China Aviation Industry Corporation II (AVIC II) was working toward a new advanced trainer for the People's Liberation Army (PLA) by 2000; that year AVIC II contracted the Yakovlev Design Bureau from Russia — and designer of the Yak-130 trainer — as a technical and scientific consultant for the L-15 programme.[7] The L-15 would compete with the Guizhou JL-9 developed in parallel by China Aviation Industry Corporation I.[8] The prototype was completed in September 2005[9] and first flew on March 13, 2006.[1] The initial variants were a subsonic advanced jet trainer and a supersonic advanced fighter trainer.[1]
Development of the L-15B, a supersonic variant for LIFT, was announced in 2010.[4] It first flew on December 21, 2017.[10]
Zambia ordered 6 advanced fighter trainers as the L-15Z[1] in 2014 for US$100 million;[12] they were delivered in 2016[1] and 2017.[10]
The first L-15 in PLAAF colors was seen in 2016.[13] The PLA used a few L-15s for flight-test evaluation before 2018.[10] The People's Liberation Army Navy received 12 L-15s in August 2018.[14] The PLAAF began using the JL-10 for LIFT in 2019. Compared to the less sophisticated JL-9, the JL-10 reduces candidate and conversion training time for more recent PLAAF aircraft.[6]
On 23 February 2022, the United Arab Emirates announced its intention to buy 12 L-15s, with an option for 36 more.[15][16] The value of the deal was not released, the Emirati newspaper The National reported that China sells the L-15 for $10–15 million per unit.[17]
The L-15A subsonic advanced jet trainer is powered by the Ivchenko-Progress AI-222-25[1] and has seven weapon hardpoints.[10] The supersonic advanced fighter trainer variant is powered by the afterburning AI-222K-25.[1] According to a Ukrainian source, 25% of the aircraft is composed of composite materials and its service life is 10,000 hours.[18]
The L-15B light attack aircraft is powered by the AI-222K-25F[13] for a maximum speed of Mach 1.4.[4] Compared to the L-15A, the L-15B has shorter take-off and landing distances and two more hardpoints.[5]
^Hoyle, Craig (2012-11-20). "CATIC lines up first international L-15 sale after agreeing to buy 12 trainers". Flight International. Vol. 182, no. 5367. p. 23.
^Fisher, Richard D. Jr. (30 December 2015). "Zambia to receive first Hongdu L-15 trainer". Jane's Defence Weekly. 53 (8). Surrey, UK: Jane's Information Group. ISSN0265-3818.
^أحمد النعيمي; زكريا محيي الدين (2022-02-23). "وزارة الدفاع تنوي شراء 12 طائرة صينية من طراز" [The Ministry of Defense intends to buy 12 Chinese L15 aircraft]. Emirates News Agency (in Arabic). Retrieved 2022-02-23.
People's Republic of China
Zambia
United Arab Emirates
Ethiopia[22]
