China Hongdu Aviation Industry Group
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 ↗
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. Published studies put O&S anywhere from ~55% to ~70% of lifecycle cost depending on platform and method, which is why this is a band and not a single number. How we estimate this →
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Competitive field
10 comparable systems from 8 other manufacturers
Counted in the WeaponSpecs database: trainers built by another manufacturer that share at least one published role with this system. A count of what this catalog holds, not a survey of the whole market. See the alternatives →
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.
Compatible munitions & weapons
Publicly reported weapons the JL-8 can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.
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 |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon. | 13,000 m |
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Hardpoints External stations for weapons and pods. More means bigger and more flexible loadouts. | 5 |
|---|---|
| Weapons payload Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie. | 950 kg |
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 |
| 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 |
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 10 |
Specifications compiled from public Hongdu Aviation Industry Group and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
Leonardo M-346 Master 
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) T-50 Golden Eagle 
Yakovlev Yak-130 Head-to-head comparisons
JL-8 vs
A-29 Super Tucano Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Hongdu Aviation Industry Group JL-8? +
The Hongdu Aviation Industry Group JL-8 has a maximum speed of 800 km/h.
What is the range of the Hongdu Aviation Industry Group JL-8? +
The Hongdu Aviation Industry Group JL-8 has a maximum range of 1,560 km.
What is the weapons payload of the Hongdu Aviation Industry Group JL-8? +
The Hongdu Aviation Industry Group JL-8 can carry up to 950 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the Hongdu Aviation Industry Group JL-8 weigh? +
The Hongdu Aviation Industry Group JL-8 has a combat weight of 4,330 kg.
How many crew does the Hongdu Aviation Industry Group JL-8 require? +
The Hongdu Aviation Industry Group JL-8 requires a crew of 2.
What engine does the Hongdu Aviation Industry Group JL-8 use? +
The Hongdu Aviation Industry Group JL-8 is powered by the 1x Ivchenko-Progress AI-25TLK turbofan.
What is the Hongdu Aviation Industry Group JL-8 used for? +
The Hongdu Aviation Industry Group JL-8 is a trainer & light attack typically used for close air support.
How many countries operate the Hongdu Aviation Industry Group JL-8? +
The Hongdu Aviation Industry Group JL-8 is operated by 10 countries.
How much does the Hongdu Aviation Industry Group JL-8 cost? +
The Hongdu Aviation Industry Group JL-8 has an approximate unit cost of 8,500,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
Similar systems
Hongdu Aviation Industry Group
L-15
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI)
KT-1 Woongbi
Embraer Defense & Security
A-29 Super Tucano
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI)
T-50 Golden Eagle
Related coverage
