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Further Reading

JL-15 Lead-in Fighter Trainer (LIFT)

The new design JL-15 advanced lead-in fighter trainer (LIFT) can also be converted into light air-to-ground attack role. The JL-15 was revealed by Nanchang-based Hongdu Aviation Industry Corporation (HAIG) during the 9th Aviation Expo held in Beijing in September 2001. Revealing the JL-15 in its early design stage suggested that Hongdu intended to promote the aircraft in the international market, an effort which has been encouraged by the export success of K-8 intermediate trainer. Export sales may be particularly crucial for the L-15, since it is not assured of large-scale domestic sales, and Hongdu was actively marketing the aircraft to both domestic and international markets. The JL-15 joined a crowded market as one of four trainers with the high flight performance needed for direct pilot transition to the most advanced fighters. Other players in the field are the Korea Aerospace T-50, Yakovlev Yak-130 and Alenia M-346. The M-346 is a derivative of the Yak-130, while the JL-15 resembled the Russian aircraft and was developed with help from Yakovlev.

HAIG unveiled a full-scale mock-up of its JL-15 at the 2004 Zhuhai Airshow. The aircraft made its maiden flight on 13 March 2006. The first JL-15 prototype rolled out in September 2005 and made its maiden flight on 13 March 2006. In April 2006, it was reported that the PLAAF placed orders for 4 JL-15 trainers, and small batch production will start in 2007. The JL-15 was displayed for the first time overseas at the Dubai air show in 2009. Five L-15s had been built by the end of 2009.

This new trainer was designed to support the next generation of Chinese fighters, such as J-10, which lacked a two-seat trainer version. The L-15 was a direct rival to the Guizhou Aircraft Industry Corporation (GAIC) JL-9/FTC-2000 Mountain Eagle in competition for the People's Liberation Army Air Force's (PLAAF) next-generation advanced trainer aircraft program. The JL-9 is a massively modified derivative of the MiG-21. Compared to the L-15, the JL-9/FTC-2000 was less advanced in term of technology. For example, the aircraft uses mechanical control rather than fly-by-wire (FBW). However, the JL-9 was much cheaper than the proposed L-15 advanced trainer, and would be ready for deployment by 2005, while the L-15 was still in the blueprint stage. On June 28, 2005, Mountain Eagle" advanced fighter-pilot training aircraft, just returned from the 46th Paris Air Show, was selected as its supersonic trainer by the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) in the purchasing list of equipment during the nation's Eleventh Five-Year Plan Period (2006-2010).

The two-engine, two-seat JL-15 reportedly features the latest advanced technologies such as digital quadruple fly-by-wire (FBW), glass cockpit, and hands-on-throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) flight control. Advanced features such as glass cockpit, HOTAS and digital FBW were expected to be standard. In addition, large leading edge extentions (LEX) similar to those on Russian Yak-130 advanced trainer would give the aircraft a decent angle of attack (AOA). The aerodynamic performance of the aircraft is enhanced by its large leading edge extensions (LEX) design, which gives a maximum angle of attack of 30°. This is very useful when trying to simulate the maneuvers of advanced fourth-generation fighters such as J-10 and J-11.

The first unit (L-15-01) is powered by two ZMKB-Progress (Lotarev) DV-2F which gave it good manuverabillity and reliability. The subsequent production units were expected to be powered by Ukraine's Ivchenko-Progress AL-222K-25F turbofan engines with afterburner once co-production license is obtained by the 618 Institute.

With the JL-15, student pilots will be able to complete mission flight training and advanced combat training for fourth-generation fighters such as J-10 and J-11, as well as complete all basic jet flight training courses. The aircraft also has six (four under-wing and two wingtip) pylons to carry various air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons. If necessary, it can serve in the lightweight attack role with minor modifications.

By early 2010 the China Aviation Industry Corp. [AVIC] had been in talks for over a year with California-based U.S. Aerospace Inc. about offering the L-15 trainer jet as a candidate in the T-X program to replace the U.S. Air Force's fleet of T-38s Talon trainers, but worried about political opposition. US lawmakers have resisted big defense contract awards to foreign suppliers, even those with US-domeciled subsidiaries.