JF-17

JF-17

JF-17

China

VIII Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
13.3	13.3	13.3

Class:

SQUADRON

Strike aircraft

Research:580 000

Purchase:1 160 000

Show in game

Description

The JF-17 Thunder is a squadron rank VIII Chinese strike aircraft with a battle rating of 13.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Dance of Dragons".

General info

Flight performance

Arrestor gear

Accelerates braking by grabbing the brake cable on the deck of the aircraft carrier

Air brakes

Allows you to dramatically reduce the flight speed by releasing special flaps

Drogue parachute

Reduces braking distance when landing on any runway

Max speed

at 10 973 m1 710 km/h

Turn time20 s

Max altitude15 240 m

EngineKlimov RD-93

Type

Cooling systemAir

Take-off weight13 t

Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.

Characteristics	Max speed (km/h at _,___ m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	___	___	15240	__._	__._	__._	__._	___
Upgraded	___	___		__._	__._	__._	__._

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear	Drogue chute
X	✓	✓	✓	X	✓

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
0	500	-	450	450	~__	~__

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< ___	< ___	< ___	-

Engine performance

Engine			Aircraft mass
Engine name		Number	Basic mass		Wing loading (full fuel)
Klimov RD-93		1	_,___ kg		___ kg/m2
Engine characteristics			Mass with fuel (no weapons load)			Max Gross Weight
Weight (each)	Type		_m fuel	__m fuel	__m fuel
1,050 kg	Jet		_,___ kg	_,___ kg	_,___ kg	_,___ kg
Maximum engine thrust @ 0 m (RB/SB)			Thrust to weight ratio @ 0 m (___%/WEP)
Condition	100%	___%/WEP	_m fuel	__m fuel	__m fuel	MGW
Stationary	3,630 kgf	6,590 kgf	_.__	_.__	_.__	_.__
Optimal	___ kgf (_ km/h)	___ kgf (_ km/h)	_.__	_.__	_.__	_.__

Survivability and armour

Flares/Chaff

Aircraft countermeasures to distract IR and radar-guided missiles and also AA radar

Crew1 person

Speed of destruction

Structural0 km/h

Gear500 km/h

Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB3 738 → 5 633

RB8 425 → 12 696

SB11 626 → 17 520

Total cost of modifications332 000

505 000

Talisman cost3 200

Crew training310 000

Experts1 100 000

Aces3 600

Research Aces1 350 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

80 / 290 / 530 %

256 / 256 / 256 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Compressor Research: 9 000 Cost: 14 000 380 New boosters Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 510 Engine Research: 15 000 Cost: 23 000 630	Fuselage repair Research: 9 000 Cost: 14 000 380 Airframe Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 510 Wings repair Research: 16 000 Cost: 24 000 680 Cover Research: 15 000 Cost: 23 000 630	Flares/Chaff Research: 9 000 Cost: 14 000 380 ASELPOD Research: 9 000 Cost: 14 000 380 PL-5EII Research: 9 000 Cost: 14 000 380 Hydra 70 Research: 9 000 Cost: 14 000 380 G-suit Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 510 GBU-12 Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 510 ns23_new_gun Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 510 Fire Snake 90A Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 510 GBU-16 Research: 16 000 Cost: 24 000 680 GB250 Research: 16 000 Cost: 24 000 680 Mk82/LS-6 250 Research: 16 000 Cost: 24 000 680 SD-10 Research: 16 000 Cost: 24 000 680 EFS Research: 15 000 Cost: 23 000 630 GBU-10 Research: 15 000 Cost: 23 000 630 GB500 Research: 15 000 Cost: 23 000 630 Mk83/LS-6 500 Research: 15 000 Cost: 23 000 630 Mk84 Research: 15 000 Cost: 23 000 630

Armaments

Ballistic Computer
CCIP (Guns)	CCIP (Rockets)	CCIP (Bombs)	CCRP (Bombs)	EEGS

Offensive armament

The JF-17 is armed with:

• 1 x 23 mm Type 23-3 cannon, belly-mounted (200 rpg)
• 64 x large calibre countermeasures

The JF-17 is armed with a copy of the Soviet GSh-23L autocannon with 200 rounds of ammunition, familiar to any pilots who have flown the MiG-23 Flogger or J-8 Finback. It has a quick rate of fire with no spool-up time, but its low muzzle velocity and ammo count leaves something to be desired on an aircraft that routinely fights agile fourth-generation fighters. Making matters more difficult is that the gun placement underneath the left air intake is quite off-center and the JF-17 currently does not have an EEGS system like the J-8F. Less experienced users may be better off reserving the gun for low-speed engagements or anti-helicopter/anti-ground activities.

Suspended armament

Default weapon presets

1 x 800 l drop tank + 2 x 1,100 l drop tanks 2 x PL-5EII missiles + 2 x SD-10(A) missiles 4 x PL-5EII missiles 4 x SD-10(A) missiles 114 x Hydra-70 M247 rockets 64 x Fire Snake 90A missiles 7 x 500 lb LDGP Mk 82 bombs (3,500 lb total) 5 x 1,000 lb LDGP Mk 83 bombs (5,000 lb total) 3 x 2,000 lb LDGP Mk 84 bombs (6,000 lb total) 6 x 277 kg GBU-12 Paveway II bombs (1,662 kg total) 4 x 1,092 lb GBU-16 Paveway II bombs (4,368 lb total) 2 x 957 kg GBU-10 Paveway II bombs (1,914 kg total) 4 x 290 kg LS-6 250 bombs (1,160 kg total) 4 x 630 kg LS-6 500 bombs (2,520 kg total) 4 x 260 kg GB250 bombs (1,040 kg total) 4 x 570 kg GB500 bombs (2,280 kg total)

While the JF-17 as an aircraft can't be said to have remarkable performance or features, the JF-17's arsenal is very impressive in capabilities and variety. As with the A-5C, the Pakistani-operated JF-17 has a mix of Chinese and American weapons, and interestingly uses a Turkish ASELPOD targeting pod for precision strike.

The air-to-air arsenal is very simple with only two options for missiles. The IR offering is the PL-5EII, a later descendant of the PL-5B and PL-5C missiles arming previous Chinese aircraft. The EII model retains the well-loved high acceleration and short motor burn time of the PL-5C, and in fact has a slightly higher top speed and overload to boot, but most notably features a modern seeker with IRCCM capabilities. The IRCCM is modeled with the same gate-width method as the Magic 2 and R-73 instead of the seeker-shutoff method of the AIM-9M. This fixes the PL-5C's flaw of being easily spoofed by flares and the PL-5EII is a very solid counterpart overall to the Magic 2 and AIM-9M for dogfights and sneak attacks. It can be mounted on the reserved wingtip hardpoints and also on the outer underwing hardpoints for a maximum capacity of four.

For medium and long range attacks, the SD10(A) active-radar missile, essentially an export version of the PL-12 with identical performance, is a competitive offering to its peers and should be familiar to pilots who have used the J-8F. The SD-10A is only available on the outer underwing hardpoints but can be double-racked for a maximum capacity of four.

The rest of the weapons are for ground attack. Unguided weapons are all American and consist of iron bombs ranging from 500 to 2000 lbs (in decent quantities but not matching the F-16A) and Hydra-70 M247 unguided rockets. The precision weapons are more numerous and more interesting. The JF-17 has access to both Chinese and American laser-guided bombs mounted on the four underwing pylons. Ordered from lowest to highest TNT equivalent, they are:

• GB250 - Chinese lightweight LGB with only 91 kg TNT, but IOG capability and an extra long 80 second guidance time
• GBU-12 Paveway II - American lightweight LGB with 117.59 kg TNT, can be double-racked on the mid-wing pylons
• GB500 - Chinese medium weight LGB with 220 kg TNT
• GBU-16 Paveway II - American medium weight LGB with 272.43 kg TNT
• GBU-10 Paveway II - American heavy weight LGB with 578.75 kg TNT

The GB500 is outperformed by the GBU-16. The GB250 and GBU-12 have different tradeoffs of better guidance versus better capacity.

The JF-17 brings a couple of new Chinese precision weapons to the table as well. The Fire Snake 70A (also designated BRM1) laser-guided HEAT rockets are comparable to CIRIT rockets used by the T129 attack helicopter but come in generous pods of 16 rounds each and have an effective range of around 8 km. They hit hard enough to dispatch light vehicles in several strikes and can be salvo fired such that SPAAs will have difficulties intercepting them. BRM1s may not be fast enough to reliably joust long-range SAMs, but they are good supplements for other CAS weapons.

The LS-6 glide bombs with satellite guidance are a very different type of weapon. They come in 250 kg and 500 kg sizes and feature unfolding wings that extend their range and increase their maneuverability compared to other satellite-guided bombs such as the American JDAM or the Russian KAB-500S. It's possible to lob LS-6s towards the battlefield well outside of the range of enemy air defense, as the battery lasts for up to 5 minutes, and then turn around and return to base. While this sounds very impressive on paper, the complete inability of satellite-guided bombs to adjust their destination after release means that they're only effective for hitting inattentive, static targets. Teammate assistance is helpful for identifying targets, especially from long distances where tanks may not render properly even through the targeting pod.

Usage in battles

Describe the tactics of playing in the aircraft, the features of using aircraft in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).

Pros and cons

Pros:

• High agility and good acceleration, pleasant flying qualities
• Good radar
• Powerful IR and active radar missiles
• Wide variety of ground-attack weapons, including unique laser-guided rockets and satellite glide bombs

Cons:

• Lower top speed compared to peers, cannot reach Mach 2
• No EEGS or HMS, technological disadvantage in dogfights
• No air-to-ground missiles

History

The JF-17 Thunder, a lightweight, multirole combat aircraft, was developed as a joint project between Pakistan and China. The primary goal of the project was to replace Pakistan's aging fleet, including aircraft like the Nanchang A-5C, Chengdu F-7P/PG, and Dassault Mirage III/5. This ambitious initiative aimed to produce an affordable, fourth-generation fighter that would be suitable for both domestic and export markets. The JF-17 was designed to be a versatile, cost-effective alternative to Western fighters, with a focus on exportability.

Development Timeline

The origins of the JF-17 trace back to earlier Pakistani efforts to modernize its air force. Initially, Pakistan sought to develop a new fighter in the 1980s and 1990s, launching various redesign projects like the Sabre II and Super 7, which were ultimately abandoned due to international sanctions. These sanctions targeted the import of technology from Western nations, limiting Pakistan’s ability to acquire the necessary components for an advanced fighter.

The idea for the JF-17 was fully realized in the early 1990s, following Pakistan’s successful cooperation with China on various defense projects. In 1991, the Chinese FC-1 (Fighter China) project was launched with the goal of producing a lightweight fighter for the Chinese Air Force. Pakistan’s involvement in the project began when the two nations signed a memorandum of understanding in 1995, formalizing their partnership. The Pakistani Air Force sought an aircraft that could offer similar capabilities to Western fighters, but at a significantly lower cost. In 2003, the first prototype of the aircraft was unveiled, with the maiden flight occurring that same year, followed by another in 2004.

The aircraft’s early design faced several challenges, including issues with engine smoke and aerodynamic performance. To address these problems, engineers implemented the Diverterless Supersonic Inlet (DSI) technology to improve airflow and reduce drag. The JF-17 was powered by the Russian Klimov RD-93 turbofan engine, which was selected for its performance and compatibility with the aircraft's design.

Production and Upgrades

After years of development, the JF-17 entered production in 2007, with the first units delivered to the Pakistan Air Force. Full-scale production began in 2009 at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) in Kamra. The aircraft’s affordability and adaptability quickly made it an attractive option for various air forces around the world. As interest grew, Pakistan expanded its production capacity to meet the rising demand from international customers.

Over time, the JF-17 saw a number of important upgrades. The Block II version, introduced in 2013, included significant improvements such as air-to-air refueling capability, enhanced avionics, and advanced data links for better communication and coordination during missions. These upgrades allowed the JF-17 to remain competitive with more advanced Western fighters while still retaining its cost-effective nature.

The Block III variant, which is currently under development, is set to bring even more advanced features, including an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar system and a helmet-mounted display, further enhancing the aircraft's combat capabilities. The JF-17's design has proven to be highly adaptable, allowing for continuous enhancements to keep pace with modern air combat demands.

Combat Usage

Since its induction into the Pakistan Air Force, the JF-17 has been actively involved in various combat operations. The aircraft played a key role in Pakistan's military operations, particularly in the context of regional conflicts with India and other security concerns. In 2019, the JF-17 was involved in the aerial clashes during the Kashmir conflict, where it demonstrated its combat readiness and effectiveness in air-to-air engagements. The aircraft's ability to carry a wide range of payloads, including air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, made it a versatile asset for Pakistan’s defense forces.

In addition to its domestic use, the JF-17 has also attracted interest from several other nations. Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Nigeria have shown interest in acquiring the fighter, seeing it as a reliable and affordable alternative to more expensive Western fighters. The aircraft’s low operating costs, combined with its advanced capabilities, have made it an attractive option for developing nations looking to modernize their air forces.

JF-17 PAKISTAN AIR FORCE at Le Bourget AIR SHOW

The JF-17's combat usage is expected to continue to expand as it is upgraded with new technology and features, further solidifying its role as a key player in modern air combat.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the aircraft;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

• [Devblog] Squadron Vehicles: JF-17 Thunder

Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC)
Jet Fighters	JF-17*
	*Jointly developed and built by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group and Pakistan Aeronautical Complex.

Squadron aircraft
USA	A-4E Early
Germany	Me 262 A-1a/U1 · ◌Hunter F.58
USSR	Su-22M3
Britain	Firecrest · Sea Harrier FRS.1
Japan	▄F-5E FCU
China	JF-17