MiG-29M2 fighters of the Egyptian air force at the exercise "Eagles of the Nile-1" for the first time operated together with Chinese-made FTC-2000 aircraft.
These training and combat vehicles belong to the Sudan, over the ranges of which, in fact, various scenarios for the use of this winged equipment are being worked out.
The twenty-Niners have proven themselves well among Arab pilots, who value them for their good maneuverability, high-speed characteristics and a large Arsenal of weapons.
In addition, Russian equipment is traditionally highly reliable.
The Sudanese aircraft are interesting because they are an export version of the combat training JL-9-a deeply modernized JJ-7, which, in turn, is a clone of the Soviet MiG-21UB.
The main difference from the original is the use of side air intakes.
Its normal take-off weight is only 8000 kg. The maximum speed is more than 1700 km/h. The practical ceiling is 15,000 meters. The driving range is 2500 kilometers.
The aircraft is equipped with an onboard radar station, which allows you to effectively perform tasks to combat air targets. For this purpose, there is a 23-mm gun and missiles with infrared guidance systems are suspended.
Unguided missiles and bombs, including corrected ones, can be used for ground strikes.
Sudan has purchased 6 units so far, with the first aircraft arriving in 2017. In China, a deck version of the car is also being created.
Alexey Brusilov