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Concept Design of a CAS Aircraft For The Needs Of Pakistan Military

Hi,
My knowledge is limited but wouldn't CAS- Close Air support be better if it were a rotory wing and not fixed? I know the CAS requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of friendly forces on the ground. I feel CAS can only be maintained with close proximity. My understanding is that there are no reliable true VTOL aircrafts at present. But wouldn't it be better if VTOL aircraft programme were accelerated to specifically aid in CAS missions?
Ideally, rotary wings are used for CAS as they have more flexibility and decent fire power however, I doubt that any such example would be able to withstand or out maneuver AA fire.
 
Ideally, rotary wings are used for CAS as they have more flexibility and decent fire power however, I doubt that any such example would be able to withstand or out maneuver AA fire.

My favorite CAS aircraft is the A-10C Thunderbolt II, affectionately known as the Warthog. It has that mean look about it that means business. I think intensive development on the Harrier project can create a solution for this. A Harrier has STOVL capability and the f-35B , currently undergoing development.
 
My 2 cents.

1.STOL on grass/ unprepared landing strips. VTOL totally unnecessary.

2. Fuel and critical underside capable of withstanding a hit from 20mm AA gun (standard AA gun).

3. Standard pylons for normal loads. ( a/tk missiles, bombs etc).

4. Essential 30mm built in canon for anti-tank work.

5. Nothing flies at 10 mph, but capable of low speeds.

6. Essental twin engine prop for survivability.

7. Easy maintenance and low cost.

The next step for the pakistani aerospace/defense industry is an entirely pakistani designed and built CAS aircraft ( except engine). This will maintain the momentum to develop this industry.

The large imbalance in land forces, particuarly in armour and artillery, mean this aircraft is desirable. This will also help strategic mobility, army resources being moved rapidly. ( It has to be under army contrlol).
Good points :tup:
1-VTOL is not an essential property IMHO as an aircraft can only land at a place where they have infrastructure and if some one is talking about setting up infrastructure at remote places for operation. IMHO near by airfield would be a better option. VTOL ability increases both surprise and survivability of aircraft fleet.
2- With Precision munitions on hand the need for risky engagements i.e. gun shooting is fading, Why to risk a AA shot when you can deliver a PGM from say 2000 feet high. Increasing the Armour comes at cost and aircraft gets burdened, increasing weight. another good way is to increase the internal capacity of fuel rather than using vulnerable external tanks. Use the space for multiple launch racks.

3- A single hellfire or maverick missile can essentially seal the fate of any unfortunate tank. Integrate such a missile on Aircraft and its lethality enhances many folds

4- I guess a single engine at the back should not be a problem as engine in the back is well protected by default

IMHO multirole is the future of air combat as it frees any airforce for committing extra resources for protection etc. Multirole can not only protect it self but also perform A2G job, not a bad choice.
 
If i can recall the an old post of Murad sahib, his openion was prop based platforms are best for CAS as they have better loitering capability than jet engine due to fuel efficiency. He was suggesting to take out the old prop models and let the retired pilots use them as the new pilots may not be familier with the platform

The A-37 Dragonfly.. (armed and more powerful T-37 Tweet).. was able to beat the A-1 Sky raider in endurance.. and ToT..
Carry a lot of ordnance.. and take a beating as well.
avtweet_4.png
 
The A-37 Dragonfly.. (armed and more powerful T-37 Tweet).. was able to beat the A-1 Sky raider in endurance.. and ToT..
Carry a lot of ordnance.. and take a beating as well.
avtweet_4.png

Sir, can a STOVL aircraft be used for CAS missions?
 
Twin engine is important for survivability. One engine destroyed, the plane is still going home.

To make it A2G just increases the cost, as does multi-mission.

Every combat aircraft has an integral canon. Increases the options available.

One drawback of a prop is its inability to defend itself against enemy fighter aircraft. Regular aircraft have to be allocated to defend it, increasing their workload.
American CAS aircraft operate in an enviroment of air supremacy, so are not automatically suitable for Pakistani needs.

The A-10 Douglas skyraider was so popular in vietnam that the military wanted to restart the production line.
 
HERE IS MY FAVORITE.

A-10_Thunderbolt_II_In-flight-2.jpg


# Guns: 1× 30 mm (1.18 in) GAU-8/A Avenger gatling cannon with 1,174 rounds
# Hardpoints: 11 (8× under-wing and 3× under-fuselage pylon stations) with a capacity of 16,000 lb (7,260 kg) and provisions to carry combinations of:

Rockets:
o 4× LAU-61/LAU-68 rocket pods (each with 19× / 7× Hydra 70 mm rockets, respectively)
o 4× LAU-5003 rocket pods (each with 19× CRV7 70 mm rockets)
o 6× LAU-10 rocket pods (each with 4× 127 mm (5.0 in) Zuni rockets)
Missiles:

* 2× AIM-9 Sidewinders air-to-air missiles for self-defense
* 8× AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missiles

Bombs:

* Mark 80 series of unguided iron bombs or
* Mk 77 incendiary bombs or
* BLU-1, BLU-27/B Rockeye II, Mk20, BL-755[92] and CBU-52/58/71/87/89/97 cluster bombs or
* Paveway series of Laser-guided bombs or
* Joint Direct Attack Munition (A-10C)[93] or
* Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (A-10C)

# Other:

* SUU-42A/A Flares/Infrared decoys and chaff dispenser pod or
* AN/ALQ-131 & AN/ALQ-184 ECM pods or
* Lockheed Martin Sniper XR & LITENING targeting pods (A-10C) or
* 2× 600 US gallon Sargent Fletcher drop tanks for extended range/loitering time.

Avionics

* AN/AAS-35(V) Pave Penny laser tracker pod[94] (mounted beneath right side of cockpit) for use with Paveway LGBs
* Head-up display (HUD) for improved technical flying and air-to-ground support.

Although, i wish they would invent one of these :p:bounce:
 
But the f-35 B isnt operational yet.

The AV-8 was..
Even the RAF wanted to use its STOVL capabilities to use dispersed locations to deploy the aircraft..and still be able to provide CAS to the troops even if their airfields were taken out.
 
Its a folly that Pakistan go for an dedicated CAS aircraft; as I a spoken already unmanned CAS versiona are more efficient & deadly. In 20 years time, there won't be many dedicated CAS aircraft around. At this moment, it seems, there aren't a great deal of successors in the design tables or in pre-production, which means that when the service life of current manned CAS planes is over, there aren't going to be new around. Plus the very intelligent SHORAD missiles...i ain't prefer to include a human in the loop of SAM rich environment
 
indo-pakistani_war_1971_iaf.jpg



Close air support

Concept
CAS is a kind of air strike conducted by fixed or rotary aircrafts against the hostile targets that are close to the friendly forces. The determining factor of CAS mission is the integration with the fire and movement of ground forces. If Successful, the firepower from the CAS aircraft can bring the decisive conclusion to the fight with the destruction of the enemy.


Where and when?
CAS is called- in to hit the enemy when friendly ground forces with their organic weapons and their ability to manoeuvre don't bring a decisive success. Also if enemy has advantage of position (hilltops) or its numbers are overwhelming then close air support will nullify that advantage.

CAS perspective for Pakistan

History of Pakistan Army Aviation - YouTube


Pakistan army Aviation Corps

It was split from the air force and became part of army in 1958. From its COIN operations in the 70s in quelling the Baloch insurgency to the current War on Terror. The Pakistan Army Aviation forms the essential part of army operations.
Its combat wing consists mainly of the cobra gunships. That have provided close air support against the insurgents in the war against terror. Cobras have been called in on various occasions whenever army conveys came under attack from Taliban ambush and they also formed the part of the ground assault on Swat, Waziristan & Orakai during Operation Rah e Nijat & Rah e Rast.

But the helicopter gunships have their limitation in terms of their payload capacity, endurance and ferry range which can only be filled by a ground attack aircraft. This is what the Pakistan Army aviation lacks in case it is needed specially against a conventional enemy. In case of a massive ground assault by India based on its new cold doctrine, the Pakistan army aviation can find itself overwhelmed with the task at hand to destroy large Indian armour columns and will have to call in PAF support due to all the advantages that an aircraft offers over a helicopter gunship.

AW75.jpg

14 Dec-71
F-86s from No 19 Squadron strike a battalion of Indian Army in the Thar desert. The napalm and strafing attacks were led by Flight Lieutenant


Pakistan Air force


The air strike capability of PAF’s dedicated and multimode aircrafts fills in this gap to assist in defending the friendly ground forces or in case of a counter attack, provide necessary CAS to suppress the enemy through a coordinated fire and movement by the friendly forces.


The Need for a Dedicated CAS Aircraft

PAF has provided CAS on request to the Pakistan army in Punjab and deserts of Sind delivering a devastating blow to advancing Indian armor during both the 65 and 71 war. But that support was not readily available. Precious time can be saved due to reduced numbers of channels to call in the strikes if the pilots are under the same command structure.

Until recently A-5s were its dedicated airstrike role aircrafts but as they have been phased out, now this role is going to be filled by JF-17s. But like any other air force, the ground support role is not seen with high esteem in the aviation circles. So this role will always take a secondary importance for PAF. In extreme cases, the air force pilots actually hate this role (Amiercians in their own account) and find it far more challenging due to enemy and friendly identification and their proximity in the battlefield which is constantly changing. Also the supersonic speed of these aircrafts means that they can’t loiter the battle field long enough for the benefit of the ground forces and to have the desired psychological effect on friendly forces as a moral booster. A slower aircraft with equal payload is more desirable because it will remain in the area and continue to provide the fire support in case of an intense fighting.


Defensive Role of Air Force has following main responsibilities

* Defence of its Air Space
* Coordinated deep strike missions to hamstring the adversary
* Air support for the ground forces

The above are the main responsibilities of PAF as well.

The new weapons and avionics like laser guided bombs and targeting pods mean that their air strikes will be more effective and precise but these sorts of aircrafts are more suited to strategic bombing and interdiction.

This brings in the need for dedicated ground attack aircraft that is able to sustain the ground fire while flying low, below the enemy radar and it has firepower and weapon systems primarily setup for ground attack. It has to be slow enough to be able to loiter the battlefield and stay over the heads of the enemy forces until their destruction.

It means that Army aviation should seek to raise squadrons of dedicated ground attack aircrafts that can fill up the role that is beyond the means of the helicopter gunships.

Point to note here is that the type of aircraft needed here is one that is resilient, can take punishment and has weaponry primarily focused on ground support.

The ability to persist in the battlefield for both the psychological impact on the foe as a physical enemy and its devastating firepower and its survivability against the ground fire like an American A-10 is desirable feature that not many airforces enjoy..

A5s were known to have the reinforced fuselage but it’s not known if the Black Spider squadron of JF-17s will have that added padding to protect their bellies against small arms fire.

Although the concept of UCAV is in its infancy and has been used extensively in WoT by the Americans. But fore sure it will see its role in CAS in the future as its more able and rugged models will emerge. For Pakistan, the combat UAV’s can be another possibility in the coming future as Pakistan on its own or in collaboration with China develops next generation of combat UAVs that would provide CAS to its ground troops.

AW72.jpg

During a major assault in the Shakargarh area on 14 December 1971, PAF fighters were called in for air support. The painting shows one of the supporting F-6s bearing down on enemy armor, while another one has just pulled off. The aircraft belonged to No 23 Squadron. Apart from being effective in the air defense role, the F-6s (introduced into the PAF in 1966) provided valuable air support to Pak Army in the 1971 War.

The more ambitious program can be developing something on the lines of A-10 or SU-25. But that’s only possible if the military planners see the importance of CAS in the future conflicts. They can always take hints from the past history and the current conflicts where CAS has been a deciding factor in achieving dominance over the enemy. CAS is a must for survival and effective CAS is a must for victory in the modern conflict. With JF-17 and J-10 programs already in action it might be very hard to spare resources or focus at this time. But there is always room for converting a variant of JF-17 to a much more rugged and suitable for ground attack role without having to re-invent the wheel.

To convince the decision markers to go for a dedicated ground attacker instead of a jack of all trades is that multi role aircrafts differ from dedicated Airstrike aircrafts (CAS) in many ways,. A multirole aircraft fulfills roles such as strategic bombing, deep strike missions, SEAD, CAP and interdiction etc, CAS adds yet another role to a already over burdened aircraft and its pilot. To incorporate CAS specific systems (armor, dedicated ammo and avionics etc.) would result in tradeoffs that would result in lesser aircraft for interception / A2A role.



End Notes

The training and infrastructure is already available in the form of PAF Academy Risalpur. The Army aviation pilots can share the same training and facilities and after passing out and completing their training can join their Corps. Sharing the same training will mean that pilots from both forces will have same protocols and communication levels and will be readily able to support each other and the ground forces. To at this point no major investment is needed in additional infrastructure. The JF-17 are there, the training facilities are there and if there is a will and realisation of increasing the capabilities of Pakistan army Aviation through the induction of fixed wing air strike aircrafts then 2 squadrons will be a good starting point.
 
PAF and PA need to buy aircrafts like A-10 or alternatives.
 
some good material on this website about Pak Army Aviation

Role


Army%20Aviation.jpg


Army Aviation provides mainly four types of aviation support during operations of the field Army, namely composite or light aircraft support, cargo, combat and high altitude support. Composite support is available at all times, however, availability of cargo and combat support subjects to Army’s overall plans.

Light Aircraft Support

Composite squadron integral to each corps comprises single engine fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft. Tasking of these aircrafts is:-

* Command and liaison.
* Conduct Artillery shoots as authorized observers.
* Act as Airborne Forward Air Controller (FAC).
* Battle field surveillance.
* Reconnaissance.
* Casualty evacuation.

Cargo Aviation Support

The Cargo Aviation Support comprises cargo helicopters mainly the Pumas and MI-17s. The cargo Aviation support includes the following:-

Shifting of troops, heavy weapons and equipment to the most threatened sectors.
Heliborne and anti heliborne operations in support of offensive and defensive operations.
Support to Aviation Combat Group to establish Aerial Forward Area Arming and Refueling Point (FAARP).
Specialized transfrontier operations to include raids, ambushes etc.
Electronic Warfare Operations.


Combat Aviation Support


The Combat Aviation Support comprises the combination of Attack (Cobras) and Scout helicopters (Jet Rangers) grouped into combat flights in a Combat Squadron. The two combat squadrons form part of Aviation Combat Group.


High Altitude Support




Alouette-III helicopter of French origin was inducted in mid sixties to support the construction of Karakuram Highway. This helicopter proved extremely effective in Northern and AK areas. Siachin conflict, however, confronted Army Aviation with altitudes, where Alouette-III helicopter was stretched to the maximum limits of its capabilities and its load carrying capacity reduced tremendously. A need was felt to induct a suitable high altitude helicopter. Induction of Lama and MI-17 helicopters significantly enhanced Aviation support to troops deployed in high altitudes. However, Alouette-III and Puma helicopters are still operating upto 4000 and 6000 meters respectively. This high altitude aviation support mainly includes:-

* Dumping.
* Shifting of guns/engineer equipment/ radars etc.
* Shifting of troops.
* Recce.
* Casualty evacuation.
* Command and liaison.



http://www.pakistanarmy.gov.pk/AWPReview/TextContent.aspx?pId=24&rnd=454
 
PAF and PA need to buy aircrafts like A-10 or alternatives.

I would recommend that Pakistan Army Aviation takes that step because that will go hand in hand with its Combat wing which consists of Cobra gunships.

quick response/ turn around
Unity of command

The American A-10 stands out to be a unique aircraft and there is no other example of this plane. the closest match is the Russian SU-25 frogfoot. but procuring any of these is almost impossible even if the need is realised by the military planners.

a heavily customized ground attack version of JF-17 might be a good trade off that sacrifices speed and BVR component for more armor (both A-10 and SU-30 have Titanium reinforced fuselage) and Air to ground munition.
 

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