[Military & Weapon Sub-Section] Author: Lele

On the 10th, the Myanmar government released a statement saying that an aircraft crashed on the same day due to a sudden malfunction. At first, everyone didn't take it seriously, but the U.S. "Defence-Blog" website reacted quickly and posted an article stating that "a 'JF-17 Thunder' was shot down by regional armed forces", which suddenly brought up the heat of the incident. After all, in the context of Azerbaijan preparing to purchase 40 JF-17 Block3 fighters, such accidents would have a very negative impact - good news is that it has been confirmed that it had nothing to do with the 'JF-17'.

▲Myanmar's statement is technical failure

In fact, when we first heard the claim that "the 'JF-17' was shot down by a portable anti-aircraft missile while performing a ground attack mission," we felt something was off - Myanmar Air Force equipment levels are relatively poor, and they attach great importance to their 16 JF-17 Block2 fighters. They also have a large number of low-level ground attack aircraft, making it hard to imagine them sending out a 'JF-17' for this kind of task. Even if the JF-17 Block2 really did take off, it would be difficult to be shot down by a portable anti-aircraft missile. Because this true fourth-generation fighter, when conducting ground attacks, exceeds the range of the missile. In the Ukraine-Russia conflict, the initial heavy losses of Russian Su-34 aircraft were due to the results of Ukrainian medium-to-long-range air defense missiles.

▲The level of the JF-17 Block2 is not so low that it needs to drop bombs at ultra-low altitudes

Once the site pictures were seen, the problem became even simpler. The engine debris clearly showing turbojet traces and the black landing gear fragments obviously did not belong to the 'JF-17'. When people curiously traced the source of the message, they weren't surprised to find out that the story about the 'JF-17' being shot down was spread by Indian media. For India, this is business as usual - as early as December 2022, India's 'Eurasia Times' confidently claimed that the 'JF-17 Block2' equipped by Myanmar Air Force had encountered technical problems such as "cracks in the fuselage and avionics failures" and had been grounded entirely, causing quite a stir. However, within a month, Myanmar deployed its 'JF-17 Block2' to conduct cross-border airstrikes against opposition forces stationed in India.

▲India has been smearing the 'JF-17' for many years

Compared to the accusations made by the previous 'Eurasia Times', this action not only proved the capabilities of the 'JF-17 Block2', but also marked the first time the 'JF-17' could be confirmed to have attacked India (there has always been controversy over whether Pakistan used the 'JF-17' or the 'Mirage' during the conflict in 2019). In the May conflict between India and Pakistan, the 'JF-17 Block3' once again took to the skies, using CM-400AKG anti-radiation missiles to injure India's proud S-400, and securing a $4.6 billion order from Azerbaijan, far surpassing India's 'Tejas'. Under these circumstances, if Indian media didn't rush to smear the 'JF-17', it wouldn't be India.

▲The practical performance of the 'JF-17 Block3' is very impressive

However, although it can now be confirmed that the crashed aircraft was not the 'JF-17', based on the wreckage features, it should be one of Myanmar's J-7 series. And because of historical origins, Myanmar Air Force actually equips with J-7, twin-seat J-7 trainer, and the so-called "super-modified J-7" FTC-2000G. Based on sortie frequency and unconfirmed local civilian messages, the possibility of FTC-2000G is quite high. If true, it means that Myanmar has lost two aircraft of the twelve FTC-2000Gs delivered in less than two years - the first confirmed to be shot down by FN-6, staging an embarrassing "domestic weapons engaging abroad". Now, it's unclear whether this incident is due to a technical failure or another mishap involving domestic portable anti-aircraft missiles.

▲The development concept of FTC-2000G is still pretty good

Early on in China, a high-level trainer - Gaojiao-9 - was developed based on the J-7 trainer. Once the J-10 instructor began replacing the Gaojiao-9, the production unit adjusted the production line to derive a cost-effective multi-role model suitable for ground attacks, which is now the FTC-2000G, currently having Sudan and Myanmar as its users. However, the delivery experiences of the FTC-2000G haven't been favorable - Myanmar aside, Sudan's FTC-2000G fell into the hands of the opposition forces after the outbreak of internal unrest, most of them burned, and the few remaining rarely engaged in combat. Nevertheless, Myanmar seems satisfied with the FTC-2000G, not only choosing a higher configuration (quite outstanding radar performance), but also placing an additional order to compensate for the first war loss.

▲Though seeing wreckage is somewhat embarrassing

If it's indeed the FTC-2000G that was lost this time, then Myanmar Air Force might need to buy another one. Coincidentally, around 16:00 local time on June 10th, a South Korean Air Force F-16D experienced a serious accident during exercises in Alaska, with the aircraft catching fire and producing thick smoke - this accident isn't something that concerns just one person.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7514615201875100160/

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