The news is merely a suggestion by the American think tanks,
Pakistan was never ever interested in the F-15s, simply because of it's high unit price and operating cost, hence apart from a few countries around the globe, even none of the NATO members acquired this aircraft.
Sir
you summed it up very well. I am sure if pirce & operating costs were not an issue then maintaining these magetic machines wont have been a problem for our Aeronautical engineers, technicians & other technical staff.
honestly I dont buy the argument that PAF only needs Multirole fighters and an superiority heavy fighter like F-15 doesnt fit in. to me its a lame excuse for grapes are sore. it feels like when you tell yourself or your partner to settle for an item you can afford & then convince each other that the one on the top shelf is not that good but you both know if the price tag was not an issue you would have gone for it.
its a very valid point from you that not many US allied/ freindly nations have that aircraft. my self I only know RSAF & Israel appart from America (just read that Japan's "Self" Air Defence forces also have been ooperating them since 1981)
I guess this lackluster sale (in addtion to high unit coset/ maintenaince costs) might also have to do with the outstanding and outmatched F-16 program which is the most successful in the current history of foreign airforce Acquisition.
(in a very hypothetical/ wishful scenario) had the Russian occupation of Afghanistan lasted for another decade and the resources allowed then maybe there would have been atleast 2 squadrens of these fighters, topped up with F-16s of course. you might recall that during the last years of the Russian occupation, the pro-Russian Afghan regime was planning on acquring Mig-29s and/ or Su27s. had the relations between USA & Gen Zia remained as warm & close as they were during Reagan era then maybe the likelihood of these planes would have become a reality.
since F-16s were way ahead in the league compared to SU22s and Mig23s so the introduction of Mig29s or SU27s in pro-Russian puppet communist goverment might have had raised concerns in PAF.
I am merely theorycrafting about the posibilty of only time of these planes was cold war against Russian aggression.
what say you?
