The product catalogs claim a wing extension, but a retired PAF officer who's still fairly close to these things said the wingspans are in fact identical.
They acquired a few to vary the AShW capability, but the goal is to get a supersonic cruising AShM. They may trial the HD-1A, assuming they can get it to fit on the JF-17.
If not for the US switching gears on the F-16, I think we would've gone for the M2K and Mirage 3NG, the latter as a lower cost multi-role option to augment the much higher cost M2K.
It was a weird shift. The A-7 was a heavier attacker than the AMX. The PAF wanted to use the A-7s for both CAS and deep strike, but the AMX was CAS focused. Then we went for the A-5, which was even lighter than the AMX, but then again, we also settled on the F-16s to do everything (the roadmap...
It says so in the Italian gov't's report to parliament. Pakistan was cleared for 650 m Euro worth of arms in 2018, second largest buyer after Qatar.
http://documenti.camera.it/_dati/leg18/lavori/documentiparlamentari/IndiceETesti/067/002v01/INTERO.pdf
IMO we should upgrade the existing Cobras and try a SLEP to the airframes where possible. But aside from that, co-develop and manufacture a 10 ton attack helicopter like the Rooivalk Mk2, ATAK 2 or the next gen Chinese one. Procure those bigger ones in numbers, better suited for CAS in the...
To be fair to them, there's wreckage of only one aircraft (aside from the Mi-17 fractricide): MiG-21bis. The rest are claims. As it stands though (as far as verified hits are concerned), India is down 1, Pak's holding steady.
Yup I don't think they'll put all their eggs in Azm, and they'll need a lower cost backbone fighter for a long time. Wouldn't surprise me if they re-open the JF-17 design, much like what Saab did for the Gripen E/F and what India is doing with the Tejas Mk2.
The last CAS said that the momentum for Azm came from the engineers (some of whom worked on the Saab 2000 recovery effort). But this was a good 2 years before they went ahead with it, so it was something else that drove the PAF to give the idea its due. Otherwise, they might have really put the...
Just an opinion, but I think the PAF and PN will make a play for the GlobalEye and Swordfish.
If we can't get new fighters, we can spend much less and give the JF-17s better coverage via the GlobalEye.
I heard they were OK with the Swordfish system, but not too sure about the Bombardier platform.
Brazil is also interested in a similar project, but with the larger (and thus longer ranged, and heavier payload) Embraer E-Class.
Interestingly, Saab took out the Bombardier Swordfish from its...
There's a program for the long term to replace the Orions (as per the CNS in multiple interviews). The CNS said they were open to US options, but I think they're looking at configuring a business jet (e.g., Bombardier Global 6000).
I think a large stealth drone program will run after the FGFA by reusing the same core technology. It's likely the vision for deep strike in the future.
But until then we'll have to endure with firing SOWs via Mirages. This is where the calls for remanufacturing the Mirages are critical.
No, Pakistan's own funding across 10 years. I think a rough estimate of $300 m a year for the PAF is a safe bet. CSF and FMF is extra and for US products only.
It's a situation of necessity driving action.
Pakistan is perpetually short on dollars.
Pakistan is regularly denied new tech.
India has every support mechanism available, Pakistan has none (that India can't counter).
There's no other way than to develop and make your own high performance...