The FK-7 Mistral is a multirole fighter developed by Tianshan Aerospace Group for the Free Republic of Kinto as part of the country’s P-MF-2 (Program, Multirole Fighter, 2), launched in 1999 to modernize the air force and retire the aging FK-2 Avalanche. Designed as a single-engine platform with a reduced radar cross-section and radar-absorbent materials, the Mistral represents Kinto’s shift toward a more survivable, sensor-driven combat aircraft suited for both high-altitude operations over mountainous terrain and precision strike missions beyond its borders. It is equipped with a modern AESA radar and an integrated infrared search and track (IRST) system, allowing it to perform air-to-air combat, interception, SEAD, reconnaissance, and precision strike roles within a single airframe.

During the P-MF-2 competition, several foreign aircraft were evaluated before Kinto committed to a domestic design. The Starcrest United SCF-46 Valiant was considered for licensed production with Kinto-developed avionics and an indigenous engine, but was ultimately rejected as an “aging” design despite ongoing upgrades under Starcrest’s MDS program. The General Dynamics F-16C Block 50 was denied for export by the U.S. Department of Defense in 1995, a decision that later drew political backlash when Taiwan received F-16s in 1997. Dassault’s Rafale C was initially approved, but negotiations stalled when Kinto requested full license production rights. The McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II was also studied, but failed to meet the program’s speed and high-altitude performance requirements, reinforcing the decision to pursue a purpose-built, domestically controlled multirole fighter in the form of the FK-7 Mistral.