China has sealed a deal with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which is purchasing the L-15 trainer and light attack jet, according to the Official WeChat Account of Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).

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Model of L-15 in UAE markings displayed at IDEX 2023 in Abu Dhabi (Picture source: Army Recognition)

At IDEX 2023 defense exhibition in Abu Dhabi last February, China's State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense organized China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC) and some other military trade companies to participate as unified national exhibitor group “China Defense”.

At the exhibition, the L-15 trainer aircraft with aerial refueling capability made its debut with the marking of the UAE Air Force. The L-15 can train 4th- and 5th- generation fighter pilots, and carry out air combat and ground attack tasks.

The Hongdu JL-10, also initially known as Hongdu L-15 Falcon, is a jet trainer and light attack aircraft developed by China's Hongdu Aviation Industry Group, in collaboration with Russia's Yakovlev Design Bureau. The L-15 made its first flight in 2006 and entered service with the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) in 2012.

The L-15A subsonic advanced jet trainer is powered by the Ivchenko-Progress AI-222-25 and has seven weapon hardpoints. The supersonic advanced fighter trainer variant is powered by the afterburning AI-222K-25. According to a Ukrainian source, 25% of the aircraft is composed of composite materials and its service life is 10,000 hours. The L-15B light attack aircraft is powered by the AI-222K-25F for a maximum speed of Mach 1.4. Compared to the L-15A, the L-15B has shorter take-off and landing distances and two more hard points. The L-15A and L-15B use a PESA radar.

The aircraft has a glass cockpit with a Head-Up Display (HUD) and Multi-Function Displays (MFDs) for the pilot and a rear seat for the instructor. It is equipped with an Integrated Avionics System (IAS) that includes a Digital Fly-By-Wire (DFBW) Flight Control System (FCS), an Inertial Navigation System (INS), a Global Positioning System (GPS), and a Multi-Mode Radar.

The L-15 has a range of over 2,000 km and a service ceiling of 16,000 meters. It can carry up to 3,000 kg of weapons, including air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles, rockets, and bombs. It also has a 23mm cannon mounted on the underside of the fuselage.

L-15 trainer and light attack jet (Picture source: Army Recognition)