Among the fighter jets in the People's Liberation Army Air Force, the J-7 is one of the oldest and most renowned. The J-7, which has been made in China since the 1950s, is a product of the Soviet Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-21. The J-7 has undergone more than a dozen modifications over its development. The J-7 is a single-engine light fighter aircraft that can fly at a top speed of Mach 2.
The Chengdu J-7 is an interceptor aircraft that was developed for the Chinese Air Force. It was developed to strike the People's Liberation Army Air Force. The PLAAF's air defense system consists of the J-7, J-9, and J-11. In addition, Chengdu also produced a number of trainer derivatives of the J-7 for use by the Naval Air Force.
The J-7 was developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) with the objective of creating a new light single-engine fighter aircraft. The original design of the aircraft was a copy from the Soviet MiG-21. The WP-7b engine is capable of producing 3320 kgf. The Chinese military approved J-7 as an operational plane in June 1967. More than 2,400 J-7s were built in Chengdu during the production run.
The J-7 comes equipped with various air to-air missiles. These include Type 30-1 cannons in two directions, 55mm rocket pods (12 round), and 50 kg to 500kg of unguided explosive bombs. The J-7 is capable of operating at Mach 2.
Chengdu has also developed a number of other aircraft derivatives, including the J-10A. This aircraft has a delta wings that allow it to fly at higher elevations. Fly-by-wire flight controls are also available on the J-10A. Its avionics are modeled after those of the J-8 interceptor, which was developed with lessons learned from the J-7 program.
The J-7 was initially designed to target the People's Republic of China's People's Liberation Army Air Force of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The J-7 can also be used for regional air defense by other air forces. Some of the nations that have operated J-7s are the Pakistan Air Force, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Sri Lanka. China has announced an increase of 6.8% in its defense budget for 2021. This will allow for modernization of its military. PLA Air Force plans to decommission J-7 fighter jets and make way for the next generation aircraft.
The J-7 is the PLA Air Force's most experienced fighter jet. Its maximum speed is Mach 2. It has five hardpoints including one for missiles. It can also carry short-range missiles. The radar also has a fire-control system. The radar can travel up to 28 kilometers. The aircraft also uses a data link called the Type 481 to feed directions to the autopilot directly from a ground-controlled interception center.
The J-7 has a 20,000-meter ceiling. Its maximum takeoff mass is 9,100 kg. The aircraft can also land at a distance of 750 meters.