Қытайдың Әскери-Теңіз Күштерінің JH-7 соғыс ұшағы

Chinese fighter bomber primarily used in the People's Liberation Army Navy

The Xi'an JH 7 ( – fighter bomber; NATO reporting name Flounder), also known as the FBC 1 (Fighter/Bomber China 1) Flying Leopard, is a Chinese tandem two seat, twin engine fighter bomber in service with the People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force (PLANAF), and the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). The main contractors are Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corporation (XAC) and the 603rd Aircraft Design Institute (later named the First Aircraft Institute of AVIC I). The first JH 7s were delivered to the PLANAF in the mid 1990s for evaluation, with the improved JH 7A entering service in 2004.

In the early 1970s, the PLAAF required a new fighter bomber to replace the Harbin H 5 and Nanchang Q 5. A request was duly submitted to the Ministry of Aviation Industry (later renamed to the Aviation Industry Corporation of China), which organized a domestic development program when efforts to secure a joint venture with foreign partners failed. The program was authorized on 19 April 1983 by then paramount leader Deng Xiaoping. The program was also aiming to make use of newly imported (in violation of the COCOM restrictions) British Rolls Royce Spey turbofan engines at the time.

The PLANAF required a similar aircraft and the program set out to develop a variant for each set of requirements. The PLAAF variant was conceived as an all weather, long range bomber/strike aircraft, with a two seat, tandem cockpit, electronic countermeasures (ECM), and terrain following capabilities (similar to the General Dynamics F 111). The naval version differed in that it was conceived as a dedicated reconnaissance/strike aircraft. The PLAAF variant was dropped in the early 1980s, with the PLANAF variant becoming the JH 7. Six prototypes were built by December 1988, and the PLANAF received 12 to 18 aircraft in the early 1990s for evaluation. The first aircraft used imported Rolls Royce Spey Mk.202 engines, later replaced by a license built copy, the WS 9. They were equipped with the Type 243H multifunction radar, which could detect ships at a maximum of , and MiG 21 sized aerial targets at
The JH 7 was designed as an anti ship fighter bomber. As with the later JH 7A, its aerial combat capability was insignificant given the large number of specialist aircraft for that role.

When the PLA examined the future role of air forces, it identified a need for precision air to surface capability. An improved JH 7, the JH 7A, was designed to meet this requirement. The JH 7A's general and deputy general designers were Tang Changhong (唐长红) and Wu Jieqin (吴介琴) respectively. The JH 7A had a lighter and stronger airframe than the JH 7, allowing the newer aircraft to carry a maximum ordnance load of 9,000 kg. In PLANAF, this allowed four YJ 82 anti ship missiles to be carried, compared to the two on the JH 7. The JH 7A is equipped with domestic Chinese helmet mounted sight (HMS) for evaluation, and this HMS currently being tested is developed by Xi'an Optronics Group (Xi Guang Ji Tuan 西光集团), a member of Northern Electro Optic Co. Ltd (北方光电股份有限公司), the wholly owned subsidiary of Norinco, and the HMS on JH 7A was developed from the helicopter HMS manufactured by the same company, thus both share many common components. HMS tested on JH 7A is compatible with air to air/surface missiles, and it is also compatible with airborne sensors such as radars and electro optics so that the sensors are slaved to HMS, enabling the fast tracking and aiming of the weaponry. The cockpit of JH 7A still retains some traditional single function dial indicators, but there are two large color liquid crystal display multi function displays which can be monochrome if pilots choose. Other avionic upgrades of JH 7 include: replacing Type 960 2 noise jammer with BM/KJ 8605, replacing Type 265A radar altimeter with Type 271 radar altimeter, fully digitized fly by wire flight control system, and in addition, Type 232H airborne radar is replaced by JL 10A pulse Doppler radar, enabling JH 7A to fire laser guided bombs and Kh 31P anti radiation missiles. The existing JH 7s were upgraded with JH 7A electronics. Two additional hardpoints increased the total to 6 from the original 4, and one piece windscreen replaced the original three piece windscreen. The JH 7A was the first Chinese aircraft to use paperless design, and the software used was CATIA V5.

On its maiden flight on 14 December 1988, while en route back to the airport to land, the engines of the JH 7 prototype suddenly began to vibrate violently. The test pilot Huang Bingxin (黄炳新) decided to make an emergency landing, but as he approached the airport, the vibration was so great that two thirds of the instruments had been shaken off the instrument panel, and all of the connectors of the remaining third still attached to the panel had also been shaken loose, so none of the instruments worked; the pilot nonetheless managed to eventually land the prototype safely. On 8 June 1991, a JH 7 prototype suddenly began to leak fuel at a high rate. Lu Jun (卢军), a Russian trained Chinese test pilot, managed to make a safe emergency landing when the fuel reserve had dropped to slightly more than 30 liters. Three years later, on 4 April 1994, a JH 7 prototype crashed during a test flight, killing Lu. In 2007 JH 7s went abroad to participate in "Peace Mission" exercises of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). In April 2012, multiple JH 7 aircraft joined a Russia China joint naval exercise in eastern China. In 2013, JH 7s participated in a Russia–China joint exercise held on Russian territory. On 14 October 2011, a JH 7 crashed during an exhibition at an air show in Shaanxi province, northwest China. On 5 June 2014, a JH 7 crashed during a training mission in Yiwu, Zhejiang province. On 22 December 2014, a JH 7 crashed near the city of Weinan in Shaanxi province, under unknown circumstances. At least two persons are said to have died in the crash. On 22 October 2016, a JH 7 crashed in Liuzhou, Guangxi province. According to pictures released on social media, the pilots ejected. On 12 March 2019, a JH 7 crashed during a training exercise in Ledong County, Hainan, killing two pilots on board. The crash of the normally high altitude usage, aged aircraft happened during a low altitude training flight, the pilots gave up an opportunity to eject to avoid densely populated residential area and were killed when trying to avoid a school, they were hailed for their bravery as martyrs by local officials. On 18 May 2019, a JH 7 crashed in 高村镇 (威海市), Weihai City area, Shandong province. A new variant of the Xian JH 7 fighter bomber is in service with the PLAAF as of August 2019. The variant is designated JH 7A2 (also spelled JH 7AII).

People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force – 120 .

JH 7 – Initial production version of the PLANAF anti shipping fighter bomber. JH 7A – Later production utilising composite structure to reduce weight, improved flying control system and improved avionics including the JL10A Shan Ying J band pulse Doppler radar. Weapon loads increased by the addition of two more wing hardpoints and two hardpoints under the intake trunking for mission pods such as targeting pods. JH 7A2 – Improved variant with enhanced air to ground munitions and carrying capabilities. The variant was first observed in 2019. The fighter bomber was official unveiled on Zhuhai Airshow in 2021. JH 7E Possibly export variant, shown at 2018 Zhuhai Airshow. FBC 1 Flying Leopard – Export version of the JH 7. FBC 1A Flying Leopard II – Export version of the JH 7A.