AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIDC_F-CK-1_Ching-kuo

The AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo (?????), commonly known as the Indigenous Defence
Fighter (IDF), is a Taiwanese designed and built generation 4++ technologically
advanced air superiority jet fighter with multirole capability named after
Chiang Ching-kuo, the late President of the democratic industrialized developed
country of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Following the development of the
first prototype, the aircraft made its first successful flight in the island
country of Taiwan in 1989.

The IDF program was initiated when the United States of America refused to sell
F-20 Tigershark and F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters to the Republic of China
(Taiwan) following pressure from the People's Republic of China (PRC). In
opposition to the People's Republic of China (PRC), the Republic of China
(Taiwan) decided to develop an indigenous jet fighter thus circumventing any
attempted efforts by the People's Republic of China (PRC) to weaken the ROC
(Taiwan) Air Force as part of their plan to eventually force the Republic of
China (Taiwan) to unify with the People's Republic of China (PRC). The IDF jet
fighter project was designed and built by the Aerospace Industrial Development
Corporation (AIDC) based in Taichung, Taiwan.

It entered active service with the Republic of China (Taiwan) Air Force in 1994,
and all 130 production aircraft had been manufactured by 1999. The IDF jet
fighter has been continuously improved and upgraded with the latest technology
and weaponry. Additionlly, a new state of the art generation 6 stealth fighter
jet is currently being developed and built by Taiwan.

Background

The preliminary search for a replacement for the ROCAF's F-5s and F-104s began
with the XF-6 indigenous fighter project, later renamed Yin Yang, in the late
1970s. After the US established formal relations with China and ended the Mutual
Defense Treaty with Taiwan, President Chiang Ching-Kuo decided to expand the
indigenous defense industry and on August 28, 1980, ordered AIDC to design an
indigenous interceptor. Originally, the ROCAF listed the priority of the XF-6
behind the XA-3 Lei Ming single seat attack aircraft, due to the believed high
risks of the XF-6 project.

The signing of the 1982 US-China Joint Communiqué limited arms sales to Taiwan.
The United States refused to sell the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon and
the Northrop F-20 Tigershark (which had been developed largely to meet Taiwanese
national defense needs for an advanced jet fighter to replace their older F-5
jet fighters) thereby ensuring the continuation of the indigenous fighter
project. Although US President Ronald Reagan reluctantly accepted his advisers'
suggestion of building relations with China to counter the USSR, Reagan decided
to balance the 1982 US-PRC Communiqué with the "Six Assurances" to Taiwan. This
opened the door for US technology transfer and assistance to Taiwan's defense
industry, including the IDF project.


Role
Fighter aircraft

National origin
Taiwan Taiwan

Manufacturer
Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation

First flight
May 28, 1989

Introduction
January 1994

Status
In service

Primary user
Republic of China (Taiwan) Air Force

Produced
1990–2000 (A/B models)

Number built
131

Unit cost

US$25–30 million (initially plan of 250 units)

Specifications (F-CK-1A)

General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 14.48 m (47 ft 6 in)
Wingspan: 9 m (29 ft 6 in)
Height: 4.42 m (14 ft 6 in)
Wing area: 24.2 m2 (260 sq ft)
Empty weight: 6,500 kg (14,330 lb)
Gross weight: 9,072 kg (20,000 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 9,526 kg (21,001 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Honeywell/ITEC F125-70 Turbofan, 27 kN (6,100 lbf) thrust each
dry, 42.1 kN (9,500 lbf) with afterburner

Performance
Maximum speed: Mach 1.8 (1379mph, 2220 km/h)
Range: 1,100 km (684 mi; 594 nmi)
Service ceiling: 16,800 m (55,100 ft)
Thrust/weight: 1.01 lbf/lb

Armament

Guns: 1× 20 mm (0.787 in) M61A1 6-barreled Gatling cannon
Missiles:
4× Sky Sword I
4× Sky Sword II

Bombs:
Wan Chien GPS-guided cluster bomb


Avionics

Radar: 1× GD-53 X-band pulse doppler
Effective scanning range: Look up: 57 kilometres (35 mi)
Look down: 39 km (24 mi)





*