Isn’t the JF-17 basically just a warmed over MiG-21? In other words, has it got anything more to offer compared to the Indian air force MiG-21 Bison, avionics etc?
Um no. JF-17 is developed from Super 7 which was supposed to have been the replacement of J-7 AKA MiG-21. Super 7 was developed in the 1980s based on F-20 Tigershark and YF-17 Cobra from Northrop Grumman, which is why it looks like a mix of F-20 and YF-17, having the former’s general layout and air intakes and tail and the latter’s LERX and wings. This also being why Super 7 looks like F/A-18 which was developed from YF-17.
http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/fc1xiaolongjf17thund/
Super 7 http://oldimg.fyjs.cn/Mon_0705/27_5847_e276950c95f89d8.jpg
JF-17 http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg191/scaled.php?server=191&filename=2009avic1jf17fc1parisai.jpg&res=medium
Super 7 was shelved after the 1989 Tiananmen incident in favor of J-10, and was brought out of the mothballs in the late 1990s due to the Pakistani requirement and developed into JF-17 which has updated airframe design, avionics, and weapons. JF-17 and even its predecessor Super 7 have nothing to do with MiG-21, as they were developed from American designs.
On the other hand JF-17 has rather limited capabilities, no advanced targeting pod, and no BVR missile.
JF-17 is armed with PL-12 air-to-air which is in the class of AMRAAM and YJ-83 anti-ship, both of which use active radar homing. Its targeting pod is the Chinese WMD-7 which is sort of like Sniper and Litening. JF-17 has a VERY advanced EW system mounted at the top of its tail, and can also carry the BM/KG300G autonomous jamming pod.
http://cnair.top81.cn/fighter/FC-1_SD-10A1.jpg
http://media.defenseindustrydaily.com/images/AIR_JF-17_PL-12_PL-8_C802_Weapons_Farnborough_2010_MilborneOne_CCASA3_lg.jpg
http://himg2.huanqiu.com/attachment/100720/zip1279595582/1279595582_9.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/JF17-10-113-1742.jpg
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