Guizhou Aeronautical Industry is a subsidiary of China's AVIC I. The company is developing the mechanically controlled FTC-2000, and has forecast a sales potential for up to 150 of the aircraft. Its hopes are currently pinned on securing a domestic order to supply the Chinese air force. Beijing is expected to make a decision between the FTC-2000 and Hongdu's rival L-15 later this year, with the selected aircraft to close the training gap with new frontline types such as the Chengdu J-10 fighter. Guizhou is also offering the FTC-2000 for applications including electronic attack, reconnaissance and light attack tasks, and says the design could be ready for series production from 2008. The FTC-2000 should be available for a unit cost of $5-6.4 million, Guizhou says.
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Source: Flight International
