BEIJING, Sept 4: China has conducted the first test flight of a fighter jet jointly developed with Pakistan with combat capability it says rivals the US F-16, state media said on Thursday.

China plans to export the Xiao Long, or Valiant Dragon, FC-1 to foreign countries two years from now, the semi-official China News Service said, adding that Pakistan was likely to be the first customer.

The relatively light plane underwent two test flights totalling 17 minutes above Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, on Aug 25, the news agency said.

It quoted pilot Lei Qiang as saying the combat capability of the FC-1 rivalled that of the Lockheed Martin Corp F-16. The price, however, was half that of the F-16, the agency added.

Yang Wei, designer of the FC-1, was quoted as saying its low price would help exports.

China and Pakistan agreed to jointly develop the jet in 1999, the news agency said, without saying how much development cost.

Although the Pakistani air force has ordered 150 of the planes, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has reportedly balked at purchasing it due to the ongoing development of a better fighter jet, the J-10.

The PLAAF is consequently mulling the purchases of up to 200 of the FC-1, military sources in Beijing said.—Agencies