The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) will begin receiving its first operational Hongdu L-15B light attack aircraft that can carry up to three tons of weapons over the next few years. PLAAF intends to buy hundreds of this cheap fighter to upgrade its scanty ground attack capability.

Like Us on Facebook

This single-engine close air support (CAS) jet is set to replace the PLAAF's only dedicated CAS aircraft, the 40 year-old Nanchang Q-5. Entering service with the PLAAF in 1970, the Q-5 is a Chinese-made variant of the Soviet Union's Mikoyan MiG-19 fighter.

PLAAF has some 120 Q-5s in its inventory.

The L-15B is derived from the Hongdu L-15 advanced jet trainer. It has nine hardpoints (one under the fuselage and four on each wing) capable of carrying a mix of air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles.

For ground attack, the L-15 can carry HJ-10 anti-tank guided missiles (China's version of the U.S. TOW), and the LS series of satellite-guided bombs weighing either 250 kg or 500 kg.

For air-to-air combat, the L-15B can be armed with PL-12 long-range air-to-air missiles and PL-10 infrared-guided short-range missiles.

As for sensors, the L-15B can carry a wide range of lightweight aircraft sensors, like multi-mode targeting pods and electronic jammers. It's equipped with a passive electronically scanned array (PESA) radar, and a 360-degree missile approach warning system (MAW) system on its vertical tail.

The prototype L-15B rolled out this April.

In addition to attacking enemy positions and armor with guided munitions, the L-15B can share its sensor data with ground forces through networks.

The Hongdu L-15 Falcon, from which the L-15B is derived, is a new supersonic training and light attack aircraft still being developed by Hongdu Aviation Industry Corporation (HAIG) to meet PLAAF and People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force (PLANAF) lead-in fighter trainer (LIFT) requirements.

Four prototypes of the L-15 have been built and production aircraft will carry the PLAAF designation, J-10.