1999: UAE to contract 200 PAF pilots to fly latest F-16s block 60

[fatman17]

Any source?

sure i will post it soon!

 

[Myth_buster_1]

actually in this particular case, PAF was under US sanctions and therefore its pilots were not allowed to train / operate the UAE pilots on the F-16s and this plan was shelved - subsequently UAE pilots were sent to USA for training (in fact 7 UAE-owned F-16s are permanantly based in the USA for this purpose) - following the return of UAE pilots from the US, they are trained by personnel from the Turkish Air Force - PAF pilots are still deputised to the UAE, mainly on exchange / training programs, but not on the scale envisioned by this 1999 report.

Why didnt UAE simply contracted USAF in the first place for training and why bother even considering PAF pilots? just couple of months ago somebody posted a credible source that in that particular year Arab forces renewed 100 PAF pilots contract.
No dough UAE pilots are going to be flying all 80 and all to be trained in US which is also the case with PAF when we get latest block 52+ and MLU M3. UAE didnt receive first batch before 2004 almost 5 years and luckly by that time sanctions were lifted from Pakistan by US.
Also India would not have shown its concern in aero india-09 if PAF pilots were not flying those latest F-16s

Two intriguing questions immediately arise: Firstly, were these aircraft flown, perhaps just days ago, by combat pilots from the Pakistani Air Force (PAF), which has long sent its officers on deputation to fly UAE fighters?

Thats why I always say that we should not jump to unsensible conculsions in hurry.......Lets assume that PAF pilots are hired by UAEF and may be RSAF.. that no way means that these pilots will be allowed to take their planes to Pakistan in case of need..its not possible these days as UAE and KSA also have diplomatic links with India...not to mention the reaction of US and EU on this "illlegal" use of their planes....the world has changed...its not 70s.....I dont know if there are any PAF pilots in arab states....but i am sure that if there are then they individually can join PAF or called back from their deputation......but in no case with their planes in-use in arab countires.....just doen't make much sense

You are entitled to your opinion but your conclusion at the end of the day is not the reality. Read PAK-INDO 99 stand off when those arab fighters were on stand by for PAF assistance.

 

[araz]

And those US monitors have no idea who flys their advance f-16s while they eat donuts?

Growler
I did not want to enter this debate but I feel we need a reality check here!!!
PAF pilots do not fly Block 60s.They may have had a look, or may (given the benefit of the doubt!!!)even have flown in them in the back seat, but did not fly them.UAE pilots and US pilots do. It is not possible for US to sanction PAF yet allow its pilots to fly latest F16s. Pakistanis should also stop this day dreaming about this or that coming to our help, when the **** hits the wall. When the war comes, you will be on your own. My sources are personal and not to be publicized on the net.I don't know of any other sources,which has published the fact that PAF has actually FLOWN the fighter.The article you published is old and nothing more than a conjecture as nothing was mentioned after that.
Araz.

 

[SBD-3]

You are entitled to your opinion but your conclusion at the end of the day is not the reality. Read PAK-INDO 99 stand off when those arab fighters were on stand by for PAF assistance.

well....I looked for it but i wasn't able to find any bits about it.......Saudi Arabia and UAE would never like to indulge them in a third party war...Unless they are sure that they will not be touched......You should also know that it was Israel on stand by in Sirinagar airbase...so arabs would also know it....India can also exploit israeli card in middle east......I am not negating the cooperation and help....I am just raising a point that arab direct help is only a remote possibility now due to changing geopolitical scenario

 

[Windjammer]

The UAE Air Force history starts in 1968 when the Abu Dhabi Army Air Force was formed during the British rule. After becoming the Abu Dhabi Air Force in 1972, major investments assured an expansion in terms of capabilities, quality and quantity of aircraft.[2] The neighbouring Emirate of Dubai had also maintained its own air component, the Dubai Defence Force Air Wing, until 1999 when the two were effectively merged to become what is now the United Arab Emirates Air Force. Although the integration of the two independent forces had been complete, a small degree of autonomy is existent at operational command level with the Western Air Command being headquartered in Abu Dhabi and the Central Air Command located in Dubai.[2]
Since 1980s a combination of regional instability and high oil prices has resulted in an ambitious re-equipment and modernization of the UAE Air Force, with its scope being to reach a level of capability at highest NATO standards.[2]
It is worth mentioning here that UAE Air Force was built by highly professional Pakistani Air Force airmen who were deputed to UAE in 1970s &80s for this purpose. Even today, retired and serving Pakistani Air Force pilots along with a large number of technicians form the bulk of the personnel working at the Khalifa Bin Zayed Air College, Al Ain.


United Arab Emirates Air Force - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[shanixee]

sir 1st of all....i accept the fact that if UAE or any countries planes are flown by any other country its illegal but wount it be illegal that PAF fighter piolets flying their planes in their war.....2nd Saudi arabia knowz very well that they are pressed by israel and india on the other side...how can u think that big collabortion between india and israel is 1 sided...no sir...if israel is helping india against pakistan although its in the interest of israel but israel also want help from india in middle east....and UAE with the local population not more then 2 million and 99.9% of them are rich....why do they want to join UAE airforce...u go to wikipedia and u will find all of our Air cheifs were deputed in UAE....
now its been in this website forum Pakistan evaluating rafale...pics are also available....UAE is also concidering to buy Rafale....Pakistan purchased Saab from sweden...UAE is also concidering...its not that they copy us...its because pakistani Tech and engg who hve to maintain them and if we look at saudia they got typhoon and pakistan also evaluated it and i think pakistan is serious in getting them waiting for india to take decision....now the point I am trying to explain is that in order to maintain easily its prefer to buy something all 3 countries hve which makes our tech and engg job easy...i hope i hve cleared my point...
now lemme tell 1 more news....its old news but wat it says that pakistan has delivered Shaheen missles which are loaded with nuclear wepon to saudia but they are in the custody of Pakistan...saudia and UAE knowz that Pakistan means alot to them...its not that wanna stay away from war...they hve to help Pakistan

 

[Mani2020]

Also if middle east countries are safe today from Israel its just because of Pakistan as we are nuclear power thats y our nuclear bomb is called Islamic bomb and any country before attacking Middle east think's about Pakistan reaction. They now that the survival of Pakistan is their survival so i think they will help Pakistan in case of war

 

[fatman17]

sure i will post it soon!

This is a complete summary of UAEAF Training regime and the F-16 Program.

Training

Pilots and aircrew have been trained in-country, with the GCC or with Western allies. In the UAE, training is carried out in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai. In Abu Dhabi, flight instruction is provided by the Khalif bin Zayed Air College at Al Ain, initially involving screening on the Grob G115 Acro, with successful candidates thereafter progressing via the Pilatus PC-7 Turbo Trainer to the BAE Hawk Mk 63. In Dubai, training is provided at Minhad, primarily on the BAE Hawk.

Following the decision to buy the F-16E/F Desert Falcon, UAE pilots have been undergoing training with the US Air National Guard's 162nd Fighter Wing in Tucson, Arizona. The Arizona Air National Guard has trained UAE fighter pilots since 2001, with five years spent in UAE aircraft. As of mid-2009, the wing's 148th Fighter Squadron, with seven F-16E and seven F-16F aircraft retained at Tucson for training, was the only squadron of UAE-owned F-16Es in the US. At that time, the Tucson wing had nine Emirati student pilots in its basic, nine-month course who were expected to graduate as mission-qualified F-16 pilots.

The Turkish Air Force also provided F-16 training to UAE pilots under an agreement between the two countries which expired in 2004. The first batch of students from the UAE underwent a special course at Akinci from mid-November 2001 until early 2002.

Helicopter instruction for the UAE Armed Forces and Interior Ministry has been outsourced to the Horizon International Flight Academy at Al Ain International Airport. Training is conducted on the JetRanger, with instructional staff drawn from the UK, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Training Areas

The Gulf Air Warfare Centre at Al Dhafra is expected to play an important role in training fighter pilots from air forces in the Persian Gulf region to operate together and in concert with their US counterparts. The UAE established the centre in 2003 using NATO's Tactical Leadership Programme as the model.

F-16s

In May 1998, the government announced that it planned to purchase 55 F-16E and 25 F-16F Desert Falcon multirole fighters, making this easily the UAE's largest ever single military order. Delivery began in 2004 and was completed by August 2007. These formidable warplanes have greatly enhanced the UAE's over-the-horizon combat capabilities and also provide a measure of interoperability with other GCC air arms and US forces in the Gulf in the event of further crises in the region.

Disagreements in late 1998 concerning UAE demands for the inclusion of electronic warfare software code - which enables the F-16s to be configured for a variety of missions that are not possible without it - in the package were eventually resolved by May 1999 when it was reported that the US had agreed to supply the code. This was the first time that the US had chosen to release source code for advanced combat aircraft acquired by an Arab state and the release cleared the way for formal signing of the contract in March 2000. Israeli misgivings notwithstanding, the F-16 deal included approval for the supply of advanced weaponry such as the AGM-88 High Speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM) and the AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM).

Deal Details

The UAE agreed to fund the development of a new agile beam radar system for its F-16s as part of the package. Agile beam, which is more accurate and less detectable than other radars that have been employed by F-16s, was developed by Northrop Grumman's Electronic Sensors and Systems Division under a direct contract between the UAE and Lockheed Martin.

The single most important element of the Desert Falcon is the AN/APG-80 multimode radar, which uses an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) antenna to conduct interleaved air-to-air and air-to-surface search and targeting tasks.

Benefits of AESA technology include the ability to detect targets from a greater range than earlier mechanically-scanned arrays and the introduction of new capabilities, such as a high-resolution synthetic aperture radar mode for ground surveillance tasks. It has a 20-target multi-track capability in the air-to-air sphere, although this could in time be increased to monitor up to 50 targets. The agile beam design also offers increased accuracy and reliability, with its planned 500-hour Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) rate claimed to be double that of current fighter aircraft radars.

Another key element is the General Electric F110-GE-132 turbofan, which may ultimately prove to be the most powerful engine integrated with the F-16 over the life of the programme. Qualification testing of the 145 kN (32,500 lbst) thrust engine was declared complete on 27 October 2003 following an extensive series of flights using modified F-16 Block 30 and Block 50 fighters. The conclusion of this test programme cleared the way for the engine to enter operational service and to power the first Desert Falcon flight in late 2003. In addition to delivering increased power output, the new engine allows the aircraft to take-off at an increased maximum weight of 22,675 kg (50,000 lb). It is also expected to deliver lower operating costs and reduced maintenance demands.

The Block 60 aircraft also benefits from range enhancements introduced by the Block 50/52 F-16. All of the UAE aircraft are capable of conducting extended-range operations when equipped with conformal fuel tanks, which add 2,271 litres to the internal fuel load and free up hard points for an expanded package of strike weapons. The aircraft's operational endurance can be further increased through the carriage of two underwing drop tanks, which have a combined capacity of over 4,540 litres.

Further innovations have also been made to reduce pilot workload and increase situational awareness. These include the introduction of an advanced cockpit layout, with moving map displays, and an internal sensor suite comprising Northrop Grumman's AN/APG-80 radar, Falcon Edge Electronic Warfare (EW) equipment and AN/AAQ-32 integrated forward-looking infrared targeting systems. A Thales-supplied secure radio and datalink also serves to enhance aircraft survivability, according to Lockheed Martin. The UAE's F-16F two-seaters feature an identical avionics fit to the single-seat variant, this being achieved through the use of a dorsal avionics compartment. Suitable for use as training platforms, the two-seat aircraft are fully capable of conducting dedicated strike missions, with the rear crew station configured for use by a weapon systems operator.

source: Jane's AirForces. i cant provide the link as it is a paid subscription.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

I don't see how Pakistani pilots would have been able to provide training to the UAEAF given that Pakistani pilots had no experience with the F-16 Block60 systems, which are different from the older generation F-16's that the PAF operates.

The PAF has, AFAIK, sent pilots to the US to be trained on the Block52's that are being acquired. Once we absorb the planes we'll take over the training as well no doubt, but when the UAE acquired the Block 60's I see no reason why they would consider the PAF for training instead of the USAF.

As for sanctions and their repercussions in terms of PAF pilots being deputized and access to US technology, they were obviously lifted after 2001, and Pakistan was sold the Block52's. So the objections over the PAF flying the Block 60's and the UAE getting source codes (if that was part of the agreement) would not longer be applicable. That said, the same issue of the PAF pilots not being trained on the Block 60's comes into play, and therefore training would still be handled by the US.

What could have happened, and this is complete speculation on my part, is that if the UAEAF has a shortage of Emirati citizens who could become quality pilots, then it may have (after sanctions on Pakistan were lifted) negotiated for pilots deputized from Pakistan to be trained in the US/Turkey to operate the F-16's.

 

[Myth_buster_1]

Growler
I did not want to enter this debate but I feel we need a reality check here!!!
PAF pilots do not fly Block 60s.They may have had a look, or may (given the benefit of the doubt!!!)even have flown in them in the back seat, but did not fly them.UAE pilots and US pilots do. It is not possible for US to sanction PAF yet allow its pilots to fly latest F16s. Pakistanis should also stop this day dreaming about this or that coming to our help, when the **** hits the wall. When the war comes, you will be on your own. My sources are personal and not to be publicized on the net.I don't know of any other sources,which has published the fact that PAF has actually FLOWN the fighter.The article you published is old and nothing more than a conjecture as nothing was mentioned after that.
Araz.

I am sorry to interrupt you but you are being way too pessimistic.
PAF was not under US sanctions after 2002-3 and even then UAE had no F-16s so this is not even the issue that PAF pilots simply could not fly because they were under US sanctions. I believe US does not fly F-16s for UAE but only train them in US or in UAE.
You are not the only person to have "inside" sources infact I do too and at the end of the day its merely your opinion and you are entitled to it.

 

[Myth_buster_1]

well....I looked for it but i wasn't able to find any bits about it.......Saudi Arabia and UAE would never like to indulge them in a third party war...Unless they are sure that they will not be touched......You should also know that it was Israel on stand by in Sirinagar airbase...so arabs would also know it....India can also exploit israeli card in middle east......I am not negating the cooperation and help....I am just raising a point that arab direct help is only a remote possibility now due to changing geopolitical scenario

I advice you to learn a bit more and come out of this pessimistic bobble because such people are only worth listening to PAF A-5 F-7 or at most Mirage-III news.

 

[Myth_buster_1]

This is a complete summary of UAEAF Training regime and the F-16 Program.

Training

Pilots and aircrew have been trained in-country, with the GCC or with Western allies. In the UAE, training is carried out in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai. In Abu Dhabi, flight instruction is provided by the Khalif bin Zayed Air College at Al Ain, initially involving screening on the Grob G115 Acro, with successful candidates thereafter progressing via the Pilatus PC-7 Turbo Trainer to the BAE Hawk Mk 63. In Dubai, training is provided at Minhad, primarily on the BAE Hawk.

Following the decision to buy the F-16E/F Desert Falcon, UAE pilots have been undergoing training with the US Air National Guard's 162nd Fighter Wing in Tucson, Arizona. The Arizona Air National Guard has trained UAE fighter pilots since 2001, with five years spent in UAE aircraft. As of mid-2009, the wing's 148th Fighter Squadron, with seven F-16E and seven F-16F aircraft retained at Tucson for training, was the only squadron of UAE-owned F-16Es in the US. At that time, the Tucson wing had nine Emirati student pilots in its basic, nine-month course who were expected to graduate as mission-qualified F-16 pilots.

The Turkish Air Force also provided F-16 training to UAE pilots under an agreement between the two countries which expired in 2004. The first batch of students from the UAE underwent a special course at Akinci from mid-November 2001 until early 2002.

Helicopter instruction for the UAE Armed Forces and Interior Ministry has been outsourced to the Horizon International Flight Academy at Al Ain International Airport. Training is conducted on the JetRanger, with instructional staff drawn from the UK, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Training Areas

The Gulf Air Warfare Centre at Al Dhafra is expected to play an important role in training fighter pilots from air forces in the Persian Gulf region to operate together and in concert with their US counterparts. The UAE established the centre in 2003 using NATO's Tactical Leadership Programme as the model.

F-16s

In May 1998, the government announced that it planned to purchase 55 F-16E and 25 F-16F Desert Falcon multirole fighters, making this easily the UAE's largest ever single military order. Delivery began in 2004 and was completed by August 2007. These formidable warplanes have greatly enhanced the UAE's over-the-horizon combat capabilities and also provide a measure of interoperability with other GCC air arms and US forces in the Gulf in the event of further crises in the region.

Disagreements in late 1998 concerning UAE demands for the inclusion of electronic warfare software code - which enables the F-16s to be configured for a variety of missions that are not possible without it - in the package were eventually resolved by May 1999 when it was reported that the US had agreed to supply the code. This was the first time that the US had chosen to release source code for advanced combat aircraft acquired by an Arab state and the release cleared the way for formal signing of the contract in March 2000. Israeli misgivings notwithstanding, the F-16 deal included approval for the supply of advanced weaponry such as the AGM-88 High Speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM) and the AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM).

Deal Details

The UAE agreed to fund the development of a new agile beam radar system for its F-16s as part of the package. Agile beam, which is more accurate and less detectable than other radars that have been employed by F-16s, was developed by Northrop Grumman's Electronic Sensors and Systems Division under a direct contract between the UAE and Lockheed Martin.

The single most important element of the Desert Falcon is the AN/APG-80 multimode radar, which uses an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) antenna to conduct interleaved air-to-air and air-to-surface search and targeting tasks.

Benefits of AESA technology include the ability to detect targets from a greater range than earlier mechanically-scanned arrays and the introduction of new capabilities, such as a high-resolution synthetic aperture radar mode for ground surveillance tasks. It has a 20-target multi-track capability in the air-to-air sphere, although this could in time be increased to monitor up to 50 targets. The agile beam design also offers increased accuracy and reliability, with its planned 500-hour Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) rate claimed to be double that of current fighter aircraft radars.

Another key element is the General Electric F110-GE-132 turbofan, which may ultimately prove to be the most powerful engine integrated with the F-16 over the life of the programme. Qualification testing of the 145 kN (32,500 lbst) thrust engine was declared complete on 27 October 2003 following an extensive series of flights using modified F-16 Block 30 and Block 50 fighters. The conclusion of this test programme cleared the way for the engine to enter operational service and to power the first Desert Falcon flight in late 2003. In addition to delivering increased power output, the new engine allows the aircraft to take-off at an increased maximum weight of 22,675 kg (50,000 lb). It is also expected to deliver lower operating costs and reduced maintenance demands.

The Block 60 aircraft also benefits from range enhancements introduced by the Block 50/52 F-16. All of the UAE aircraft are capable of conducting extended-range operations when equipped with conformal fuel tanks, which add 2,271 litres to the internal fuel load and free up hard points for an expanded package of strike weapons. The aircraft's operational endurance can be further increased through the carriage of two underwing drop tanks, which have a combined capacity of over 4,540 litres.

Further innovations have also been made to reduce pilot workload and increase situational awareness. These include the introduction of an advanced cockpit layout, with moving map displays, and an internal sensor suite comprising Northrop Grumman's AN/APG-80 radar, Falcon Edge Electronic Warfare (EW) equipment and AN/AAQ-32 integrated forward-looking infrared targeting systems. A Thales-supplied secure radio and datalink also serves to enhance aircraft survivability, according to Lockheed Martin. The UAE's F-16F two-seaters feature an identical avionics fit to the single-seat variant, this being achieved through the use of a dorsal avionics compartment. Suitable for use as training platforms, the two-seat aircraft are fully capable of conducting dedicated strike missions, with the rear crew station configured for use by a weapon systems operator.

source: Jane's AirForces. i cant provide the link as it is a paid subscription.

PIREP Fall 2000 (The F-16 Block 60: A High-Tech Aircraft for a Volatile Region)
A unique country sometimes referred to as the “Singapore” of the Persian Gulf because of its workforce and commercial hub, UAE must depend upon outside or Western support because its military is too small to defend against any regional threat. The lack of unity among the seven sheikdoms has divided the command of UAE forces, with the Ministry of Defense located in Dubai and the General Headquarters in Abu Dhabi. Because of its small population base, UAE must continue to rely on Pakistani and British contract pilots and officers to operate its air force.


http://www.dawn.com/2007/04/09/welcome.htm
Pakistan Air Force Chief Decorated Abu Dhabi, April 9 (PPI): United Arab Emirates President, Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Sunday conferred Emirates Medal of First Order on Chief of Pakistan's Air Force Air Chief Marshal Tanveer Mehmood Ahmed in recognition of his contribution to early stages of establishing UAE Air Force & Air Defence and boosting military cooperation between UAE and Pakistan. at a special ceremony at Al Bateen Palace.




Aero-india-09

Two intriguing questions immediately arise: Firstly, were these aircraft flown, perhaps just days ago, by combat pilots from the Pakistani Air Force (PAF), which has long sent its officers on deputation to fly UAE fighters?


So here I have two multiple sources claiming PAF pilots have flown or flying UAE F-16s. Why would india bother worrying if it was nothing but a dream for PAF to fly those vipers like most of you are indicating.

 

[Myth_buster_1]

I don't see how Pakistani pilots would have been able to provide training to the UAEAF given that Pakistani pilots had no experience with the F-16 Block60 systems, which are different from the older generation F-16's that the PAF operates.

I suppose the agreement between UAE and USA would be that haired PAF pilots would be send to US for training and in return these trained pilots will fly for UAE, of course this was not possible during starting stage of F-16 program with UAE because of sanctions. Turkish air force do not operate a totally different air craft system the block 60 with AESA radars so have you wondered how they are training UAE pilots? Remeber back in the days PAF operated no Mirage-F1 Hunters Mig-21 lightning etc but infact they were all flown and maintained by big numbers of PAF personals for arab forces.

 

[Parashuram1]

You are entitled to your opinion but your conclusion at the end of the day is not the reality. Read PAK-INDO 99 stand off when those arab fighters were on stand by for PAF assistance.

Growler, there is a big difference between sending contracted pilots to another country for an air show at the request of a manufacturer. Lockheed Martin requested UAEAF to send its fighter aircraft for the air show, where the pilots happen to be contracted Pakistani fighter pilots.

The sentence that you have mentioned about your stand-off with India was way back when New Delhi didn't have any specific politico-military regional significance as it has now. A lot has changed in the past few years and history isn't always an example to follow in today's dynamic times. The world today sees India in a different limelight as it used to during your standoff with them, as you can see based on the day to day happenings. In a military standoff, there is only an alert stage where the fighters are not given full clearance to engage and instead rather observe and then react to an enemy's move.

From what I know, above countries' fighters are the latest today in the region and I agree that it would have tilted the odds in your favor had there been any engagement between PAF and IAF. However, this would have also made the designating Arab countries in this case, a target on Delhi's radar, meaning that while their fighters would be supporting your war in your region, these countries would be sitting ducks without any defense for the remaining part of the larger IAF's fighter and bomber fleet. This is the very reason why third countries choose to remain neutral in the case of a war.

The Arab countries have their own political benefits and foreign relations to take care of and as neutral parties between both of you, they would rather avoid a confrontation with your neighbour in today's times as compared to the last ones.

However in a war no country of such limitations as the Arab states will issue fighters just for the contracted country to use them. hasnain0099 has a valid point here. Every sentence makes sense because in a full blown war, a neutral country that abets in the activities of one of the belligerents, is viewed by the other country as the enemy as well.

This means in a potential conflict between you and the Indians, if the UAE and Saudi governments give you their latest fighters, then Delhi would consider them as enemies as well and this would be a lot of trouble for the Arab countries especially in diplomacy and foreign relations.

While deputing fighters for an air-show is considered politically positive, it might be very different in case of a war especially for the non-combatant countries like above to support one side.

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

Great find, man. So now we have confirmation that the UAEAF did want the PAF to help it absorb F-16s. The Indians would definitely be concerned about this, it certainly damages the F-16IN's bid for the MMRCA.

That leaves the MiG-35 as the only platform in the MMRCA contest the PAF hasn't had any experience with. No wonder it's taking them this long to decide which one to select.

indian defence procurement is known as being a slow and almost uneventful process.

Between you and me, I have a feeling they will simply opt for the Mig-35s - which are indeed formidable aircrafts albeit not battle-tested to any degree analagous to the venerable F-16

They don't want us to be able to learn about their AESA radar technology without paying for the privilege. It's a reasonable concern that they have with Pakistan. They didn't even let the UAE access to the source code, despite the fact that UAE co-sponsored the development of the Block 60.

the Arabs are good at buying....lobbying and using what is available to them to exert leverage pressure has never been there niche. At least not since the 1973 oil embargo.

Oh, and I remember a thread titled "Pakistan vs UAE" where you advocated waging a diplomatic war against UAE for their treatment of Pakistani nationals. Now you're referring to the same country as a "sincere friend". Which is it?

There are too many mutually shared defence and economic interests for their to be any diplomatic issues. I know about how "guest workers" are treated in some Persian Gulf countries. The conditions should change; those workers built Dubai with their hands; the remmitance earnings to Pakistan are beneficial to our economy.


back on subject, it is no secret that the Air Forces have close cooperation. Many PAF personnel, such as AM (retd.) Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed have been fighter pilot instructors deputed there.

Surely they have gotten good 'peaks' and joyrides on some of their new aircrafts, though I cannot corrobrate this.