Bangladesh Air Force

[Armstrong]

1. we are upgrading Mig29.
2.we are now looking for quality rather than quantity , we can not race with others of having a big number of fighter jets. ( we will buy highest 2 squadron of 4.5 gen fighters and wait for J-31)

Touuu yaraaaa a Mig 29 SMT is a pretty good piece of equipment - Why do you think India is upgrading all her Mig 29s to this level ?

I still say - Go for it !

Maybe post 2020 procure a squadron of 4.5th Generation platform & then post 2040 go for a 5th Generation one but right now I can't imagine why BAF would want to procure a 4.5th Generation platform despite having no major threat from any of her neighbors !

 

[BDforever]

Touuu yaraaaa a Mig 29 SMT is a pretty good piece of equipment - Why do you think India is upgrading all her Mig 29s to this level ?

I still say - Go for it !

Maybe post 2020 procure a squadron of 4.5th Generation platform & then post 2040 go for a 5th Generation one but right now I can't imagine why BAF would want to procure a 4.5th Generation platform despite having no major threat from any of her neighbors !

forget about India , india has the ability to hold a big number of different generations of fighter jets. We do not have that ability.

just give you a scenario: a 5th generation has advantage over 4th generation fighter. so if we have 5th generation fighter , enemy will not be able to take advantage with 4th generation, they will need 5th generation fighter for fight. this is how we can reduce enemies capability over us. so rather having 6 squadron of 4th genration fighters, having 2 squadron 5th generation fighters is good idea.

 

[Armstrong]

forget about India , india has the ability to hold a big number of different generations of fighter jets. We do not have that ability.

just give you a scenario: a 5th generation has advantage over 4th generation fighter. so if we have 5th generation fighter , enemy will not be able to take advantage with 4th generation, they will need 5th generation fighter for fight. this is how we can reduce enemies capability over us. so rather having 6 squadron of 4th genration fighters, having 2 squadron 5th generation fighters is good idea.

No not really; the enemy would just overwhelm you with numbers ! A 5th Generation fighter is Stealth but Stealth does not equate to 'invisibility' it means that a 5th Generation fighter wouldn't be detected till its almost right on top of you as opposed to from 50-60 miles away. How do you plan on using them ? As a Defensive force ? Then that would defeat the very purpose of Stealth ! As an offensive force ? How do you plan on doing that with around 2 squadrons of these ? Who is going to defend your Air Space when even one of them is out on an offensive mission ? Not to mention those 2 squadrons would be under constant surveillance which means your enemy would know when & from where you're planning on attacking them.

And it goes without saying you can't just jump from a borderline 4th Generation bird to a 5th Generation one.....bohat training, logistics etc. are required ! A proper bleeding in process is needed.

 

[BDforever]

1. 5th generation fighters are not just stealth, they have some more advance features.
2. we are in defensive mode, 5th generation can be used for defense too, our air space is not so big, so we will be able to defend it by small number of fighters

it goes without saying you can't just jump from a borderline 4th Generation bird to a 5th Generation one.....bohat training, logistics etc. are required ! A proper bleeding in process is needed.

3. i agree with it thats why we are filling the gap , not just by jumping to 5th generation

 

[ejaz007]

forget about India , india has the ability to hold a big number of different generations of fighter jets. We do not have that ability.

just give you a scenario: a 5th generation has advantage over 4th generation fighter. so if we have 5th generation fighter , enemy will not be able to take advantage with 4th generation, they will need 5th generation fighter for fight. this is how we can reduce enemies capability over us. so rather having 6 squadron of 4th genration fighters, having 2 squadron 5th generation fighters is good idea.

First thing first. Who is your enemy? Once you have decided on that than you can plan about which type of fighters you need.

If the enemy is India than you need mix of 4th and 5th generation fighters to protect your self. Since inducting large number of 5th generation fighters is not economically viable you need mix to tackle the threat.

If your enemy is other than India than even 4th generation fighters shall be enough for dealing with the threat.

 

[eastwatch]

For the defence of air space, BAF may need at least 9 sq. (9 x 16= 144) of 3.5G, 4G and 5G planes. Some people very naively think only two sq.of 5G planes can deter an enemy from attacking. But, I think it is impossible for a few planes, 5G they may be, to run every where in times of emergency. So, a small number cannot deter an enemy airforce from attacking.

Since planes are very expensive to buy, therefore, a poor country like BD should better employ land-based (both fixed and mobile) SAMs, because it does not have the optimum number of planes. BAF is doing exactly the same. But, I do not know if some of the SAM platforms are mobile or not.

 

[BDforever]

For the defence of air space, BAF may need at least 9 sq. (9 x 16= 144) of 3.5G, 4G and 5G planes. Some people very naively think only two sq.of 5G planes can deter an enemy from attacking. But, I think it is impossible for a few planes, 5G they may be, to run every where in times of emergency. So, a small number cannot deter an enemy airforce from attacking.

Since planes are very expensive to buy, therefore, a poor country like BD should better employ land-based (both fixed and mobile) SAMs, because it does not have the optimum number of planes. BAF is doing exactly the same. But, I do not know if some of the SAM platforms are mobile or not.

SAM platforms are mobile

 

[Lone]

Since we are solely a defensive force, I strongly believe that we should go for multilayers of SAM. Heck we just got some SHORADs. Then some 4.5 and 5th GEn aircraft would be minimum deterrence or min ability to do some damage on the other side. We must go for SAM and then some handful squadron of Aircrafts.

 

[Zabaniyah]

Since we are solely a defensive force, I strongly believe that we should go for multilayers of SAM. Heck we just got some SHORADs. Then some 4.5 and 5th GEn aircraft would be minimum deterrence or min ability to do some damage on the other side. We must go for SAM and then some handful squadron of Aircrafts.

The key is to use a force multiplier

 

[Anubis]

An32B in Kiev!

 

[BDforever]

guys watch this video of BAF 25 SQN PART I | Facebook

 

[Koovie]

For the defence of air space, BAF may need at least 9 sq. (9 x 16= 144) of 3.5G, 4G and 5G planes. Some people very naively think only two sq.of 5G planes can deter an enemy from attacking. But, I think it is impossible for a few planes, 5G they may be, to run every where in times of emergency. So, a small number cannot deter an enemy airforce from attacking.

Since planes are very expensive to buy, therefore, a poor country like BD should better employ land-based (both fixed and mobile) SAMs, because it does not have the optimum number of planes. BAF is doing exactly the same. But, I do not know if some of the SAM platforms are mobile or not.

So many? And even 2 sqdrs of 5th gen fighters??

Pretty ambitious for an AF that does operate less than 10 4th gen fighters....

 

[fatman17]

For the defence of air space, BAF may need at least 9 sq. (9 x 16= 144) of 3.5G, 4G and 5G planes. Some people very naively think only two sq.of 5G planes can deter an enemy from attacking. But, I think it is impossible for a few planes, 5G they may be, to run every where in times of emergency. So, a small number cannot deter an enemy airforce from attacking.

Since planes are very expensive to buy, therefore, a poor country like BD should better employ land-based (both fixed and mobile) SAMs, because it does not have the optimum number of planes. BAF is doing exactly the same. But, I do not know if some of the SAM platforms are mobile or not.

what is the current strength of the BAF - who will foot the bill for such a proposed AF. a 4th / 5th gen a/c will cost close to USD 80-100m per.

lets see what the outgoing CAS of BAF has to say in his interview to AFM - April issue.

 

[PlanetSoldier]

@BDforever : I've said this before; I'll say it again - Just upgrade the Mig 29s you've got or procure more to the SMT standard ! 6-7 Squadrons of Mig 29 SMTs, assuming that 12 per squadron, would ensure that you've got between 70-80 pretty good Multi Role Platforms that you're already accustomed to.

And then wait for the J-31 to mature before you think of procuring a squadron of it post 2030 or you procure some of the other 5th Generations programs that are coming up, as per that same time frame.

7 squadrons of Mig-29 SMTs in BAF ....man you kept nothing for politicians' pocket. Anyway, I would station 2 squadrons of them on chicken neck all the time .

 

[eastwatch]

So many? And even 2 sqdrs of 5th gen fighters??

Pretty ambitious for an AF that does operate less than 10 4th gen fighters....

BAF has certainly an ambitious plan for the future induction of more 4/4.5G planes like Mig-29SMT or above. This is why it is talking with Russia to induct about a sq. of YAK-130 training planes. Why should BAF buy training planes to train its pilots to operate 4.5/5G planes, but then will not buy the fighters?

You are talking about the present status. However, while you are having a static mind, BAF may have a dynamic thinking. Just think, what the military bought during the last three years for the Navy? Think of all the frigates, corvettes, LPCs-M, FACs and many others. How much do you think BN spent on thes goods? We also bought 3 transport helis from the US alonmgwith 20 Rolles Royce engines. Think also of tanks and SAMs.

How much did we spend? It could be more than $2b. Now, the BN will also induct two submarines, and also two 100m long stealth type 056 corvettes. These are not our last shopping, certainly.

After the navy is strong enough, BAF will certainly purchase probably more migs and then will buy 5G planes. By this time our pilots will get training with YAK-130 on how to man the 5G planes. We are not a stupid oil rich country where the govt buys new weapons because of US insistence, but the soldiers are not given proper trainings to operate the weapons.

We will bite only what we can swallow. You are very right to imply that we are a very poor country to afford hifi weapons. But we will buy these from our future money and we cannot afford the luxury of keeping these weapons unwrapped. And, lastly, do not also worry about our source of money. For one, the BoB is full of resources. For the next twenty years we will be spending only a fraction of our wealth that lies beneath there.