| China is entering the jet fighter trainer business and | | | | expected to start by the end of 2005. China needs |
| set to start building a completely new generation of | | | | this aircraft to train it's pilots to fly the Su-27s and |
| trainers called the JL-19 Mountain Eagle. The jet is | | | | Su-30 Russian Fighters that they have ordered. The |
| also know as the FTC-2000, which is interesting, as | | | | little trainer has excellent performance and can go |
| the FTC is the agency which is crippling our US | | | | over 1.5 Mach or one and a half times the speed of |
| Corporations competitiveness over seas now. The | | | | sound. These same aircraft are expected to flood |
| JL-19 or FTC 2000 aircraft is a tandem two-seat, | | | | the developing nations with fighter planes. In fact |
| single engine jet fighter aircraft developed by Guizhou | | | | there is already talk of Mexico and other |
| Aviation Industry. This is the same manufacturer of | | | | middle-eastern nations buying them too. The Guihou |
| the JJ-7 fighter trainer now being used in the Chinese | | | | Group stated in an interview with sinodaily.com: |
| Air Force. | | | | "Since it is both a fighter and trainer, some small |
| There are already plans to have no less than 10 | | | | countries, lacking a large fleet of fighter planes, could |
| aircraft to be delivered by the end of the year, | | | | use the Mountain Eagle to train their fighter pilots in |
| Chinese Year. The first flight of this new aircraft was | | | | peace time, arming it for use as a fighter in war time. |
| made in December of 2003 and mass production is | | | | |