This year, an ASEAN nation will receive the first FTC-2000G supplied from China. According to the news report, the deliveries will be completed within two years, or 2021-2023, no specific number of aircrafts. But there is a current news that it is likely to supply 6 aircrafts.
It is highly likely that it means Cambodia. It was previously revealed that the pilot was sent to train in China. Starting to study as a student of aviation and lately, China has been a big arms supporter of Cambodia.
We do not yet know the details of the equipment to be installed on this Cambodian aircraft. But overall, the FTC-2000G can be equipped with an AESA radar like the LKF-601E and can be used in conjunction with the PL-12 medium-range air-to-air (SD-10) rocket carrying 2-4 rounds or, however, if not be necessary cheaper version radar can be chosen, either the MSA or PESA, which is the same model installed in the L-15B trainer.
The fear of the FTC-2000G lies in a wide variety of air-to-ground weapons, such as the CM-102 anti-radar rocket for use in destroying ground-to-air missile bases, as well as the US AGM-88 HARM. The C-704KD, an infrared-guided missile with a range of about 30 km, is capable of destroying armored vehicles or structures. This includes the C-705KD surface anti-ship missile with a range of more than 100 km and several FT family of missile/glide bombs.
The FTC-2000G is a light fighter (LCA) comparable to FA-50PH (Philippines), T-50TH (Thailand), F-5TH (Thailand), T-50i (Indonesia), Yak-130 (Myanmar and Laos), or the Hawk 200 (Malaysia and Indonesia). In ASEAN countries together, the FTC-2000G is one of the top performers in ASEAN when considering the radar system with the highest performance radar option of all light fighter jets if selected LKF-601E radar set, offers a wide variety of weapons and inexpensive but has a weakness in electronic warfare.
