J-15 simulator.
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Are you sure the F-18s were cheaper?

I don’t know about exact prices, but my understand is that they were comparing it to F-16 as both were single engine. Like said before, it was a total surprise to everyone that F-18 was selected, so after all these years there is still some confusion why F-18 was selected. Some say there was supposed to be some deals between US and Finland after the Hornet deal, and others claim that F-18 was selected because someone was bribed… incompetence of defense minister has been also suggested.

FiAF seems to be happy with the F-18.

In the 80s the Finns planned to buy 40 new Western aircraft and 20 new Soviet ones. but they went all in for hornets after USSR went kaput
before this happened, what were the other aircraft the finns were considering?

Most people were really surprised when it was announced that F-18 Hornet had won the competition! F-16 was thought to be the sure winner since it was cheaper and less expensive to operate.

Here is some info I have read from various Finnish aviation and military forums.

– Gripen: Not ready when decision was made.

– F-16: First LM offered the F-16 A/B, but after Hornet come to competition LM changed offer to F-16 C/D… too late.

– MiG-29 and MiG-31: According to papers Yeltsin said that Russia was ready to give those for free to get rid of debts Russia owed to Finland, that debt was used to get BUK-M1’s from Russia instead.

– Mirage 2000: Pilots said it was a good plane but government thought it was too expensive.

J-10 in MAKS 2013 air show.

J-31 is a very cute fighter.

It could be modern equivalent of F-117, used to knock out only most important targets like Taiwanese or Indian ABM systems, etc. Perhaps Chinese feel that such missions needs a human pilot instead of drone what can be jammed.

How many LS-6 (50kg) series bombs could that sort of machine hold?
http://www.ausairpower.net/APA-PLA-GBU.html#mozTocId132067

Third ZDK-03 was delivered to PAF.
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This is claimed to be ZDK-03 simulator, but i’m not sure because training crew looks Asian.
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Best picture so far.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8559/8780973468_6dbe52ffdd_o.jpg