Light combat aircraft

A light combat aircraft (LCA) is a light, multirole jet/turboprop military aircraft, commonly derived from advanced trainer designs, designed for engaging in light combat.^{[citation needed]} The mission can either be in a light strike or attack missions, reconnaissance, interdiction roles or trainer roles and even air-to-air fight.

Characteristics

They are typically slower than larger multirole or strike aircraft such as the American F-18, F-15E Strike Eagle, or Russian MiG-29. Most light combat aircraft are capable only of subsonic speeds, although some are capable of reaching Mach 1+. An LCA will typically be equipped with bombs, gun pods, or short-range air-to-air missiles used for COIN or CAS missions.

Some aircraft integrate more advanced armaments such as smart bombs, air to ground missiles, ECM pods (Electronic Countermeasure), and electronic targeting systems.^[1]^{[verification needed]} However, these aircraft are usually used for self-defense or anti-hostile aircraft/helicopter missions, not for air-defense missions typically carried out by lightweight fighters. Some LCAs are capable of air-to-air combat or point air defense missions if equipped with multi-mode radar systems. Still, the majority cannot perform these missions due to their small design and limited capabilities. LCAs are often used to patrol the skies and implement border patrol or air policing.^{[citation needed]}

Aircraft

The list of a light combat aircraft currently on the market is below.

Country	Manufacturer	Aircraft	Introduced
Argentina	Fábrica Militar de Aviones	IA 58 Pucará	1975
France / Germany	Dassault / Dornier	Alpha Jet	1977
Romania	Avioane Craiova	IAR 99	1985
United Kingdom	British Aerospace	Hawk 200	1986
Taiwan	Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation	F-CK-1 Ching-kuo	1992
Czech Republic	Aero Vodochody	L-159 ALCA	2000
India	Hindustan Aeronautics Limited	Tejas	2001
China	Guizhou Aircraft Industry Corporation	JL-9	2003
Brazil	Embraer	EMB 314 Super Tucano	2003
China / Pakistan	Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group / Pakistan Aeronautical Complex	CAC/PAC JF-17 Thunder	2007
Russia	Yakovlev	Yak-130	2010
South Korea	Korea Aerospace Industries	FA-50 Fighting Eagle	2013
China	Hongdu	JL-10	2013
Italy	Alenia Aermacchi	M-346 Master	2015
Czech Republic	Aero Vodochody	L-39 Skyfox	2018