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World Aviation Defense & Security News - China
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China's female pilots to fly JH-7 light bomber aircraft for the first time
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Female pilots will fly the Chinese Air Force's Xian JH-7 bombers for the first time, according to the PLA Daily on Wednesday April 20. Until now, the cockpit has been occupied only by male pilots. The Air Force of the People's Liberation Army (PLAAF) has decided to modify the jet's cockpit to better accommodate female pilots.
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 A PLAAF JH-7A fighter-bomber aircraft |
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The People's Liberation Army Air Force is now training women to fly the jets at an air base in northeast China. The pilots will also carry out night formation flight drills for future combat missions.
The Xian JH-7 fighter-bomber jet, also known as FBC-1 "Flying Leopard", is independently developed and manufactured by Xi'an Aircraft Industry Corp. in northwest China. The aircraft contains two cabins, with the forecabin holding the cockpit while the rear cabin controls the weapons. The first JH-7s were delivered to the PLAAF in the mid-1990s for evaluation, with the improved JH-7A entering service in 2004. About 120 JH-7/A are currently in service in the PLAAF. A new and much improved JH-7B is currently under development. It features a whole new avionics system, added stealth features to reduce frontal RCS; a more powerful WS-9A engine and new advance weapon package including the YJ-12 cruise missile. |
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