Page 15 - ADT NOV - DEC 2024 Digital Magazine | GBP

and have a laser designator-pod on (20) and Senegal (4). Pakistan. The latest variant of the
the centreline. The RMAF is slated aircraft, the JF-17 Block III made
to take delivery of its first FA-50M in KAI recently announced it had com- its international show debut at the
2026 and will receive a version with pleted the milestone of “25 years of Dubai Airshow, last year. The JF-17
Malaysia specific changes related accident-free operation” without a Thunder Block III fighter jet fea-
to aerial refueling and a wider single accident in the development, tures a new and larger holographic
range of armament. The RMAF mass production, or test flights of wide-angle head-up display and
is expected to place an additional aircraft since its establishment on integrated cockpit display similar
order at later date for 18 more October 1, 1999. “There were many to the one used by the J-20, an
aircraft, taking the total number of challenges and difficulties leading to Active Electronically Scanned Array
FA-50s in its fleet to 36. this achievement, but we were able (AESA) state-of-the-art avionics,
to achieve it with the passion and enhanced weaponry, and advanced
The TA-50 Block 2 is being used effort of all executives and employ- Electronic Warfare (EW) systems,
by the ROKAF as an introductory ees.” He added, “Just as we have including the addition of a new
tactical trainer and it can carry pre- built a record of accident-free Missile Approach Warning System
cision-guided weapons, such as the test flights for the past 25 years, (MAWS) similar to those fitted on
Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) we will continue to do our best to J-10C, J-16 and J-20 fighter jets.
which are already carried on the become a global company that is
FA-50, in addition to the machine trusted by our customers by con-
guns, air-to-air, and air-to-ground tinuing our record of accident-free The JF-17 Block III is in service
weapons operated by existing flights,” said KAI President Kang with the Pakistan Air Force (PAF)
TA-50 Block 1 aircraft. As per KAI, Koo-young. Starting with the KT-1 and has also been exported to
the updated TA-50 Block 2 will allow Basic Trainer Aircraft (BTA), KAI Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijan Air
pilots to make an easier transition has gone on to develop the super- Force inducted the light fighter into
between the F-35A, F-15K, KF-16 sonic T-50 series, KF-21, rotorcraft service in September this year.
fighter currently in operation with in the Surion and LAH. KAI has Azerbaijan is the fourth export
the ROKAF, and the KF-21 fighter achieved a total of 33,257 hours customer for the JF-17 with 12
jet that will enter service in 2026. of accident-free test flights, includ- aircraft on order including four twin-
ing 9,571 hours for fixed-wing and seat trainers. In March, last year,
Apart from the Malaysian order, KAI 23,685 hours for rotary-wing. KAI the Argentine Embassy in China
has exported a total of 68 aircraft has produced 1,288 aircraft since said that the country is considering
to the Southeast Asian market, inception out of which 225 were procuring JF-17 aircraft. Older var-
such as the KT-1, T-50, and FA-50. exported to nine countries. iants of the JF-17 are operated by
Exports of the T-50 series in total Myanmar which ordered 16 aircraft,
stand at 138 aircraft, including Capable Joint Fighter while Nigeria has placed orders
Malaysia, with Indonesia (22), Iraq for three aircraft, which have been
(24), Philippines (12), Thailand (14) The JF-17, also known by the delivered. The JF-17 has been
and Poland (48). KAI has exported Chinese designation FC-1, is a developed into three generations,
84 KT-1 basic trainer aircraft to single-engine multi-role light fighter referred to as the Block I, the Block
Indonesia (20), Turkey (40), Peru jet jointly developed by China and II and the Block III.

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