CHINA IS LIKELY to go ahead with development of the Chengdu Aircraft (CAC) FC-1, despite growing doubts over Pakistan's support for the programme.
According to defence sources, China's People's Liberation Army air force has a requirement for around 100 new FC-1 fighters, which is viewed as sufficient to support full-scale development and flight testing of the aircraft, irrespective of Pakistan's involvement.
Pakistani defence planners are wrestling with the problem of trying to find funding for the FC-1 and a planned purchase of 40 Dassault Mirage 2000-5 fighters from France. The Pakistani air force needs around 150 FC-1s to replace its earlier CAC F-7 fighters.
The latest revised programme schedule calls for the final selection of the FC-1s avionics and radar system by the end of the year, with a full-scale programme go-ahead in early 1997. Pakistan and China are meant to be co-ordinating the final selection process.
Foreign radar suppliers are competing for the FC-1 contract, including GEC-Marconi, offering the Blue Hawk, Thomson-CSF, Phazotron, with the Super Komar, and Fiar, proposing its derivative Grifo-S7 system.
China has still to decide between an elliptical or circular radar antenna to fit into the FC-1's nose. Some Chinese officials are understood to favour an elliptical design, to conform with the fighter's nose cross-section, while others are believed to prefer a circular antenna, arguing that it offers improved track-while-scan capabilities.
Source: Flight International
