The Q-5, J-7, J-8 and older PLAAF aircraft

crobato

Colonel
VIP Professional
A while back I thought I read somewhere that the Bangladeshi F-7BGs are BVR capable and were armed with MRAAMs but recently I have read another article saying that its nearly identical to the J-7G in terms of avionics and only has a range of about 30km, and is armed with only short range missiles. Is this correct?

I doubt that the radar is BVRAAM capable. As for the range, even a small radar like that should have a range in excess of 30km. I would speculate 50 to 60km is possible using range while search. However, on a track while scan function it should go down to 20 to 30km. If the radar is the SY-80, which operates at Ku band, not like the KLJ-6E at X-band, the range maybe shorter but on the other hand, the resolving and tracking power is even greater.
 

Semi-Lobster

Junior Member
I doubt that the radar is BVRAAM capable. As for the range, even a small radar like that should have a range in excess of 30km. I would speculate 50 to 60km is possible using range while search. However, on a track while scan function it should go down to 20 to 30km. If the radar is the SY-80, which operates at Ku band, not like the KLJ-6E at X-band, the range maybe shorter but on the other hand, the resolving and tracking power is even greater.

Well thats the thing, the F-7BG does use the KLJ-6E, the same the Chinese J-7G which as far as I can tell, has an effective range of about 30km. This article
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says that while the F-7BG had BVR while in the same article only said it had a range of 30km. Then again this article is a bit suspect. After the first few paragraphs its word-for-word copy of this article from a Sri Lankan Newspaper
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about the Sri Lankan F-7GS

EDIT: Hmmm... thats weird, it won't seem to let me show the link, strange....
 

crobato

Colonel
VIP Professional
30km is the range of the old JL-7. So the article is kind of suspect. If the radar is the KLJ-6E, that radar does not have the BVR mode. The KLJ-6F with emphasis on the F is the one that does.
 

Semi-Lobster

Junior Member
30km is the range of the old JL-7. So the article is kind of suspect. If the radar is the KLJ-6E, that radar does not have the BVR mode. The KLJ-6F with emphasis on the F is the one that does.

Oh wait, I got the articles mixed up, the BG it seems DOES have the KLJ-6F, it is the Sri Lankan F-7GS that uses the KLJ-6E.

About the KLJ-6F, what is the range of it. How different is it from the KLJ-6E used by PLAAF's J-7G. BTW I understand that the J-7E/G make a mediocre MRAAM platform because of its small range and fuel capacity, even with the additonal fuel capacity from the redesigned wing, but why did they not upgrade the J-7G with the KLJ-6F? Was it not cost effective? Is the difference in performance not different enough?
 
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crobato

Colonel
VIP Professional
There is no published info about range on the brochures of the KLJ-6F so far. The only difference it appears to have the -E version is the additional modes necessary to support BVRAAM. There might be an increase in performance but that's only speculative.

As for the PLAAF J-7G, its impossible to tell or with absolute certainty what they installed is the -E or the -F. So far we have never seen operational J-7G with the PL-12. If we have pictures to show, then there is proof. Its likely the -F was developed after the -E, and after the J-7G was certified with the -E, so -F may have came too late. The J-7G program began around 2003 and 2004, and there was no info on the KLJ-6F until 2006-2007.
 

Semi-Lobster

Junior Member
There is no published info about range on the brochures of the KLJ-6F so far. The only difference it appears to have the -E version is the additional modes necessary to support BVRAAM. There might be an increase in performance but that's only speculative.

As for the PLAAF J-7G, its impossible to tell or with absolute certainty what they installed is the -E or the -F. So far we have never seen operational J-7G with the PL-12. If we have pictures to show, then there is proof. Its likely the -F was developed after the -E, and after the J-7G was certified with the -E, so -F may have came too late. The J-7G program began around 2003 and 2004, and there was no info on the KLJ-6F until 2006-2007.

Production of the G has already ended hasn't it? IIRC All domestic J-7 prouction has ended, its all F-7MGs now for export although this is all from memory. Speaking of the J-7G, I think awhile back I read about a 'J-7G2', I don't think this is real though since generally thats not how Chinese aircraft designations work, maybe its referring to a late batch of J-Gs with additional features
 

crobato

Colonel
VIP Professional
I think the production of J-7G ended even before the F-7BG.

If the improvement is minor, using a designation like J-7G1 or G2 might be possible. If the improvement is relatively greater, it may deserve a new letter, though H is already taken. The next letter would be I.

I think CAC is just hurting itself trying to push a BVRAAMed J-7 if they can better sell J-10s or JF-17s to the PLAAF.
 

Semi-Lobster

Junior Member
I think the production of J-7G ended even before the F-7BG.

If the improvement is minor, using a designation like J-7G1 or G2 might be possible. If the improvement is relatively greater, it may deserve a new letter, though H is already taken. The next letter would be I.

I think CAC is just hurting itself trying to push a BVRAAMed J-7 if they can better sell J-10s or JF-17s to the PLAAF.

Well the J-7G is more or less exactly the same as Sri Lankan F-7GS so I guess it lives on! :D

I'm more surprised Chengdu is somehow still managing to sell the J-7II based F-7M to anybody at all, the J-7E has proven far superior (for extremely short range, cheap, interceptor fighters) yet Namibia bought 15 from Chengdu in 2006!

As for CAC, seeing as we've never heard anything about this 'new' J-7G variant, we can safely assume they took the logical step and are supporting their more advanced J-10 and FC-1 fighters. Any attempt to introduce new J-7s to the PLAAF would simply to encourage other countries to buy them since it would have 'PLAAF approval', BVR is just a gimmick for something like the J-7, gaining the right altitude to fire a MRAAM gives the J-7 little time to do anything. With the mysterious KLJ-6F thougth the F-7BG is probably the most advanced and potent MiG-21 variant ever fielded
 
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Chaminuka

Junior Member
SIPRI reports that both Namibia and Bangladesh F-7s are equipped with Grifo-MG radars.

bangladeshimgsta9.jpg


nafgrifomghk4.jpg
 

Semi-Lobster

Junior Member
SIPRI reports that both Namibia and Bangladesh F-7s are equipped with Grifo-MG radars.

[qimg]http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/5183/bangladeshimgsta9.jpg[/qimg]

[qimg]http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/5942/nafgrifomghk4.jpg[/qimg]

Oooooooh, I see the problem now, my fault sorry, this is what I get for posting at 1AM in the moring! :p The article says that the F-BG uses the KLJ-6E/Grifo-MG but by 2010 Bangladesh intends to upgrade the radar to the KLJ-6F. Sorry about that, my fault entirely.
 
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