Light combat aircraft

A Light combat aircraft is a light multirole jet military aircraft most coming from advanced trainers that have been modified or designed for engaging in light combat missions, either in light strike or attack missions, reconnaissance or interdiction roles while some keeping its trainer role.[1][2] They are also slower than their bigger counterparts and most are only capable of subsonic speeds though some are capable of reaching mach 1+.[3] Although equipped with either guns or short range air-to-air missiles[4] it is usually for self-defense purpose or anti-hostile aircraft/helicopter missions not for air defense as lightweight fighters do, though some are capable of air to air combat or point air defense missions due to integrated or have variants capable of carrying powerful multi-mode radar systems,[5][6][7] most LCAs don't have such due to their small limited design or are less powerful. However they can still be used to patrol the skies and implement border patrol or air policing.[8][9][10] These aircraft are usually smaller and more lightly armed than the bigger multirole or strike aircraft such as the American F-18, F-15E Strike Eagle or Russian Mig-29. Most LCAs are armed with either bombs, rockets or gun pods used for COIN or CAS missions. Some aircraft have been developed to integrate more advanced armaments such as smart bombs and air to ground missiles, ECM pods (Electronic Countermeasure) and electronic targeting systems for better mission capability.[11][12][13][14][15][16]

An Aero L-159 Alca, a type of light combat aircraft

Gallery

Active

Country	Manufacturer	Aircraft	Introduced	Variants	Development	Photo
United States	Northrop Corporation	F-5	1962	Canadair CF-5 Shaped Sonic Boom Demonstration Northrop F-20 Tigershark	Designed as a multirole light combat aircraft
Iran	HESA	Azarakhsh	1997	HESA Saeqeh HESA Kowsar	Designed as a multirole light combat aircraft, derived from the F-5
Czech Republic	Aero Vodochody	L-159 ALCA	2000	L-159T1,T2,A/B	Designed as a multirole light combat aircraft derived from the L-59
Germany  France	Dornier of Germany and Dassault-Breguet of France	Alpha jet MS2, ATS	1973	Jet A/B,2	MS and ATS variant modified and upgraded
Italy	Alenia Aermacchi	M-346FA/FT	2004	M-346 trainer	Improved and modified M346FA/FT for multirole fighter and attack missions
		MB-339C	1979	A/B	C variant modified and upgraded
South Korea	Korea Aerospace Industries	TA-50	2005	T-50/FA-50	2nd variant, evolution from the T-50 AJT, modified and upgraded
United Kingdom	BAE Systems MAS Division	BAE Hawk 200	1976	Hawk 100	Developed and re-designed from Hawk trainer, upgraded weapons and sensors for air-to-air, air-to-ground and maritime roles
Yugoslavia	Aeronautical Technical Institute	G-4MD Super Galeb	1983	G-4/S	4M variant modified and upgraded
China  Pakistan	Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) of China,Pakistan Aeronautical Complex(PAC)	JF-17	2007	JF-17B	Designed as a light multi-role combat aircraft
China	Hongdu	L-15	2010	A, AW, B, Z, JL-10	Designed as an advanced trainer, and light combat aircraft.
India	Hindustan Aeronautics Limited	HAL Tejas	2015	Navy variant	Mark-1 to be developed into Mark-1A and Mark-2
Russia	Yakovlev	YAK-130	1996	YAK-131	Designed as a light attack/fighter/trainer

See also

• Light fighter

References

1. Reed Business Information Limited. "PICTURES: KAI rolls out first production T/A-50". flightglobal.com.
2. Wright 1992, p. 251
3. "The Aermacchi M-346 advanced trainer breaks the sound barrier. After 50 years an all-Italian aircraft flies at Mach 1" (PDF) (Press release). Alenia Aermacchi. 2008. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
4. "[사진] 국산 초음속 경공격기 "발사"". joinsmsn.com. Archived from the original on 2012-04-26.
5. "Aero L-159 Alca" (PDF). Archived from the original (pdf) on November 2, 2004.
6. Reed Business Information Limited. "T/A-50 makers plan Israeli pitch". flightglobal.com.
7. "British Aerospace Hawk 100 & Hawk 200". militaryaviation.eu. Archived from the original on 2015-02-14. Retrieved 2015-03-07.
8. http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/czech-l-159s-cheap-to-good-home-03494/
9. http://www.military-today.com/aircraft/dornier_alpha_jet.htm
10. http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/p005614.pdf
11. T-50 Golden Eagle Jet Trainer and Light Attack Aircraft, South Korea. Air Force Technology.
12. "국방일보". dema.mil.kr.
13. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/08/11/310538/serbian-air-force-targets-fleet-modernisation.html
14. http://bemil.chosun.com/nbrd/data/10040/upfile/201009/20100925140812_2.jpg
15. https://www.leonardocompany.com/en/-/focus-aermacchi-m346fa-multirole
16. https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/m-346fa-fighter-attack-aircraft/

External links