JF-17 Thunder – All round view Chapter 8 : JF-17 Thunder’s Weapon Load
JF-17 configuration of weapon load:
JF-17 Weapon load
Weapons Rails/Hard Points:
JF-17 Thunder has seven hard points for carrying external weapons/fuel tanks. One is on each wing tip, two under each wing and one under belly.
Pylons attachments areas marked on the upper side on wings.
JF-17’s pylon 1,2 and 6,7 are mainly used for carrying air-air missiles. JF-17 can carry two AIM-9L Sidewinders or PL-5E II Short Range Air to Air Missiles (SRAAM) on wingtip pylons (pylon 1/2) and four SD-10A Beyond Visual Range Air to Air Missiles (BVRAAM) on multi ejectors racks attached on pylon 6/7. Pylon 6/7 can also carry mission pods including WMD-7 Optical targeting pod and KG-300 Electronic Warfare pod.
JF-17’s pylon 3 and 5 with various pins for locking, security and jettissioning attached weapons/fuel stations. It can carry 1000+ Kg of weapons which include Mk-82/84 dumb bombs, LT-2/GBU-10/12 Laser Guided bombs (LGB), various classes of LS-6 gluide guided bombs, C-802 Anti-Shipping Missile (ASM) and H-2/4 Stand-Off Weapon (SOW), Ra’ad Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) in the future.
JF-17’s pylon 3 and 5 is mainly used for carrying 1100 L fuel tanks. In the left photo; High-visibility markings in both English and Chinese language for ground crew.
JF-17’s pylon 4 is mainly used for carrying 800 L fuel tank. It can also be used to carry up to 2000lbs (1000kg+) of munitions.
External fuel stations
JF-17 can carry three external fuel tanks (2x 1100 L under wing and 1X 800 L centerline fuel tank) both Air-to-Air and Air-to-Ground role.
The maximum range (3,000km) in a High-High-High mission profile is achieved in the following configuration:
- Stores: 2 x PL-5E II SRAAM + 2 x SD-10A MRAAM + 2 x 1100 L tank + 800 L tank.
The maximum range (1,200km) in a Medium-Low-Low-High mission profile is achieved in the following configuration:
- Stores: 2 x PL-5E II SRAAM + 4 x 250kg bomb + 2 x 1100 L tank + 800 L tank.
Weapon load case studies
Characteristics / specification chart of JF-17 on the static display at Izmir during the Centenary Celebrations of Turkish Air Show 2011.
JF-17 has a maximum take-off weight 27,336 lb (12,400kg), maximum external stores weight of 8820lbs (4,000kg)
| Weapon | Length | Diameter | Weight |
| WMD-7 pod | 2.700 m | 0.390 m | 280 kg |
| C-802A | 6.392 m | 36 cm | 715 kg |
| Ra’ad ALCM | 4.85 m | – | 1100 kg |
| H-2/4 SOW | 3650 mm | 38 cm | H-4: 1200 kgH-2: 980 kg (2,160 lb) |
| MK-82 bomb | 87.4 inches (2,220 mm) | 10.75 inches (273 mm) | 227 kg (500 lb) |
| MK-84 bomb | 129 in (3280 mm) | 18 in (458 mm) | 925 kg (2039 lb) |
| LT-2 | 3580mm | 380mm | 570kg |
| LT-3 | 3.58m | 0.38 m | 564 kg |
| LS-6 (500 kg) | 300mm | 377mm | 540kg |
| PL-5E SRAAM | 2.893m | 0.127m | 83kg |
| SD-10A MRAAM | 3,850mm | 203mm | 180kg |
| AIM-9L Sidewinder | 2850 mm | 127mm | 85.3kg |
| MAR-1 ARM | 4.03 metres (13.2 ft) | 0.23 metres (0.75 ft) | 274 kilograms (600 lb) |
According to Chief Designer of JF-17 at Dubai Air Show 2011, 3 pylons of JF-17 can carry a total of 4,000+ kg of weapon load.
Considering a JF-17 equipped with:
Case-1
4x SD-10 MRAAM on under-wing Multi Ejector Racks (Total Weight 900 kg)
2xPL-5E SRAAM on wingtips (Total Weight 170 kg)
1×800 Litre centerline fuel tank (Total Weight 648 kg) + 40kg(tank weight) = 690kg
2×1100 Litre droptanks on inner wing pylons (Total Weight 1782 kg) 1782+ 120kg(tanks weight) =1900kg
Total weight= 900+170+690+1900 = 3660kg
Case-2
4x SD-10 MRAAM on under-wing Multi Ejector Racks (Total Weight 900 kg) [100kg for rack weight]
2xPL-5E SRAAM on wingtips (Total Weight 170 kg)
1×800 Litre centerline fuel tank (Total Weight 648 kg) + 40kg (tank weight) = 690kg
2x 1100kg Ra’ad ALCM on inner wing pylons (Total Weight 2200 kg)
OR
2x 1200kg H-4 SOW on inner wing pylons (Total Weight 2400 kg)
OR
2x980kg H-2 SOW on inner wing pylons (Total Weight 1960 kg)
Total weight= 900+170+690+2200 = 3960kg (Ra’ad)
Total weight= 900+170+690+2400 = 4160kg (H-4)
Total weight= 900+170+690+1960 =3720 (H-2)
Case-3
4x SD-10 MRAAM on under-wing Multi Ejector Racks (Total Weight 900 kg)
2xPL-5E SRAAM on wingtips (Total Weight 170 kg)
2x 925 kg Mk-84 Laser Guided Bomb (LGB) on inner wing pylons (Total weight 2000 kg) [1850kg +150kg for LGB kit]
1x 280 kg WMD-7 Targeting pod on centerline station = 280kg
Total weight= 900+170+2000 = 3070 kg
Weapons
SD-10A Medium Range Air to Air Missiles on multi-ejector racks and LS-6, 500kg glide bomb. LS-6 has a Circular Error Probable (CEP) of less than 15m.
C-802A anti-shipping missile has a range of 180km. Its flight trials with JF-17 Thunder were conducted in November 2011.
WMD-7 is an Electro-Optic targeting with infrared, TV and laser sensor. It can search, track and identify targets during both day and night. In IR detection mode it can detect targets at 20km range, where as it can successfully identity them from 15km. The TV mode gives 22km target detection and target 17km identification features.
KG-300 Airborne Self-Protection Jamming pod is a stand-alone system carried on under wing or center line station. KG-300 provides multi-target electronic jamming, multi-signal parameter measurement, deception and other counter enemy radar features to the aircraft.
JF-17s equipped with 2000lbs Mk-84 and 500lbs Mk-82 bombs during Exercise High Mark 2010.
JF-17 Protoype-4 during weapon load testing in early 2009. The aircraft is equipped with 4x Mk-82 bombs, 3x 1000L fuel tanks and 2xPL-5E II SRAAM.
JF-17 Protoype-6, dedicated for Chinese weapon integration and avionics testing equipped with SD-10 MRAAM. SD-10’s ‘live weapon’ firing trials were conducted on same aircraft in 2011.
MAR-1 is an air-to-ground Anti-Radiation Missile (ARM) developed by Brazil’s Mectron Corp and the Aerospace Technology and Science Department of Brazilian Air Force. MAR-1 introduced in 2008 is a designed to perform in Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) role. It has various modes for high and low altitude radar. MAR-1 is believed to be potent weapon and enemy Surface-to-Air-Missile (SAM) radar. Its range is cited as 60 to 100 km with 90 kilograms (200 lb) warhead. PAF bought $108 million worth 100 MAR-1 missiles for JF-17 and Mirage-III/V aircraft in 2008. The missile was made operational with JF-17 in late 2011.
China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC) JF-17 Prototype-6 seen in April ’2012 in Chendu flight center with electro-optical navigation pod.
Kentron (South Africa) built Raptor-I/H-2 Stand Off Weapon (SOW), is a lethal TV-guided glide bomb produced under license by Air Weapons Comlpex (AWC), Pakistan. H-2 can strike a target upto 60 km (37.5 miles). H-2 has a Circular Error Probable (CEP) of 3m, hardened nose and timed fuse giving it the capability to penetrate Hardened Air Shelters (HAS) before explosion. Raptor-II/H-4 SOW is improved version of its predecessor with rocket motor and improved strike range (120km).
A JF-17 model with its armory. The inner pylons are carrying 2x 2000lbs GBU-10 LGBs.
Seen above; LT-2, a 570kg LGB. LT-2 bomb comes in both 500kg and 1000kg versions.
LT-2 and LT-3, the latter is 564kg precision guided bomb with a range of 24km. LT-3 is similar to US GBU-54/55/56(V)/B Laser JDAM (LJDAM) weapons.
Illustrations and Art-Work
LS-6 Precision Guided Glide Bomb
C-802 Anti-Shipping Missile
MAR-1 Anti Radiation Missile
Hafr Runway Penetration Bomb
H-2/4 Stand-Off Weapon
Ra’ad Air Launched Cruise Missile
GBU-12 Laser Guided Bomb and WMD-7 Electro Optic Targeting pod
References:
http://premierspacesystems.com/Aircraft.htmlWikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_fuel says 0.8075 kg/LCenterline External Fuel Tank –4 90 liters (130 US Gal) {395 kg, or 870 lb when full}
This source http://www.experimentalaircraft.info/homebuilt-aircraft/aviation-fuel-1.php says 0.81 kg/L or 6.76 lb/US gallon, or API density 44.3°.