical instrument or ołówek by Polish pilots due to...
short-range interceptor-fighter aircraft. Powered by a single engine and designed on a simple airframe, these fighters were inexpensive but fast, suiting the strategy of forming large groups of 'people's fighters' to overcome the technological advantages of Western aircraft. However, the Sino-Soviet split
Sino-Soviet split
In political science, the term Sino–Soviet split denotes the worsening of political and ideologic relations between the People's Republic of China and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during the Cold War...
ended Chinese early participation in the developmental program of the MiG-21 abruptly, and from July 28 to September 1, 1960, the Soviet Union withdrew its advisers from China, resulting in the project being forced to stop in China.
However, Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
suddenly wrote to Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
in February, 1962 to inform Mao that the Soviet Union was ready to transfer MiG-21 technology to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and asked the Chinese to send their representatives to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
as soon as possible to discuss the details. The Chinese viewed this as a Soviet gesture to make peace, and were obviously suspicious, but they were extremely quick to take up on the Soviet offer for the aircraft deal. A delegation headed by Colonel General Liu Yalou (刘亚楼), the commander-in-chief of the PLAAF
People's Liberation Army Air Force
The People's Liberation Army Air Force is the aviation branch of the People's Liberation Army, the military of the People's Republic of China...
and a Soviet military academy graduate was dispatched to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
immediately and the Chinese delegation was even allowed to have three days to visit the production facility of the MiG-21, which was previously off limits to foreigners. The authorization was personally given by Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
himself, and on March 30, 1962, the deal was signed. However, given the political situation and relationship between the two countries, the Chinese were not optimistic about gaining the technology and thus were prepared for reverse engineering.
Russian sources stated that complete examples of the MiG-21 were sent to China flown by Soviet pilots, and China did receive MiG-21Fs in kits along with parts and technical documents. Just as the Chinese had expected, when the Soviets delivered the kits, parts and documents to Shenyang Aircraft Factory
Shenyang Aircraft Corporation
Shenyang Aircraft Corporation is a Chinese civilian and military aircraft manufacturer located in Shenyang. Founded in 1953, it is one of the oldest aircraft manufacturers in the People's Republic of China. Many aircraft manufacturers in China such as Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group or Guizhou...
five months after the deal was signed the Chinese discovered that the technical documents provided by the Soviets were incomplete and some of the parts could not be used. China set about to reverse engineer the aircraft for local production, and in doing so, succeeded in solving 249 major problems and came up with eight major technical documents that were not delivered. The effort was largely successful, as the Chinese design showed only minor differences from the original. In March, 1964, Shenyang Aircraft Factory
Shenyang Aircraft Corporation
Shenyang Aircraft Corporation is a Chinese civilian and military aircraft manufacturer located in Shenyang. Founded in 1953, it is one of the oldest aircraft manufacturers in the People's Republic of China. Many aircraft manufacturers in China such as Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group or Guizhou...
began the first domestic production of the jet fighter, which they successfully achieved the next year. However, the mass production of the aircraft was severely hindered by an unexpected problem—the Cultural Revolution, which resulted in poor initial quality and slow progress, which in turn, resulted in full scale production only coming about in the 1980s, by which time the design was showing its age. However, the fighter is affordable and widely exported as the F-7, often with Western systems incorporated like the ones sold to Pakistan. Based on the expertise gained by this program, China later developed the Shenyang J-8
Shenyang J-8
The Shenyang J-8 is a high-speed, high-altitude Chinese-built single-seat interceptor fighter aircraft.-J-8:...
by utilizing the incomplete technical information of the Soviet Ye-152 developmental jet.
Operational history
Most actions carried out by the F-7 have been air-to-ground missions. In air-to-air missions, there have rarely been any encounters resulting in dogfights.Africa
NamibiaChinese sources reported the delivery of FT-7NGs in November 2006. Namibian AF ordered 12 Chengdu F-7NMs in August 2005 . This is believed to be a variation of the F-PG acquired by Pakistan.
Nigeria
In early 2008, Nigeria procured 12 F-7NI fighters and three FT-7NI trainers to replace her existing stock of MiG-21 aircraft. The first batch of F-7s arrived in December 2009.
Sudan
Sudanese F-7Bs were used in the Sudanese Civil War
Sudanese Civil War
The term Sudanese Civil War refers to at least two separate conflicts:*First Sudanese Civil War - 1955–1972*Second Sudanese Civil War - 1983–2005...
against ground targets.
Tanzania
Tanzanian Air Force F-7As served in the Uganda–Tanzania War against Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
and Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
in 1979. Its appearance effectively brought a halt to bombing raids by Libyan Tupolev Tu-22
Tupolev Tu-22
The Tupolev Tu-22 was the first supersonic bomber to enter production in the Soviet Union. Manufactured by Tupolev, the Tu-22 entered service with the Soviet military in the 1960s, and the last examples were retired during the 1990s...
s.
Zimbabwe
During Zimbabwe's involvement in the DRC
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
, six or seven F-7s were deployed to the Lubumbashi
Lubumbashi
Lubumbashi is the second largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, second only to the nation's capital Kinshasa, and the hub of the southeastern part of the country. The copper-mining city serves as the capital of the relatively prosperous Katanga Province, lying near the Zambian border...
IAP and then to a similar installation near Mbuji-Mayi
Mbuji-Mayi
Mbuji-Mayi serves as the capital of Kasai-Oriental Province in the south-central Democratic Republic of Congo. It is the third largest city in the country, following the capital Kinshasa and second largest city Lubumbashi but ahead of Kisangani and Kananga. The city is the DRC's third-largest,...
. From there, AFZ F-7s flew dozens of combat air patrols in the following months, attempting in vain to intercept transport aircraft used to bring supplies and troops from Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
and Burundi
Burundi
Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...
to the Congo. In late October 1998, F-7s of the No.5 Squadron were used in an offensive in east-central Congo. This began with a series of air strikes that first targeted airfields in Gbadolite
Gbadolite
Gbadolite or Gbado-Lite is the capital of the Nord-Ubangi District in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The town is located south of the Ubangi River at the border to the Central African Republic and northeast of the national capital Kinshasa...
, Dongo
Dongo
Dongo is a comune in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy. It lies on the northwestern shore of Lake Como between Gravedona and Musso at the mouth of the Albano...
and Gmena, and then rebel and Rwandan communications and depots in the Kisangani
Kisangani
Kisangani is the capital of Orientale Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the 3rd largest urbanized city in the country and the largest of the cities that lie in the tropical woodlands of the Congo....
area on November 21.
Europe
AlbaniaThe stationing of F-7As in north of the country, near the border successfully checked Yugoslav
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
incursions into Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
n airspace.
East/South-East Asia
ChinaIn the mid 1990s, the PLAAF began replacing its J-7Bs with the substantially-redesigned J-7E variant. The wings of the J-7E have been changed to a unique "double delta" design offering improved aerodynamics and increased fuel capacity, and the J-7E also features a more powerful engine and improved avionics. The newest version of the J-7, the J-7G, entered service with the PLAAF in 2003.
The role of the J-7 in the People's Liberation Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
is to provide local air defence and tactical air superiority. Large numbers are to be employed to deter enemy air operations.
Myanmar
F-7Ms were planned to use for interception. But, they are now out of service and stored as reserve aircraft as new superior fighters arrived.
Middle-east
EgyptRelations between Egypt and Libya deteriorated after Egypt signed a peace accord with Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Egyptian Air Force
Egyptian Air Force
The Egyptian Air Force, or EAF , is the aviation branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces. The EAF is headed by an Air Marshal . Currently, the commander of the Egyptian Air Force is Air Marshal Reda Mahmoud Hafez Mohamed...
MiG-21s shot down Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
n MiG-23s, and F-7Bs were deployed to the Egyptian-Libyan border along with MiG-21s to fend off possible further Libyan MiG-23 incursions into Egyptian airspace.
Iran
Although not in any known combat actions, it was in several movies portraying Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i MiG-21s during the Iran–Iraq War. One tells the story of an Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force
The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force ' is the aviation branch of the Iranian armed forces. The present Air Force came into being in the early 1980s when the former Imperial Iranian Air Force was renamed....
strike on the Iraqi nuclear reactor at Osirak on September 30, 1980. Another "Attack on H3" tells the story of the 810 km-deep raids into the Iraqi heartland against Iraqi Air Force airfields on April 4, 1981, and other movies depicting the air combat in 1981 that resulted in the downing of around 70 Iraqi aircraft. However, unconfirmed reports claimed that during the later stages of the war, these aircraft were used for air-to-ground attacks. On July 24, 2007 an Iranian F-7 crashed in northern eastern Iran. The plane crashed due to technical difficulties.
Iraq
F-7Bs paid for by Egypt arrived too late for the aerial combat in the early part of the Iran–Iraq War, but later participated mainly in air-to-ground sorties.
South Asia
BangladeshThe Bangladeshi Air Force, one of the largest F-7 operators, currently operates F-7MB Airguards, F-7MG and BVR capable F-7BG/Gs interceptors. The F-7MBs will be replaced by 100 or so BVR capable F-7BG fighters by 2010. BAF has also upgraded all of its F-7MBs and F-7BGs to fire Chinese built LS-6 and LT-2 ground attack munitions, giving them a potent strike capability.
Pakistan
Pakistan is currently the largest non-Chinese F-7 operator, with ~120 F-7P and ~60 F-7PG. The Pakistan Air Force
Pakistan Air Force
The Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
is to replace its entire fleet of F-7 with the JF-17 multirole fighter, all F-7P are planned to be retired and replaced with JF-17 Thunder
JF-17 Thunder
The PAC JF-17 Thunder , or CAC FC-1 Xiaolong , is a light-weight, single-engine, multi-role combat aircraft developed jointly by the Chengdu Aircraft Industries Corporation of China, the Pakistan Air Force and the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex...
aircraft by 2015.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Air Force currently uses three F-7BS and for ground attack missions against the LTTE and three FT-7 trainer. Due to the lack of endurance and payload, SLAF some times uses their F-7s for pilot training purposes.
Early 2008 the air force received six more advanced F-7Gs, these will be primarily used as interceptors. All The F-7G's, F-7BS's and FT-7s are flown by the No 5 Jet Squadron
No. 5 Squadron SLAF
No. 5 "Jet" Squadron is a squadron of the Sri Lanka Air Force. It currently operates in both air defence and ground attack role with F-7 Skybolts from SLAF Katunayake.-History:...
.
Sri Lankan officials reported that on 9 September 2008, three Sri Lankan Air Force
Sri Lankan Air Force
The Sri Lanka Air Force is the air arm and the youngest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces. It was founded in 1951 as the Royal Ceylon Air Force with the assistance of the Royal Air Force . The SLAF played a major role throughout the Sri Lankan Civil War...
F-7s were scrambled after two rebel flown Zlín-143
Zlín Z 43
|-See also:-External links:* *...
were detected by ground radar, two were sent to bomb two rebel airstrips at Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi areas, the government claims the third intercepting one ZLin-143 resulting in one LTTE Zlín-143 shot down by the chasing F-7G using air to air missiles while the rebel flown light aircraft was returning to its base at Mullaitivu after a bombing run against Vavuniya base. There is no public evidence for shooting down LTTE flight.
Chinese variants
- J-7 (a.k.a. Type 62) The first reverse-engineered copies of the MiG-21-F-13 "Fishbed-C" by Shenyang Aircraft Factory in 1966, powered by WP-7 (a R-11F-300 copy). Only 12 were produced.
- J-7I An improved J-7 variant built by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corp (CAC) in the 1970s, it differs from the J-7 in that the fixed intake of the J-7 was replaced by a variable intake, the armament reverted to 2x 30mm cannons, a brake parachute container was added to the base of the fin under the rudder, whilst the WP-7 engine was retained. Production and service with the PLAAF and PLANAF was very limited due to design flaws, quality control issues and poor performance. In 1960s, as soon as PLAAF received PL-2 air-to-air missile, J-7Is started to attempt using PL-2 missiles to intercept USAF reconnaissance UAVs. Due to PL-2s' fuse is designed to target larger aircraft, these attempts were unsuccessful to some degree. Later J-7Is successfully shot down unknown numbers of USAF UAVs with air-to-air rockets.
- J-7I (modified) One of the biggest quality flaws of the original J-7 was in its hydraulic system, namely, the leaking issue. As many as 70% of the J-7s in some PLAAF Squadrons had to be grounded due to this issue, and extensive redesign was implemented to solve this problem. The resulting J-7I (modified) had much better hydraulic systems, and although the system still could not reached the western standard of the same era, the quality was greatly improved in comparison to the earlier system it had replaced, and was considered acceptable by J-7 users.
- J-7II Improved J-7I variant built in the 1970s and limited all-weather fighter with two 30mm guns and a WP-7B engine. The forward-hinged canopy jettisoned with the ejection seat of the Soviet design proved to be unsuccessful and was replaced by a rearward hinged canopy jettisoned before the ejection seat.
- J-7IIA Improved J-7II variant in early 1980s with western avionics, such as the BritishUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Type 956 HUDHead-Up DisplayA head-up display or heads-up display is any transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints...
, which became standard for J-7 fighters from then on.
- J-7IIM Conversion package to upgrade domestic Chinese J-7s to F-7M standard.
- J-7IIH Improved J-7II variant with enhanced ground attack capability. First J-7 model to have a multi-function displayMulti-function displayA Multi-function display is a small screen in an aircraft surrounded by multiple buttons that can be used to display information to the pilot in numerous configurable ways. Often an MFD will be used in concert with a Primary Flight Display. MFDs are part of the digital era of modern planes or...
, which is located to the upper right corner of the dashboard. J-7IIH is the first J-7 fighter that is capable of using PL-8 air-to-air missile.
- J-7IIK Conversion package resulted from experienced gained from J-7MP to upgrade domestic Chinese J-7 to J-7MP/F-7MP/F-7P standard.
- J-7III Reverse-engineered copies of MiG-21MF "Fishbed-J," reportedly obtained from Egypt by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corp. (CAC) with JL-7 fire-control radar (weight was 100 kg, maximum range is 28 km, and MTBF is 70 hours), Liyang WP-13 turbojet engine, new HUD/avionics, and improved fuel capacity. Limited production of 20-30.
- J-7B The most obvious visual difference between this model and earlier models is that the smaller canopy and the small window behind it on earlier models were replaced by a larger canopy on this model, so that the small window no longer existed.
- J-7BS First J-7 to have 4 underwing pylons.
- J-7E Improved variant of the J-7II, developed in 1987 as a replacement for the J-7II/F-7B. A new double-delta wing, WP-13F turbojet engine, British GEC-Marconi Super Skyranger radar, increased internal fuel capacity, and improved performance. It is 45% more maneuverable than the J/F-7M, while the take-off and landing distance is reduced to 600 meters, in comparison to the 1,000 meter take-off distance and 900 meter landing distance of earlier versions of the J-7. J-7E is the first of the J-7 family to incorporate HOTASHOTASHOTAS, an abbreviation for Hands On Throttle-And-Stick, is the name given to the concept of placing buttons and switches on the throttle stick and flight control stick in an aircraft's cockpit, allowing the pilot to access vital cockpit functions and fly the aircraft without having to remove his...
, which has since become standard on the later versions. This version is also the first of J-7 series to be later upgraded with helmet mounted sights (HMS), however, it is reported that the helmet mounted sight is not compatible with radars, and air-to-air missileAir-to-air missileAn air-to-air missile is a missile fired from an aircraft for the purpose of destroying another aircraft. AAMs are typically powered by one or more rocket motors, usually solid fuelled but sometimes liquid fuelled...
s must be independently controlled by either HMS or radar, but not both.
- J-7EB A unarmed J-7EB variant was used by the People's Liberation Army Air ForcePeople's Liberation Army Air ForceThe People's Liberation Army Air Force is the aviation branch of the People's Liberation Army, the military of the People's Republic of China...
August 1 Aerobatic Team.
- J-7EH J-7E derivative used by People's Liberation Army Naval Air ForcePeople's Liberation Army Naval Air ForceThe People's Liberation Army Navy Air Force is the naval aviation branch of the People's Liberation Army Navy of the People's Republic of China.-Mission:Primary Mission* Provide fleet air defense for PLAN surface combatants...
with capability to carry anti-ship missileAnti-ship missileAnti-ship missiles are guided missiles that are designed for use against ships and large boats. Most anti-ship missiles are of the sea-skimming type, many use a combination of inertial guidance and radar homing...
s such as C-802C-802The Yingji-82 or YJ-82 is a Chinese anti-ship missile first unveiled in 1989 by the China Haiying Electro-Mechanical Technology Academy , also known as the Third Academy...
. However, the due to the limitation of its airborne radar, J-7EH cannot independently engage shipping targets and after the launching of the anti-ship missileAnti-ship missileAnti-ship missiles are guided missiles that are designed for use against ships and large boats. Most anti-ship missiles are of the sea-skimming type, many use a combination of inertial guidance and radar homing...
s, the targeting information must be provided by other aircraft such as the Y-8X and Harbin SH-5Harbin SH-5-See also:-References:***...
.
- J-7FS Technology demonstration aircraft built by CAC, with redesigned under-chin inlet and WP-13IIS engine. First flew in 1998, only two prototypes were built before being replaced by J-7MF.
- J-7G an improved variant of the J-7E by CAC, first flew in 2002. Equipped with a new KLJ-6E PD radar, which is reported to be SY-80 radar with SY is short for Shen Ying, meaning Celestial Eagle in Chinese. This radar a Chinese development of the Italian Pointer-2500 ranging radar used for the Q-5MNanchang Q-5The Nanchang Q-5 , also known as the A-5 in its export versions, is a Chinese-built jet ground-attack aircraft based on the Soviet MiG-19. Its main role is close air support.-Design and development:...
, and the Italian radar itself was a development of Pointer radar, the Italian copy of IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i EltaEltaELTA Systems LTD is an Israeli provider of defense products and services specializing in radar, C4ISTAR, RF, SIGINT and EW products.Elta, a group and subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries, is one of Israel's major defence electronics companies specializing in a variety of fields...
EL/M-2001. In comparison to the Italian Grifo series radar on Pakistani F-7s, the SY-80 weighs more at 60 kg, and the range is also shorter, at 30 km. However, the radar does have a feat that the Italian radars do not have: it is fully compatible with helmet-mounted sights (HMS) so that both the radar and HMS can be worked together to control PL-8/9 air-to-air missileAir-to-air missileAn air-to-air missile is a missile fired from an aircraft for the purpose of destroying another aircraft. AAMs are typically powered by one or more rocket motors, usually solid fuelled but sometimes liquid fuelled...
s. One 30 mm30 mm caliber30 mm caliber ammunition is usually used in autocannon. Such ammunition includes NATO standard 30 × 173 mm and 30 × 113 mm and Soviet 30 × 165 mm ammunition widely used around the world....
gun was removed, and a more powerful engine installed.
- J-7G2 Improved *J-7G. with more powerful radar, capable of incorporating detachable conformal tanks.
- J-7GB Unarmed version of the J-7G used to replace the J-7EB for the August 1st Aerobatic team.
- J-7M. Until the early 2000s, there was at least a F-7M used by Chinese as a radar and avionics test bed. Differs from other models in that there was no fixed radars and avionics due to the different equipment being tested.
- J-7MF Successor of the J-7FS, with rectangular under-chin inlet similar to that of 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 movable canards for better aerodynamic performance. No prototypes were ever built before the project being abandoned in favor of the FC-1.
- J-7MG J-7E armed with GEC-Marconi Super Skyranger radar with planar slotted array 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...
ejection seat for potential customers' evaluation. PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and BangladeshBangladeshBangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
evaluated the aircraft, and evolved to F-7MG.
- J-7MP After nearly two years use of the F-7M, Pakistani Air Force (PAF) returned the 20 F-7M aircraft to China in the late 1980s with recommendations for 24 upgrades, including replacing the original GEC-Marconi Type 226 Skyranger radar with the ItalianItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
FIAR Grifo-7 radar, and AIM-9 SidewinderAIM-9 SidewinderThe 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...
capability.
- The Italian radar weighs 55 kg, had a slot antennaSlot antennaA slot antenna consists of a metal surface, usually a flat plate, with a hole or slot cut out. When the plate is driven as an antenna by a driving frequency, the slot radiates electromagnetic waves in similar way to a dipole antenna. The shape and size of the slot, as well as the driving frequency,...
planar arrayPlanar arrayIn telecommunications and radar, a planar array is an antenna in which all of the elements, both active and parasitic, are in one plane. A planar array provides a large aperture and may be used for directional beam control by varying the relative phase of each element...
, and had a range greater than 50 km, while the BritishUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
radar only weighs 42 kg, with a parabolic antennaParabolic antennaA parabolic antenna is an antenna that uses a parabolic reflector, a curved surface with the cross-sectional shape of a parabola, to direct the radio waves. The most common form is shaped like a dish and is popularly called a dish antenna or parabolic dish...
, but only had range of 15 km. Both radars have a mean time between failureMean time between failureMean time between failures is the predicted elapsed time between inherent failures of a system during operation. MTBF can be calculated as the arithmetic mean time between failures of a system. The MTBF is typically part of a model that assumes the failed system is immediately repaired , as a...
rate of 200 hours. J-7MP is the design specially tailored to Pakistani requirements.
- J-7PG Alternative to J-7MG, similar to the J-7MG except with Italian Grifo-MG radar, which further increased the sector of scan to +/- 30 degrees from the +/- 20 degrees of Grifo-Mk-II on F-7P.
- The Grifo-MG radar has better ECCM, look-down and shoot-down capabilities than its predecessor Grifo-Mk-II, while the weight remained the same. The number of targets can be tracked simultaneously is increased from the original 4 of the Grifo-Mk-II to a total of 8 of the Grifo-MG. PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and BangladeshBangladeshBangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
evaluated the aircraft, and evolved to F-7PG.
- JJ-7. Dual-seat J-7 trainer and Chinese equivalent of the MiG-21U Mongol-A design. Originally built by Guizhou Aircraft Design Institute and Guizhou Aircraft Company (now Guizhou Aviation Industry Group/GAIC) in 1981.
- JJ-7I Chinese equivalent of the Soviet MiG-21US trainer with domestic Type-II ejection seat. Only a very small number were built before converting to the JJ-7II.
- JJ-7II JJ-7I with Rockwell CollinsRockwell CollinsRockwell Collins, Inc. is a large United States-based international company headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, primarily providing aviation and information technology systems and services to governmental agencies and aircraft manufacturers.- History :...
avionics that became standard for later J-7 models.
- JL-9 (FTC-2000)Guizhou JL-9- See also :- References :...
. Also known as FTC-2000 Mountain Eagle (Shan Ying), new two-seat trainer derived from the JJ-7 series. Built by GAIC in early 2000s as the low-cost solution to JJ-7 trainer replacement.
- JZ-7 Reconnaissance version of the J-7, Chinese equivalent of MiG-21R. In addition to the photo reconnaissance, this aircraft was the first to have the domestically developed ESMElectronic warfare support measuresIn military telecommunications, the terms Electronic Support or Electronic Support Measures describe the division of electronic warfare involving actions taken under direct control of an operational commander to detect, intercept, identify, locate, record, and/or analyze sources of radiated...
reconnaissance pod.
- J-7 Drone. Unmanned J-7 remote-controlled drones mostly converted from J-7I fighters.
Export variants
- F-7IIA - Export version of the J-7IIA, with the pitot re-located to the intake upper lip on the starboard side, a WP-7BM engine, stronger windscreen, improved zero-zero ejection seat and GEC-Marconi Type956 HUD/ Weapons Aiming Computer, as well as re-inforced landing gear.
- F-7IIN 22 modified F-7M sold to ZimbabweZimbabweZimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
, with the domestic Chinese avionics replacing the western avionics, originally believed to be fitted with JL-7A radar. There were reports in 2005 that radars on the fighters had been upgraded.
- F-7III Export version of the J-7III with different missile launching rails that are compatible with French R550 MagicR550 MagicThe R.550 Magic is a short-range missile designed in 1968 by French company Matra to compete with the American AIM-9 Sidewinder. On 11 January 1972, a Gloster Meteor of the centre for in-flight trials fired the R550 Magic and shot down a Nord CT20 target drone .Mass-produced from 1976, the Magic...
Air-to-air missileAir-to-air missileAn air-to-air missile is a missile fired from an aircraft for the purpose of destroying another aircraft. AAMs are typically powered by one or more rocket motors, usually solid fuelled but sometimes liquid fuelled...
s. No sales have been reported. - J-7IIIA. Improved J-7III/F-7-3 with JL-7A radar and WP-13FI turbojet engine, jointly-developed by CAC and Guizhou Aviation Industry Group (GAIG). Limited production of 20-30. Straight topped spine like that of MiG-21PF and PFMA.
- F-7A Limited export version of the J-7sans suffixe with a WP-7B engine, one 30mm gun, and 2 under-wing pylons. It was exported to AlbaniaAlbaniaAlbania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
and TanzaniaTanzaniaThe United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
. In accordance with Mao ZedongMao ZedongMao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
's foreign aid policy at the time, the export version was armed with better equipment than the domestic one.
- F-7B Export version of the J-7II with re-wired pylons using the French R550 MagicR550 MagicThe R.550 Magic is a short-range missile designed in 1968 by French company Matra to compete with the American AIM-9 Sidewinder. On 11 January 1972, a Gloster Meteor of the centre for in-flight trials fired the R550 Magic and shot down a Nord CT20 target drone .Mass-produced from 1976, the Magic...
Air-to-air missileAir-to-air missileAn air-to-air missile is a missile fired from an aircraft for the purpose of destroying another aircraft. AAMs are typically powered by one or more rocket motors, usually solid fuelled but sometimes liquid fuelled...
s. Sold to Egypt (a total of 150 F-7Bs and F-7Ms), IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, and SudanSudanSudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
from 1982-1983. The Iraqi units were paid by Egypt.
- F-7BG 16 was delivered to BangladeshBangladeshBangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
in 2006 including with 4 two-seater FT-7BG. The capability to carry reconnaissance pods and operate the equipment inside the pods from the cockpit of earlier F-7MB is retained.
- F-7BS 4 export versions of the J-7BS units were sold to Sri LankaSri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. These units lacked HUDs.
- F-7D Export version of the J-7IIIA with different missile launching rails that are compatible with the French R550 MagicR550 MagicThe R.550 Magic is a short-range missile designed in 1968 by French company Matra to compete with the American AIM-9 Sidewinder. On 11 January 1972, a Gloster Meteor of the centre for in-flight trials fired the R550 Magic and shot down a Nord CT20 target drone .Mass-produced from 1976, the Magic...
Air-to-air missileAir-to-air missileAn air-to-air missile is a missile fired from an aircraft for the purpose of destroying another aircraft. AAMs are typically powered by one or more rocket motors, usually solid fuelled but sometimes liquid fuelled...
s. No sales have been reported.
- F-7M Airguard Improved J-7II variant for export with western avionics, with BritishUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
GEC-Marconi as the prime contractor. Program initiated in 1978 and took six years to complete, after 10 rounds of negotiation. Western avionics includes:- British Type 226 Skyranger radar: Ranging radar that weighs 41 kg with a range of 15 km.
- British Type 956 HUDAWAC: This HUD has a built-in weapon aiming computer, hence the name Head-Up Display And Weapon Aiming Computer.
- British Type 50-048-02 digitized air data computer
- British Type 2032 camera gun, which is linked to HUD with capability to interchange rolls of film while airborne. Each roll of film lasts more than 2 minutes
- American converter that is over 30% more efficient in comparison to the original Chinese converter.
- American Type 0101-HRA/2 radar altimeter with range increased to 1.5 km in comparison to the original 0.6 km of the Chinese radar altimeter it had replaced.
- British AD-3400 secured radio with range in excess of 400 km at 1.2 km altitude.
- Other improvement includes domestic newly designed CW-1002 air data sensor developed in conjunction with the western avionics, and WP-7B/WP-7BM engine.
- A totally different wing enabled the take-off and landing distance to be reduced by 20%, while increasing the aerodynamic performance in dogfights. According to customers' claims, F-7M is nearly 40% more effective than MiG-21 in terms of overall performance. It can use French R550 MagicR550 MagicThe R.550 Magic is a short-range missile designed in 1968 by French company Matra to compete with the American AIM-9 Sidewinder. On 11 January 1972, a Gloster Meteor of the centre for in-flight trials fired the R550 Magic and shot down a Nord CT20 target drone .Mass-produced from 1976, the Magic...
and PL-7 Air-to-air missileAir-to-air missileAn air-to-air missile is a missile fired from an aircraft for the purpose of destroying another aircraft. AAMs are typically powered by one or more rocket motors, usually solid fuelled but sometimes liquid fuelled...
s. It was sold to MyanmarMyanmarBurma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
, Egypt and BangladeshBangladeshBangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
in 1980s. - PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
contribution: Although PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
did not purchase any F-7M and later returned all 20 F-7M's to China after evaluation to require China to provide a better fighter (which eventually resulted in F-7MP/P), Pakistan did provide important support for F-7M program, including:- In the last quarter of 1982, test flights revealed that the radar was plagued by the problem of picking up ground clutter. China did not have any western radar assisted air-to-ground attack experience, and had no idea of conducting the necessary flight tests specifically designed for the western avionics to solve the problem. Pakistani Air Force provided pilots (including F-16 pilots) to China to perform these tests and helped in solving this problem.
- Chinese 630th Institute responsible for F-7M program lacked the facility and experience to conduct live round weapon tests with advanced western avionics, and it also lacked the capability to conduct mocked air combat with western aircraft. Therefore from June, 1984 to September, 1984, two F-7Ms were sent to PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
to conduct such tests. Pakistan Air ForcePakistan Air ForceThe Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
once again provided F-16 pilots to help to complete the tests, with the Chinese team in Pakistan led by Mr. Chen Baoqi (陈宝琦) of the Chinese Aviation Ministry and Mr Xie Anqing (谢安卿) of Chengdu Aircraft Co.
- F-7MB 16 F-7MB units exported to BangladeshBangladeshBangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, with the capability to carry reconnaissance pods and operate the equipment inside the pods from the cockpit.
- F-7MF Italian-proposed export version of the J-7MF armed with a proposed FIAR Grifo-M radar. The plan was abandoned in favor of the FC-1/JF-17, but the aircraft was reportedly used to test the FIAR Grifo-S radar for FC-1/JF-17. However, it is rumored that of the a total 80 F-7PG ordered by Pakistan, the last 30 were switched to the F-7MF, but this cannot be confirmed.
- F-7MG Export variant of the J-7MG, with the single piece windshield replacing the 3-piece windshield of the J-7MG. Evolved to F-7BG. Zimbabwe bought at least 12 of these in 2004.
- F-7MP A J-7MP converted from the F-7M. 20 were delivered and are in Pakistani service. It is also known as the F-7P Skybolt like the F-7P. The Pakistani Air Force does not distinguish the two since the only difference was how they were produced.
- F-7N 18 export F-7MP version to IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
with domestic Chinese avionics replacing the western avionics. Reportedly, the radar was SY-80 pulse doppler radar.
- F-7P Newly-built Skybolt for the Pakistani Air Force (PAF). A total of 60 were built. Starting with this model, F-7s in the Pakistani service began to be upgraded with the Italian FIAR Grifo-Mk-II radar license assembled by the ISO - 9002ISO 9000The ISO 9000 family of standards relates to quality management systems and is designed to help organizations ensure they meet the needs of customers and other stakeholders . The standards are published by ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, and available through National...
certified KamraKamraKamra is located in Attock District in the mountainous north of the Punjab, Pakistan. The Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and PAF's Minhas Airbase are located in Kamra. It is the biggest air force base in whole of Pakistan...
avionics, Electronics and Radar Factory of the Pakistan Aeronautical ComplexPakistan Aeronautical ComplexThe Pakistan Aeronautical Complex is a facility used to service, assemble and manufacture aircraft for the Pakistani Armed Forces...
(PAC).
- In comparison to the Grifo-7, the new radar only weighs an extra 1 kg (56 kg total), but the sector of scan was increased to ±20 degrees from the original ±10 degrees of Grifo-7. The newer radar also had improved ECMElectronic countermeasuresAn electronic countermeasure is an electrical or electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar or other detection systems, like infrared or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny targeting information to an enemy...
and look-down and shoot-down capability, and can track 4 targets simultaneously while engage one of four target tracked.
- F-7PG Export variant of the J-7PG, with the single piece windshield replacing the 3-piece windshield of the J-7PG. Pakistan ordered a total of 80 in two batches, with 50 and 30 respectively in each. According to the Pakistan Air ForcePakistan Air ForceThe Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
, the performance at high altitude of the F-7PG has increased more than 83% in comparison to the F-7P/MP. Just like the earlier Italian FIAR Grifo-Mk-II radar on F-7MP/P, the Italian FIAR Grifo-MG radar of F-7PG will be assembled under license by the ISO - 9002ISO 9000The ISO 9000 family of standards relates to quality management systems and is designed to help organizations ensure they meet the needs of customers and other stakeholders . The standards are published by ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, and available through National...
certified KamraKamraKamra is located in Attock District in the mountainous north of the Punjab, Pakistan. The Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and PAF's Minhas Airbase are located in Kamra. It is the biggest air force base in whole of Pakistan...
avionics, Electronics and Radar Factory of the Pakistan Aeronautical ComplexPakistan Aeronautical ComplexThe Pakistan Aeronautical Complex is a facility used to service, assemble and manufacture aircraft for the Pakistani Armed Forces...
(PAC).
- F-7W First J-7 export model with a HUD. The smaller canopy and the small window behind it were replaced by a larger canopy so that the small window no longer existed on J-7 models from then on. The first customer was JordanJordanJordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, but the aircraft did not enter Jordanian service, instead, the aircraft ended up in Iraqi hands.
- FT-7 Export version of the JJ-7. It used the domestic Chinese Type-II ejection seat, replacing the Chinese copy of the original Soviet design, because the Soviet design was less reliable.
- FT-7A Conversion package offered to Soviet MiG-21U trainer customers such as Egypt to replace the original Soviet-built ejection seats with Chinese built Type-II ejection seat, and a rear hinged canopy that would be jettisoned before the ejection seat instead of the forward hinged canopy jettisoned with the ejection seat.
- FT-7B Export version of JJ-7II, the first J-7 model to have a 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...
ejection seat.
- FT-7M Trainer version of the F-7M. This is the J-7 trainer version on which the head-up displayHead-Up DisplayA head-up display or heads-up display is any transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints...
became standard.
- FT-7P Trainer version of the F-7MP and F-7P. Unlike most Chinese built J-7 trainers which lack radars, the FT-7P was armed with the same radar on the single seat version and thus fully capable for combat.
- FT-7PG FT-7 trainer variant of the F-7PG for the Pakistani Air Force. The rear seat is 0.5 metre higher than the front seat, so the periscope is eliminated.
- Super-7 did away with BritishUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
upgrades to the F-7M in the mid-1980s. After a successful deal with Chinese in the early 1980s resulting in the F-7M, the United Kingdom offered a further upgrade to improve the performance of the F-7M by adopting either General ElectricGeneral ElectricGeneral Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
F404 or Pratt & WhitneyPratt & WhitneyPratt & Whitney is a U.S.-based aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation . Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation and military aviation. Its headquarters are in East Hartford, Connecticut, USA...
PW 1120 turbofan engines. The radar options would include the Red Fox, a repackaged version of the Blue Fox radar used on Sea Harrier FRS Mk 1, or the EmersonEmerson Electric CompanyEmerson Electric Company is a major multinational corporation headquartered in Ferguson, Missouri, United States. This Fortune 500 company manufactures products and provides engineering services for a wide range of industrial, commercial, and consumer markets.Emerson is one of the largest...
AN/APG-69. Although radar tests were successful, the upgrade was rejected before any engine tests, because a single radar or a single engine had cost more than a new J-7 (2 million United States DollarUnited States dollarThe United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
s, 1984 price). The name, Super-7, however, was retained to be used for the FC-1 / JF-17JF-17 ThunderThe PAC JF-17 Thunder , or CAC FC-1 Xiaolong , is a light-weight, single-engine, multi-role combat aircraft developed jointly by the Chengdu Aircraft Industries Corporation of China, the Pakistan Air Force and the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex...
light-weight fighter.
- F-7S Saber IIProject Sabre IIProject Sabre II was an attempt to develop a low-cost multi-role combat aircraft based on an existing design, the Chengdu F-7M . The project was initiated by the Pakistan Air Force and the Grumman Aerospace Corporation was contracted to work with specialists from the PAF and China to define and...
Replacement for the Super-7. Re-designed F-7M by Grumman Corporation for the Pakistan Air ForcePakistan Air ForceThe Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
. Side intakes replaced the nose intake and a General ElectricGeneral ElectricGeneral Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
AN/APG-67 radar on F-20 TigersharkF-20 TigersharkThe 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...
would have been adopted. The program was terminated due to the Tiananmen Square protest of 1989.
Operators
Current
- Bangladesh Air ForceBangladesh Air ForceThe Bangladesh Air Force , is the air arm of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. Bangladesh Air Force currently employs more than 22,000 personnel including 600+ Pilots.-History:...
: 23× F-7MB/BG remained in service .
- People's Liberation Army Air ForcePeople's Liberation Army Air ForceThe People's Liberation Army Air Force is the aviation branch of the People's Liberation Army, the military of the People's Republic of China...
: 290× J-7 plus 40× JJ-7 trainers remained in service . - People's Liberation Army Naval Air ForcePeople's Liberation Army Naval Air ForceThe People's Liberation Army Navy Air Force is the naval aviation branch of the People's Liberation Army Navy of the People's Republic of China.-Mission:Primary Mission* Provide fleet air defense for PLAN surface combatants...
: 30× J-7D/E remained in service .
- Egyptian Air ForceEgyptian Air ForceThe Egyptian Air Force, or EAF , is the aviation branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces. The EAF is headed by an Air Marshal . Currently, the commander of the Egyptian Air Force is Air Marshal Reda Mahmoud Hafez Mohamed...
: 74 F-7 in service, to be retired by 2010
- Islamic Republic of Iran Air ForceIslamic Republic of Iran Air ForceThe Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force ' is the aviation branch of the Iranian armed forces. The present Air Force came into being in the early 1980s when the former Imperial Iranian Air Force was renamed....
: 21 F-7 and FT-6 in service.
- Myanmar Air Force: 25× F-7M and 6× FT-7 trainers remained in service .
- Namibian Air ForceNamibian Air ForceThe Namibia Air Force was commissioned on 13 March 2005 at Grootfontein Air Base.The policy, mission statements and concept of operations envisage the development of an Air Force to operate in support of the Army and the Navy....
: Six F-7 and two FT-7 in service, 8 F-7NG on order.
- Nigerian Air ForceNigerian Air ForceThe Nigerian Air Force is the air arm of the Nigerian Armed Forces.It is one of the largest in West Africa, consisting of about 15,000 personnel and aircraft including 15 Chengdu F-7s, and 24 Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jets, armed helicopters, and military transport aircraft. However in recent years...
: 12 F-7 and 2 FT-7.
- North Korean Air ForceNorth Korean Air ForceThe Korean People's Army Air Force, , is the name of the unified aviation forces of North Korea. The KPAF is the second-largest branch of the Korean People's Army with an estimated 110,000 personnel. It possesses between 1,600 and 1,700 aircraft of different types, mostly of Soviet and Chinese...
: 180× F-7 remained in service .
- Pakistan Air ForcePakistan Air ForceThe Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
: 144× F-7P/PG (due for replacement by JF-17 from 2015) plus 7× FT-7 remained in service .
- Sri Lankan Air ForceSri Lankan Air ForceThe Sri Lanka Air Force is the air arm and the youngest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces. It was founded in 1951 as the Royal Ceylon Air Force with the assistance of the Royal Air Force . The SLAF played a major role throughout the Sri Lankan Civil War...
: 9× F-7/GS/BS and 1× FT-7 trainer remained in service . 13 received, 1 crashed.
- Sudanese Air ForceSudanese Air ForceThe Sudanese Air Force is the air force operated by the Republic of the Sudan. As such it is part of the Sudanese Armed Forces.-History:The Sudanese Air Force was founded immediately after Sudan gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1956. The British assisted in the Air Force's...
: 20 F-7 in service.
- Tanzanian Air Force: 11 F-7 in service.
- Yemen Air ForceYemen Air Force-North and South Yemen:The Yemen Air Force, known as al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Yamaniya, was established in 1926. During the mid-1950s, the Imam of Yemen established a private fleet that was run by the military. Later, the Russians delivered MiG-15 and MiG-17 fighters, followed by MiG-21s to the...
: 18 F-7 in service
- Air Force of ZimbabweAir Force of ZimbabweThe Air Force of Zimbabwe is the air force of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces. It was known as the Rhodesian Air Force until 1980. The Air Force of Zimbabwe saw service in the Mozambican Civil War in 1985 and the Second Congo War of 1998–2001....
: 7 F-7 in service
Former
- Albanian Air ForceAlbanian Air ForceThe Albanian Air Force is the national Air Force of the Albanian military. Currently it operates under the Albanian Joint Forces Command and it is regrouped in the Albanian Air Brigade...
: 12 F-7A in service from 1979 through 2004, received upgrade in early 1980s, now retired.
- Air Force of Mozambique
- Iraqi Air ForceIraqi Air ForceThe Iraqi Air Force or IQAF is the military branch in Iraq responsible for the policing of international borders, surveillance of national assets and aerial operations...
: 80 F-7, retired