China China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC)
JL-8
A basic and intermediate jet trainer jointly developed by Hongdu Aviation and Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, used to bridge pilots from propeller trainers to advanced fast jets. Widely exported to air forces in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
In service since 1995 · 10 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
800
km/h
1,560
km range
13,000
m ceiling
950
kg payload
💲 ≈ $8,500,000 — Publicly cited export unit price estimate
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
Chinese state channel
State export agencies (NORINCO/CATIC); limited availability to Western-aligned states.
Channel: State export agency
Fielded & proven
Established · 10 operators
In service since 1995. Status: active · ~500 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$21M – $30M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost — operating & support dominate over ~25 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed
Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.
- 800 km/h Stronger than 25% of trainers
- Cruise speed
Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station.
- 650 km/h
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 1,560 km Stronger than 30% of trainers
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 13,000 m Stronger than 31% of trainers
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Hardpoints
External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts.
- 5 Stronger than 29% of trainers
- Weapons payload
Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.
- 950 kg Stronger than 18% of trainers
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 11.6 m
- Wingspan
Wingtip-to-wingtip span.
- 9.63 m
- Height
Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.
- 4.21 m
- Empty weight
Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.
- 2,687 kg
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 4,330 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 2
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- 1x Ivchenko-Progress AI-25TLK turbofan
- Engines
Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost.
- 1
- Thrust
Total engine thrust (with afterburner where applicable).
- 17 kN Stronger than 32% of trainers
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turbofan
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $8,500,000
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 500 Top 7% of trainers
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 10 Stronger than 83% of trainers
Specifications compiled from public China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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What is the top speed of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) JL-8? +
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) JL-8 has a maximum speed of 800 km/h.
What is the range of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) JL-8? +
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) JL-8 has a maximum range of 1,560 km.
What is the weapons payload of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) JL-8? +
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) JL-8 can carry up to 950 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) JL-8 weigh? +
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) JL-8 has a combat weight of 4,330 kg.
How many crew does the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) JL-8 require? +
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) JL-8 requires a crew of 2.
What engine does the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) JL-8 use? +
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) JL-8 is powered by the 1x Ivchenko-Progress AI-25TLK turbofan.
What is the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) JL-8 used for? +
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) JL-8 is a trainer & light attack typically used for close air support.
How many countries operate the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) JL-8? +
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) JL-8 is operated by 10 countries.
How much does the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) JL-8 cost? +
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) JL-8 has an approximate unit cost of 8,500,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.
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