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Yet another new military Chinese aircraft has made its public debut, this time an advanced trainer. The aircraft appears to be the Chinese counterpart to the USAF’s upcoming T-7 Red Hawk.

China unveils new advanced trainer jet

Not all consequential new . Adding to its slew of new military jet designs, China has unveiled a new advanced trainer aircraft.

The tandem two-seat trainer appears to have been developed by Hongdu Aviation Industry Group (HAIG) in China’s Nanchang region. Footage emerging online shows the new aircraft in yellow primer paint.

Like the incoming US T-7A Red Hawk, the new HAIG trainer could be optimised for China’s present and future generations of fifth- and sixth-generation fighter jets. The aircraft features a large head-up display and hardpoints on the wings. The latter suggests the aircraft could have a secondary combat role.

Hongdu is best known for producing trainers and light combat aircraft like the Hongdu JL-8 (co-developed with Pakistan) and Hongdu JL-10. The official Chinese designation for the trainer is unclear.

A possible carrier role as China dramatically grows its naval fleet

The new trainer’s robust tricycle landing gear with twin nosewheels, coupled with prominent leading-edge root extensions, led  to suggest it could be designed for carrier operations.

The aircraft could complement or replace China’s Guizhou JL-9 (FTC-2000 Mountain Eagle) trainer, developed from the Chinese licensed copy of the Soviet MiG-21 Fishbed. The JL-9G is the navalized variant for carrier operations.

There have been navalized versions of the JL-10, with at least a mockup appearing on China’s latest carrier, the Fujian.

Starting with bringing the former semi-completed Ukrainian/Soviet Kuznetsov-class carrier into service as the Liaoning, . It has built the improved Shandong carrier from scratch and now has the all-new Fujian supercarrier in sea trials.

Next, there are reports that China plans to build its first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. China also has five landing helicopter docks in service or sea trials.

Appears to use domestic Chinese WS-17 engines

According to The War Zone, citing “unconfirmed reports,” the aircraft is powered by two domestic Chinese WS-17 turbofans. If true, this is significant and heralds yet another step in China’s weaning itself of its historic dependence on foreign engines.

China is still in the process of establishing itself as one of . While its fighter jets are now produced with domestic engines instead of Russian/Soviet engines, .

The Hongdu JL-8 (L-15 Falcon) design was assisted by Russia’s Yakovlev, which also developed the Yak-130 Mitten advanced trainer/light combat aircraft. The Yak-130 initially shared a common design origin with the Italian Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master.

Hongdu’s Pakistani variant of the JL-8 is powered by the US-supplied Honeywell TFE731-2A turbofan engine, while the Chinese variant comes with the Ukrainian Ivchenko-Progress AI-222K-25 afterburning engine.

Meanwhile, the Hongdu JL-10, which entered service in 2013, is also powered by the Ivchenko-Progress AI-222K-25F engine. The JL-10 is the more advanced trainer better suited for China’s J-10, J-16, and J-20 frontline fighters. The Ukraine war has obviously made the supply of these engines problematic, and there are reports of China testing its WS-17 engine as a replacement.