Tlo-45
| Tlo-45 Condor | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Fighter |
| Manufacturer | Cuauhquetztia |
| Designer | NTT 144 |
| First flight | 1998 |
| Introduction | 2000 |
| Status | In service |
| Primary user | Zacapine Armed Forces |
| Number built | 450 |
| Unit cost |
40-50 million
|
The Tlo-45 Condor is a twin-engine multirole fighter aircraft developed by NTT 144 and manufactured by Cuauhquetztia for the Zacapine Armed Forces and export clients. The Tlo-45 incorporates many design elements characteristic of the 5th generation of fighter aircraft including supermaneuverability, supercruise, next generation avionics and limited stealth capabilities in the form of radar signature reduction and electronic countermeasures, but is classified as an advanced 4.5 or 4++ generation aircraft. It was designed in response to the emerging initiatives towards next generation combat aircraft such as the Morgenroete F-104 Ghost which saw its first flight in 1996 while keeping within both the technological capabilities of the Zacapine military industrial sector and more importantly the financial realities of the military budgets of Zacapican and other potential clients in Malaio. The Tlo-45 is one of three Zacapine aircraft to emerge from the New Millennium Combat Aircraft initiative, the others being the singe-engine light fighter Tlo-47 and the unorthodox Tlo-54 notable for its forward-swept wing design.