Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crash: All you need to know about the Chinese F-7 BGI training aircraft
Volunteers cordon off the area after a Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft has crashed onto a school campus in Dhaka | PTI
A Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed atop a school building in Dhaka, killing at least 19 people as per the latest Reuters report.
An F-7 BGI training aircraft took off at 1:06 pm on Monday and crashed into the college campus soon after, a statement from Bangladeshi defence ministry read. The incident took place at Dhaka's Uttara area.
The aircraft crashed into the Milestone School and College campus.
READ MORE: Bangladesh Air Force's Chinese jet crashes in Dhaka's Milestone college, many hurt: Report
F-7 BGI is a multi-role, advanced trainer and light fighter aircraft developed by China’s Chengdu Aircraft Corporation. It is specifically tailored to meet the requirements of the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF).
An upgraded and improved version of the earlier F-7BG models, the F-7 BGI aircraft quipped with KLJ-6F fire-control radar.
It has a full glass cockpit with three multi-function displays and three multifunctional HUD (heads-up) displays and HOTAS (hands on throttle-and-stick) controls.
The aircraft, which has a speed of Mach 2.2, has five hard-points to carry air-to-air missiles, laser-guided bombs, GPS-guided bombs, and drop tanks.
According to media reports, it is manoeuvrable than most of the MiG-21s and many other contemporary fighters.
The F-7 BGI offers the Bangladesh Air Force a modernised platform for pilot training and limited frontline air defence, as it has updated avionics and maneuverability.
Defence