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Only Russia could take a page out of an Ace Combat game and make it work.

The PAF wouldn't buy any new fighter without committing to 90-150 units (e.g., F-6, Mirage III/5, F-16, and F-7). So, on that basis, there's still a lot of work to be done with the J-10CE and JF-17B/B3. IMO, we'll see a total of 90+ J-10CEs and 150+ JF-17B/B3-based fighters. IMO, the Dragon...

32 F-16s in 2001.

The UCAVs used up to this point are piston (or, at best, turboprop)-powered designs that lack the speed and maneuverability of a fast jet. In fact, they weren't even designed for conventional warfare in the first place, but showed some value. However, I'm talking about developing fast jet...

IMO...developing a LIFT around the AI-332F would be an excellent idea. First, a LIFT of that size would fit the PAF's desired niche more so than the near-fighter-class LIFTs on the market today (e.g., ACM Sohail Aman said that operating costs of those were comparable to JF-17). Second, it would...

Yep, and one shouldn't underestimate the value of owning your own design. The PN can source the necessary inputs (e.g., steel, engines, etc) directly from the suppliers instead of working through the OEM. E.g., when we bought the Agosta 90Bs or even F-22Ps, we relied on materiel kits from the...

tbh even I didn't expect Turkiye to advance as far as it did, or as quickly as it did. To me, collaborating with them on the TFX would've been like a 2045-2050 prospect. We slowly build up our capacity as we contribute, and we ride out any of the delays, setbacks, etc. But they're working to get...

I'd say one (I-Class vs. J-Class) isn't necessarily better than the other. To me, they're like parallel design streams managed by two different contractors (ASFAT A.S for J-Class and STM for I-Class). ASFAT A.S was probably chosen because they (1) were willing to carry out redesign work on the...

50% compliment 50% insult 100% besharami ...for everything else there's MasterCard...and then IMF...and then Saudi...

Ironically, the 'less Chinese JF-17' was the original JF-17... Thales RC400, Thales TopOwl-F, MBDA MICA, etc.

tbh all of the major Pakistani programs are under SOEs, so they're getting subsidized for their work (be it minimal or extensive). The probable reason why the armed forces are putting money into these projects is because they want to source these systems in-house, i.e., a strategic imperative...

1. Egypt isn' t doing well. 2. U.S. interests don't require a particularly strong Pakistan atm

The only thing I heard was a probable original SSP project in collaboration with an overseas partner. The SWATS vendor will probably be the primary design and development partner. E.g., STM had proposed the TS-1700 to the PN back in 2017.

Any new JF-17 variant will use original radar and avionics designed and built in Pakistan.

I think the PAF will use the Block 3/B design with minimal to no overt design changes. I can see them add Turkish OBOGS, maybe, or some other internal changes. But the goal would be to use the existing design as much as possible to keep costs down. If the PAF needs a higher performing design...

The KAAN isn't a make-or-break program because the future of air warfare is so much more than stealth fighters. They're a critical piece of the eco-system, yes, but the PAF will also need UCAVs, MUM-T, next-gen LRAAMs, next-gen SRAAMs, next-gen EW/ECM, etc. The KAAN will drive the development of...

There's no Block-4 on the official record, not yet anyways. However, as @arslank03 found, there are some reasons to believe that one could be in the pipeline -- e.g., Pakistan's in-house AESA radar, EW/ECM and AAM programs. Personally, I think the PAF will continue ordering JF-17s through the...

IMO the PAF will wait for the TR Motor-equipped variant of the KAAN. In fact, the smart (but also risky) option would be to invest in the TR Motor turbofan engine so that we could co-produce it in Pakistan, develop deeper expertise of turbofan engines, etc. If there's any delay or setback to...

IMO, the only net-new development projects Pakistan can and maybe should pursue are UCAVs of various sizes and capabilities. These can be simpler to develop than a manned jet while also playing critical roles in the future, e.g. loyal wingman, deep strike, etc.

I agree with the point about the KAAN replacing the Viper, but I don't think we'll see the PAF pursue a separate FGFA fighter program. I believe the future of the PAF will pretty much be the FGFA, J-10CE, and JF-17 (from current to future variants). Each of those fighter types brings a specific...