Bilal Khan (Quwa)
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2016
- Messages
- 7,004
- Reaction score
- 97
- Country
- Location
It appears that the PAF is responsible for strategic air power, e.g. defending Pakistani air space, ensuring that an area is free of airborne threats to the Army, attacking major targets, etc. They have no bandwidth for turboprop attack planes and would much rather focus on fast jets such as F-16 and JF-17.
The PAA is responsible for providing CAS coverage to the Army's ground forces. In this sense, it could theoretically use a turboprop attack plane, but it has limited means. The priority right now is to shore up attack helicopters as these are applicable for both COIN and conventional operations (e.g. anti-armour).
IMO the only way a turboprop attacker can make its way to Pakistan is if the PAF embraces the Hurkus or Pilatus for basic training (replacing the T-37s) with local licensed manufacturing. In that case, one can scale the ToT cost by adding more units, including attack planes. Otherwise, zero chance.
The PAA is responsible for providing CAS coverage to the Army's ground forces. In this sense, it could theoretically use a turboprop attack plane, but it has limited means. The priority right now is to shore up attack helicopters as these are applicable for both COIN and conventional operations (e.g. anti-armour).
IMO the only way a turboprop attacker can make its way to Pakistan is if the PAF embraces the Hurkus or Pilatus for basic training (replacing the T-37s) with local licensed manufacturing. In that case, one can scale the ToT cost by adding more units, including attack planes. Otherwise, zero chance.
