Sudan orders six Chinese-made FTC-2000 trainer jets

GAIC director Wang Wenfei told China Aviation News that the FTC-2000 ordered by Sudan is the export version of the supersonic JL-9 trainer, which is widely by the Chinese air force and navy. Apart from Sudan, other African countries, including Nigeria, have expressed interest in acquiring the FTC-2000. 

Like many other African air forces, the SAF already operates several Chinese-made aircraft such as the Chengdu F-7 interceptor/strike fighter and Karakorum K8 light attack/trainer jets. 

Sudan is the first foreign buyer of the FTC-2000, which is primarily used as a basic and advanced pilot trainer aircraft.

In its primary role, the JL-9/FTC-2000 is capable of training pilots for advanced fighter aircraft such as the J-7, Shenyang J-8, Chengdu/Pakistan Aeronautical Complex JF-17 and the Russian-made Sukhoi Su-27.

To support the secondary combat role, the FTC-2000 is fitted with five hard points to carry fuel tanks and a 23 mm cannon. The trainer variant is powered by a single Guizhou Liyang WP-13 turbo-jet engine to a top speed of Mach 1.5. The engine is equipped with an after-burner.

FTC-2000 trainer