The Myanmar Air Force has taken delivery of the first Guizhou FTC-2000G Mountain Eagle fighter jets. It is a military aircraft that was produced in the People's Republic of China. However, the delivery was not officially communicated.
According to local and international media, the first units arrived in Myanmar as early as November 2022. There is no official statement on the part of the government. The medium "The Irrawaddy" writes, citing alleged "intelligence service sources", that the fighter jets were ordered in 2020. At least eight pilots, eight technicians and two officers have been trained in China since June 2022. They are said to have transferred the new aircraft to Myanmar in November 2022.
The FTC-2000 Mountain Eagle is an export designation of the Guizhou JL-9, a modern jet trainer and light attack aircraft manufactured by China's Guizhou Aviation Industry Import/Export Company (GAIEC). The aircraft, which will be modeled after the MiG-21 and its Chinese licensed copy, the Chengdu J-7, made its maiden flight in 2003 and has been in serial production since 2018. The Myanmar Air Force currently operates a wide range of Chinese and Russian fighter jets, including older Nanchang Q-5 and Chengdu J-7 and MiG-29 and newer JF-17 and Sukhoi Su-30.