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First Post
2 hours ago
- First Post
What do we know about Chinese-made F-7 plane that crashed in Bangladesh?
The Chinese-made F-7 BGI had taken off around 1 pm on a routine training mission when it went down and hit Milestone School and College in Dhaka's Uttara area. At least 19 have been left dead and over 100 injured. The pilot, identified as Flight Lieutenant Mohammed Toukir Islam, has been killed. But what do we know about the F-7 BGI? read more Tragedy stuck Bangladesh on Monday after an aircraft belonging to the Bangladesh Air Force went down in Dhaka. The plane, which hit a school campus in Dhaka's Uttara area, left 19 dead and over 100 injured. The jet, an F-7 BGI, was on a routine training mission when it went down. It hit Milestone School and College around 1 pm. Several students were on campus at the time. Rescue operations are ongoing. The pilot, identified as Flight Lieutenant Mohammed Toukir Islam, has been killed. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But what do we know about the Chinese-made F-7 plane? Let's take a closer look: What we know It is made by C hina's Chengdu Aircraft Corporation. It is said to be the most advanced version of the J-7G. However, it continued to export its advanced versions abroad. It is mainly used as an interceptor aircraft in various air forces around the world including Bangladesdh and Myanmar. It was specifically designed keeping in mind the requirements of the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF). It is said to be a 'cost-effective, multi-purpose' fighter aircraft. Bangladesh signed a deal with China to deliver 16 such aircraft in 2011 in order to modernise its fleet. The aircraft were delivered in 2013. The F-7 BGI is a newer version of the F-7BG fighter jet. It comes with KLJ-6F fire-control radar. This allows it to find foes at a distance of over 86 kilometres. It can track six targets, and engage two simultaneously. The F-7 BGI has a full glass cockpit with three multi-function displays and three multifunctional heads-up displays and hands on throttle-and-stick controls. These features allow the pilot to improve his situational awareness. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It can hit a speed of Mach 2.2 and is said to have a service ceiling of 57,420 feet. Its afterburning engine generating 82 kN of power. It has five hard-points – to carry air-to-air missiles, laser-guided bombs, GPS-guided bombs, and drop tanks. It can carry the PL-5, PL-7 and probably the PL-9 short range air-to-air missiles. It can carry bombs and unguided rocket pods of around 1,360 kilos. However, the F-7 BGI does not have the capacity to carry Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missiles. It is said to be far more manoeuvrable than most MiGs and other similar fighters. This is due to its J-7G2 airframe with a double-delta wing design – which allows excellent lift at high angles of attack, minimises risk of stalling and improves agility. The F-7 BGI can also carry C-704 anti-ship missiles for maritime strike missions. It can also use Chinese helmet-mounted sights for better target acquisition. Experts say the F-7 BGI is primarily suited for short-range aerial combat and training – which is its main use in the Bangladesh Air Force. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A J-7 last month went down in Myanmar, leaving four people dead in a village. The Myanmar Air Force attributed the crash to 'technical failure'. However, the Myanmar's People's Liberation Army claimed that it had downed the craft. In 2022, a J-7 crashed into a residential building in China's Xiangyang. Thankfully, the pilot ejected before the crash and survived. These developments, along with the performance of Chinese-made aircraft used by Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, have raised serious questions about the quality of defence equipment produced by Beijing. What happened? The F-7 BGI took off for a training mission around 1 pm. 'The crash and the subsequent fire killed 19 people. At least 50 others were critically injured,' Brigadier General Zahed Kamal, Director General of Fire Service and Civil Defence, told reporters. He said that rescuers have recovered 19 bodies from the school compound alone while the rescue operation was underway. Md Sayedur Rahman, special assistant to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus for the Health Ministry, said that 72 people were hospitalised with burns and other types of injuries. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He said that wounded people, mostly students, were being treated at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Dhaka Medical College Hospital, and the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery (NIBPS). Firefighters and army members work next to the wreckage of an air force training aircraft after it crashed into Milestone College campus, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 21, 2025. (Reuters/Stringer) According to doctors, eight of the injured were in critical condition. 'The number of injured people being brought to our facility is rising,' a doctor at NIBPS told reporters. In a statement, the defence ministry said that the F-7 BGI training aircraft took off at 1:06 pm and crashed into the college campus soon after. The plane crashed with a big bang into a four-storey building of the Milestone School with a big bang and immediately caught fire, a fire service official said. According to police, firefighting units, ambulances, and air force helicopters rushed to the scene soon after the crash. A teacher of the school, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that security personnel were putting bodies in body bags to be taken to Dhaka's combined military hospital from the damaged building, which housed classes from one to seven. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Dozens of ambulances were carrying the wounded to nearby hospitals,,' she said. The National Burn Institute in the capital said they were treating 18 people, mostly students, some with critical conditions. The interim government has declared a one-day state mourning on July 22 when the national flag will be flown at half-mast across Bangladesh and its missions abroad. Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus expressed shock and sorrow over the casualties caused by the crash. 'I am deeply saddened by the casualties caused by the heartbreaking accident involving a Bangladesh Air Force jet at the Milestone School and College campus,' he said in a statement. Fahim Hossain, an eleventh-grade student, said that the jet crashed right in front of his eyes – just 10 feet ahead of him. It hit the ground floor of a two-storey building around 1:15pm, where classes for the primary section were taking place,' Fahim told The Daily Star. With inputs from agencies
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Bangladesh Air Force's F-7 BGI that crashed was a Chinese copy of the MiG-21. Here's what we know about the jet
A Bangladesh Air Force fighter jet crashed into a school building in Dhaka's Uttara area on Monday, killing at least 16 people—most of them children—and injuring dozens more. The jet plummeted onto the Milestone School and College campus, erupting in flames upon impact. What Is the F-7 BGI Fighter Jet? The aircraft involved in the crash was an F-7 BGI, a Chinese-made fighter jet considered an advanced variant of the Chengdu J-7. Ironically, the J-7 itself was a Chinese clone of the Soviet-era MiG-21, one of the most mass-produced fighter aircraft in history. While China discontinued the J-7 series in 2013, it had begun exporting the upgraded F-7 BGI version to countries like Bangladesh before that. The F-7 BGI was specially developed by China's Chengdu Aircraft Corporation as a low-cost, multi-role fighter tailored to the needs of the Bangladesh Air Force. Bangladesh acquired 16 F-7 BGI jets between 2011 and 2013 as part of its effort to modernize its aging fleet. Key Features of the F-7 BGI According to information available on Wikipedia , the F-7BGI features include - Top Speed: Mach 2.2 Weapons: 5 hardpoints for air-to-air missiles, laser- and GPS-guided bombs, drop tanks Missile Compatibility: Can be equipped with PL-5, PL-7, and possibly PL-9 short-range AAMs Bomb Load: Can carry up to 3,000 lbs of bombs and unguided rocket pods, including Chinese laser-guided bombs Radar System: KLJ-6F radar Cockpit: Fully digital glass cockpit with 3 multifunctional HUD displays and HOTAS (hands-on throttle and stick) controls Airframe: Based on the J-7G2 design with a double-delta wing, enhancing lift and preventing stalls at high angles of attack Service Ceiling: 17,500 meters (57,420 feet) G-Load Tolerance: +8 g / -3 g Thrust (Afterburner): 82 kN Maneuverability: Said to be more agile than most MiG-21 variants and many contemporary fighters in its class
Hans India
5 hours ago
- Hans India
Bangladesh Air Force jet crashes into Dhaka school building
Dhaka: A Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed into a school building in capital Dhaka Monday afternoon, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media division of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, has confirmed. According to the ISPR, the Bangladesh Air Force's Chinese-made F-7 BGI training aircraft took off at 1:06 pm, local time on Monday and crashed into the Milestone School and College building in Dhaka's Uttara around 1.30 PM. "The Fire Service has confirmed the death of at least one person in the incident. Rescue work is underway at the scene," Bangladesh's leading Bengali daily Prothom Alo reported, stating that the school building caught fire after the plane crashed. The report mentioned that four injured people have been taken to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) by an Air Force helicopter. A Milestone College teacher told 'The Daily Star' newspaper that he was standing near the college building when the aircraft hit the front side of the three-storey school building, trapping several students. "The college teachers and staff rushed to rescue the students. Members of the army arrived shortly afterwards, followed by firefighters who joined the rescue operation," the newspaper reported. Members of the Bangladesh Army and eight engines of Fire Service and Civil Defence rushed to the spot and started rescue operations, according to a fire service notification. Meanwhile, Dhaka Tribune reported that eght units from the Uttara, Tongi, Pallabi, Kurmitola, Mirpur, and Purbachal fire services are working at the scene. "ideos circulating on social media show several people being rescued with injuries. They are reportedly being taken to Uttara Adhunik Hospital, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Kurmitola General Hospital, Kuwait Bangladesh Friendship Govt Hospital, Uttara Women's Medical College, Shaheed Monsur Ali Medical College Hospital," the newspaper reported.
