China’s FTC-2000G Fighter/Trainer Aircraft Secures First Export Order

The Chinese FTC-2000G fighter-trainer made by Guizhou Aircraft Industry Corporation (GAIC) has secured its first export  order barely two years after the jet was launched at the 2018 Zhuhai air show.

"It took less than two years from the first flight to the signing of the first export order,” the Secretary and Chairman of the Guifei Party Committee of GAIC, Wang Wenfei said in a media conference with local journalists on April 16 adding “this is an unprecedented speed in the history of the development of military aircraft in the aviation industry.”

The name of the customer was not revealed but media has speculated that it could be a South East Asian nation, probably Myanmar. An earlier trainer only version, the FTC-2000 has been exported to Sudan in 2016.

Referring to the FTC-2000G ‘s first export order, Wang Wenfei said that earlier this year, GAIC won the first batch of aircraft export orders  which will be delivered in batches, with a delivery time of 2 years. He did not disclose the number of aircraft or its price.

The media conference looks like an attempt to convince potential buyers that the company was working hard to fulfil its order despite the COVID-19 pandemic. A report in a local publication said, ‘although affected by the epidemic, the company's recovery rate has reached 100%. This reporter walked into the assembly line and saw that the staff were working hard to assemble the front fuselage parts, rear fuselage parts, and wing parts.’

Liu Deyin, director of the general assembly room of the component assembly production line, was quoted as saying, "at present, the assembly of the front fuselage components, rear fuselage components, and wing components is being completed."

Also called ‘Mountain Eagle,’ FTC-2000G is a "multi-purpose" aircraft whose characteristics are:

As an attack aircraft, it has a large combat radius and strong penetration ability, and can perform close air support, battlefield interception, and depth. Combat other air-ground combat missions;

As a fighter, it has good maneuverability, strong situational awareness and self-defense capabilities, and high survivability on the battlefield. It can perform air-to-air combat tasks such as air fighting, combat escort, and air patrol;

As a trainer, it has a wide coverage, good training efficiency, high safety and reliability, and has outstanding mid / low altitude sub / transonic maneuverability. It can complete intermediate, advanced, combat entry and tactical confrontation training tasks, and combat force pilots. Technology keeps training.

Over the past two years, military leaders from many countries in Asia, Africa and other countries have come to Guifei to carry out in-depth product technology research and test flights, Wang said.