China has sealed a deal with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which is purchasing the L-15 trainer and light attack jet, according to the Official WeChat Account of Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).
At IDEX 2023 defense exhibition in Abu Dhabi last February, China’s State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense organized China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC) and some other military trade companies to participate as unified national exhibitor group “China Defense”.
At the exhibition, the L-15 trainer aircraft with aerial refueling capability made its debut with the marking of the UAE Air Force. The L-15 can train 4th- and 5th- generation fighter pilots, and carry out air combat and ground attack tasks.
The Hongdu JL-10, also initially known as Hongdu L-15 Falcon, is a jet trainer and light attack aircraft developed by China’s Hongdu Aviation Industry Group, in collaboration with Russia’s Yakovlev Design Bureau. The L-15 made its first flight in 2006 and entered service with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) in 2012.