Shenyang J-5
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The J-5 or F-5, not to be confused with the American-made F-5 Freedom Fighter, is a Chinese-built single-seat jet interceptor and fighter aircraft derived from the Russian MiG-17. The J-5A (J-5Jia) is a single-seat all-weather, day and night interceptor fighter. It is armed with only four PL-1 air-to-air missiles, and equipped with an airborne interception radar. The JJ-5 is a two-seat dual-control advanced jet trainer. It has the two-seat tandem cockpit of the MiG-15UTI jet trainer, fitted into the airframe of a single-seat J-5 jet fighter. It was exported outside of China as the FT-5.
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[edit] Overview
After initial experiences with the Mikoyan MiG-15, the Chinese followed the evolutionary development of the MiG as the Soviet Union provided each improved model. The Mikoyan MiG-17 offered upgraded performance over the MiG-15, although it retained the single engine and barrel fuselage shape of its predecessor.
- The following information were taken from Greg Gobel's article Chinese & Polish MIG-17 Production
The MiG-17 was license-built in both China and Poland. In the early 1950s, the PLAAF obtained a number of Soviet-built MiG-17 Fresco-A day fighters, designated "J-5" or, when passed on to other countries, "F-5". The Chinese obtained plans for the MiG-17F Fresco-C day fighter in 1955, along with two completed pattern aircraft, 15 knockdown kits, and parts for ten aircraft. The first Chinese-built MiG-17F, produced by the Shenyang factory, performed its initial flight on 19 July 1956 with test pilot Wu Keming at the controls. The MiG-17F was known as the "J-5" in Chinese service, or "F-5" when it was exported. One was actually trialed as a torpedo bomber, but not surprisingly the concept never made it into formal service.
The Chinese then went on to produce the MiG-17PF interceptor as the "J-5A (F-5A)". Plans were obtained in 1961, but the country was in turmoil in the early 1960s and the first Chinese-built MiG-17PF, produced at the Chengdu factory, didn't fly until 1964, when the type was basically obsolete. It was given the designation of "J-5A (F-5A)". A total of 767 J-5s and J-5As were built to end of production in 1969.
Somewhat more practically, the Chinese built a two-seat trainer version of the MiG-17, designated the "JJ-5 (FT-5)". It was something of a hybrid, featuring the cockpit system of the MiG-15UTI / JJ-2, the non-afterburning VK-1A engine of the MiG-17 Fresco-A, and the larger airbrakes of the MiG-17F. It also had a protruding upper intake lip resembling that of the MiG-17PF, but the JJ-5 wasn't fitted with radar. All the nose armament was deleted, with the aircraft carrying a single NR-23 cannon in a belly pack. First flight was in 1968, with the type built at the Chengdu factory.
About 1,061 JJ-5s were built to end of production in 1986, with the type exported to a number of countries. The first sale to the west happened in the 1980's, when the United States purchased a number of J-5's along with J-4's from China via the Combat Core Certification Professionals Company, and these aircraft were employed in a "mobile threat test" program at Kirtland Air Force Base, operated by 4477th "Red Hats" Test and Evaluation Squadron of the United States Air Force. Some sources have referred to it as a "MiG-17UTI", but formally speaking there never was an aircraft with that designation.
[edit] Specifications
The aircraft had a maximum speed of 1140 km/h (617 knots). It could reach a maximum height of 16,600 meters (54,500 feet). It has a range of 1400 km (755 nautical miles).
[edit] Operations
The J-5 and JJ-5 were sold to a number of overseas countries, such as Albania, Bangladesh, North Korea, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania, the United States, Vietnam and Zimbabwe. The J-5 has been phased out of service with the PLAAF, but it continues to serve in the North Korean Air Force, and trainer variants see limited use in the Pakistan Air Force.
[edit] Combat Service
J-5's have been used in many regional conflicts like its originator MiG-17.
[edit] Albania
J-5 jets were among the first Chinese miliary aid to Albania, but the its deployment against the Yugoslav air incursion was relatively unsuccessful due to its subsonic speed, and the aircraft were soon reassigned once Shenyang J-6 became available.
[edit] Pakistan
Pakistani J-5 participated in both the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, mostly for ground attack missions. Air-to-air combats of Pakistani J-5 pilots involved only occurred during the Arab-Israeli conflicts, and according Israeli pilots, Pakistani pilots fought for Syria was more formidable than Syrian pilots. However, the jets Pakistani pilots flew were most likely MiG-17 instead of J-5.
[edit] Sri Lanka
Like all other aircraft in Sri Lanka Air Force, J-5 were used for ground attack missions since the Tamil rebels had no air force.
[edit] Sudan
Similar to Sri Lanka, Sudanese J-5 were used for ground attack missions since rebels had no air force.
[edit] Somalia
Like most aircraft in Somali inventory, majority of the J-5 were lost during the Ogaden War, in which more than 75% of the Somali Air Force was decimated, because Somali pilots were not as skilled as the Cuban pilots supporting Ethiopia.
[edit] Tanzania
J-5's were used for ground attack missions during the Uganda-Tanzania War.
[edit] Vietnam
J-5's were used along the Soviet supplied MiG-17 for interception mission.
[edit] Zimbabwe
Although J-5 was relatively on equal terms when used against the South African Aermacchi AM.3 and Aermacchi MB-326 during the South African Border War, due to the inadequate C3I Zimbabwe had, no successful interception was made. The J-5's in Zimbabwe were first piloted by Pakistani pilots.
[edit] US service
In the 1980's, the United States purchased a number of J-5 along with J-4 from China via the Combat Core Certification Professionals Company, and these aircraft were employed in a "mobile threat test" program at Kirtland Air Force Base, operated by 4477th "Red Hats" Test and Evaluation Squadron of the United States Air Force. It is believed that these aircraft owned by the current Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center at the Kirtland Air Force Base are mothballed.
[edit] Related content
Comparable aircraft
| PLAAF Aircraft (active) | |
| Bombers: |
|
| Fighters: J-4 | J-5 | J-6 | J-7 | J-8 | J-10 | J-11 | Q-5 | Su-27 | Su-30 MKK | JH-7 | |
|
| Reconnaissance: HZ-5 | JZ-5 | JZ-6 (MiG-19R) | JZ-7 | JZ-8 Finback | Tu-154M | |
|
| Tanker: HY-6 |
|
| Transport: B-737-200 | CL 601 Challenger | Il-76 Candid | Tu-154 | Y-8 | Y-11 | Y-12 | Y-5 | Y-7 | |
