Well I guess people don't understand simple things.............. As I said before , China will only sell J-20 when they are sure if they don't sell Pakistan will be no more , , , , , , or its a life and death matter for Pakistan.........
And we all know that will never happen................. China will sell J-20 to Pakistan after 2040 happily , with or without any life or death situation...
For now we have 2 options , in double engine Medium to Heavy category J-31 and single engines Medium category (to replace F-16) TFX........... We can call any one of these 2 as Project Azm and buy the other just normal purchase.
Both of above will take 10 to 15 years.............
Our first priority should need to be Medium and Heavy bird , we have to replace Mirages and we also need a Heavy Bird ........... Focus on that any 5th gen available in market or homegrown is (are) 10 to 15 years away and we don't have that much time or we cannot wait that long.
SO:
Work on JF-17.
Buy J-10 or J-11 and replace Mirages.
Work On J-31.(for Medium to Heavy double engine 5th Gen)
Above 3 without any sanctions and all or majority work(maintenance , up-gradations , parts) will be done in Pakistan and all 3 will have many similarities(again avionics , etc).And cap on all Eastern birds as current ACM once said.
Work On TFX (to replace F-16s with single engine 5th gen)
Try to buy EFT , expensive yes , sanctions yes , but very expressive heavy bird and will work great with TFX and reaming F-16s Block 52s
Above 2 are Western options as ACM also once said................
Only going for JF-17 and 5th Gen will kill PAF and relaying on old and few F-16s will also bring harm......
We have to build our Air force ........ We like it or not its all depend on our economy........ But if our economy is good and our High Ranks in PAF will not do any thing then that's the ............... well
@MastanKhan will be good to explain more.
In short its all depend on economy and strategic or war planning ,,,,,,,,,,, Area denial or defensive force is just a waist of time and recourses ...
I think it’s obvious PAF will go for a JF-17 & locally produced J-31 combo augmented by F-16s and ultimately TFX. This will free PAF and Pakistan from being hostage to unreliable suppliers and correct the deteriorating power balance in the region. Those that are thinking of Pakistan going for 4.5 generation jet whether from Europe, Russia or China are only kidding themselves. I think PAF will leapfrog and go straight to J-31 and 5th generation technology. If this route is taken, will be best to stuff the J-31 with as much western/Turkish and South African subsystems as possible. Basically what India did to the SU-30s. This way you have a fleet that can knock out any jet from India including the Rafael and from the late 2020s, PAF can acquire the TFX to replace older F-16s.
Pakistan doesn’t have the resources and technology to reinvent the wheel and produce a completely indigenous 5th generation jet. And more importantly, it doesn’t have to!
Going straight to 5th Gen will not help,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, They need brothers in arms and 4.5 gen heavy is there brother in arm.......
India buy Rafs already have Su030s and USA still using , upgrading F-15s and F-18s and Russia building many and almost all of the world buying .......
PAF need heavy for many reasons........... Supporting Army in advances in enemy territory is one , and protecting seas and attacking enemy ships is other from those many reasons.
5th Gen J-31 also have many limitations , to cover them Heavy is need of the hour, and don't forget operating 5th gen is very expensive business......
PAF need Medium , Heavy ASAP like right now before 2020 (PAF have to replace 200 birds thread is on this forum) and in future 5th Gen (any available option is 5 to 7 years away and if we go for TFX that will take 12 to 15 years).
