JF-17 Block-3 -- Updates, News & Discussion

[redgriffin]

Thanks for sharing, its really interesting information and so it was a floop experiment as no one adopted such concept later on

Not a flop. This was a standard fit for RAF & export Jaguars.

 

[Ali_Baba]

View attachment 738513

JF-17 fighter jet gets J-20’s combat missile: reports - Global Times

www.globaltimes.cn

View attachment 738514

We need Global Times to publish a picture of the cockpit and new MFD's inside !!! Come on !!!

 

[ziaulislam]

There is a new article in AFM on JF-17. I am posting the extract that talks about Block III specifically. But looks like per the PAF, the first operational bird will be delivered to them in early 2022 after most of the testing and evaluation will be completed. The aircraft will be flying later this year, ones being produced at Kamra right now.

Also it has already been revealed that only two Block III test aircraft are flying. The 2nd example only started the test program in August 2020.


------
AFM May 2021
Earlier blocks

After delivery to Pakistan of an initial eight small-batch-production JF-17s, the 42 Block followed, with the final delivery coming in December 2014. Then came 50 Block IIs, with deliveries completed in December 2017, when the last 14 were handed over. An additional 12 Block IIs were built to bridge the gap in production caused by delays to the more sophisticated Block III.

Former PAF commander, Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman, told AFM in May 2017: “We don’t want to make any mistakes with the development of the Block III, so we instigated a one-and-a-half year delay to the programme. But a lot of Block III improvements have already been used to upgrade Block I/IIs.”

Block III

Having completed the production of the 26 JF-17Bs, all of PAC’s efforts are now being turned towards the newer, more capable Block III JF-17s. Air Marshal Noman, the PAC chairman, told AFM in January: “While final assembly of the dual seaters was ongoing at the Aircraft

Manufacturing Factory, the SPG (small part manufacturing) facility had commenced work on the components of the Block III.”

A decision about which AESA radar was to be acquired was delayed until late 2019 to study the performances of all three prospective candidates. The CETC (China Electronics Technology Group Corporation) KLJ-7A emerged the victor. “It’s one of several improvements over the Block I/IIs,” said Air Marshal Noman, who was previously the JF-17 chief project director (CPD). Block III enhancements should include upgraded avionics, better electronic warfare systems, an increased payload and more sophisticated weapons. It is set to become the ultimate JF-17 and, being fitted with an AESA radar, will have the capability to employ longer-range weapons and track multiple aircraft.

There is speculation whether the new PL-10 within visual range and PL-15 beyond visual range air-to-air missile could be included in the aircraft’s future armoury, although no one at the PAF is prepared to confirm this one way or the other.

The first JF-17 Block III made its maiden flight at Chengdu Aerospace Corporation on December 15, 2019. A second aircraft followed it into test and evaluation during August last year according to Air Marshal Noman, who said. “We will deliver the first serial production Block III in early 2022, when most of the test and evaluation work will be complete.” He continued: “This means that the first Block III should fly with the new radar from PAC Kamra later this year. The radar is being built under license at our avionics production factory (APF). This facility has worked on the Italian FIAR (now Leonardo) Grifo radars [for both the Chengdu F-7P/PG and Dassault Mirage IIIs], as well as the original KLJ-7 in the JF-17 Block I/IIs, which makes it more than capable of working on the new one.”

Air Marshal Noman revealed that only 30 of the 50 Block IIIs have been contracted to date, but the rest may come later. With a KLJ- 7A production line being created at APF, there is every likelihood that the earlier Block I/II JF-17s could be upgraded too.

Other than the AESA radar, the main difference between the Block II and Block III JF-17s, according to the Chairman, is a helmet mounted display (HMD) that the PAF is working on with companies in China and Pakistan, a three axis fly-by-wire system, an enhanced EW management suite and a chinmounted hard point. The PAF has also acquired the Aselsan targeting pod – known simply as the Aselpod – with eight of them initially having been ordered for supporting integration and a follow-on purchase of 50 more, made up of three batches.

There is also speculation that the Klimov RD93 powerplant which has flown more than 30,000 hours with the PAF JF-17s will be replaced by a different Chinese engine. However, back in 2018, ACM Mujahid Anwar Khan – who retired in mid-March after three years as PAF commander – told AFM: “On the RD93 engine, we are satisfied after having flown 19,000 hours with no problems. We have had a smoke issue, but that has now been substantially reduced. We know how to manage the engine and have had no problems with spares. They come to us from Russia via China. And we are aiming to establish an engine maintenance plant in Pakistan, at the 102 Air Engineering Depot (AED), to overhaul critical parts of the engine too. We will be setting up a universal test bed, which will enhance our strengths on the aircraft.”

To date, 138 JF-17s have been delivered to the PAF, with the last 128 rolling off the PAC Kamra production line over the past 11 years. With all the operational F-7P squadrons now gone, the 50 or so Block IIIs could signal the beginning of the end for the F-7PGs, just 20 years after we witnessed their introduction into service in 2002.

Could we see more JF-17s? There are indications we will, but for now most senior officers are non-committal, knowing that perhaps a bigger fighter is needed to combat newer threats.

As expected PG will go first followed by reduction in mirages or replacement via another plateform
Seems block IIIB will be coming with next 20 order seems things are running slower then expected

I will surprise PAF giving up jf17 now since it put so much effort in block3
With no f16 coming even if PAF inducts 250jf17s it will still have a force of around 320..short of 400 aircrafts..so minimim 200-250 will be procured

 

[Tempest II]

Lightning also had an integral belly fuel tank:

View attachment 738675

And Mig-19

 

[kursed]

The order of 30 block 3 really seems like a financial crunch decision to me.

Many possibilities:
1. PAF expects the economy to remain crap for a long time.
2. PAF expects to spend money converting earlier blocks to something comparable to Blk3
3. PAF expects to spend money on an additional platform
4. PAF expects to spend money on Azm
5. Some combination of 1-4.

To me, it feels like the decision is to retrofit older blocks with AESA and upgraded avionics at the cost of 20 extra Block 3s.

 

[Dalit]

A JF-17 fighter jet attached to the Pakistan Air Force flies towards the designated airspace during an air-to-ground offensive operation drill conducted by two Chinese JH-7 fighter bombers and two Pakistani JF-17 fighter jets on Sept. 20, 2017, which is part of the "Shaheen VI " joint training exercise launched by the air forces of China and Pakistan on Sept. 8 and scheduled to conclude on Sept. 27, 2017. Photo: eng.chinamil.com.cn

The latest, upgraded version of the JF-17 fighter jet has recently been spotted equipped with China's most advanced air-to-air combat missile that is also used by China's J-20 stealth aircraft, with military observers saying on Thursday that the weapon will give the China-Pakistan jointly developed light fighter the upper hand against its counterparts in dogfights and make it one of the world's best in its class.

A photo recently circulating on social media shows a JF-17 Block 3 fighter jet with the serial number "3001" on a test flight, eastday.com, a Shanghai-based news website, reported on Wednesday.

This is the first time the aircraft with this particular serial number has been seen by the general public, and a PL-10 air-to-air combat missile can be seen on the tip of each of its wings, the report said, without revealing the date and location.

As the short-range combat missile also used by China's most advanced J-20 stealth fighter jet and others, the PL-10 represents the highest level of its kind, and previous JF-17s are equipped with the old PL-5, eastday.com reported.

Observers said that the PL-10 equipped by the JF-17 Block 3 is likely an export variation, the PL-10E, which made its debut at the Airshow China 2018 in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province.

The PL-10E is a domestically developed, fourth generation air-to-air missile, and is one of the most advanced in the world that is on par with the US'AIM-9X, Liang Xiaogeng, chief designer of the missile, told the Global Times on the sidelines of the exhibition in 2018.

Thanks to its infrared-homing, extreme aerodynamic design and other advanced technologies, no aircraft, even stealth ones, can escape from the PL-10, eastday.com reported, also citing Liang.

With the PL-10, the JF-17 Block 3 will gain tremendous dogfight capability and have an edge even against its heavier opposing counterparts in homeland air defense, a Beijing-based military expert told the Global Times on Thursday, requesting anonymity.

In addition to the PL-10, the JF-17 Block 3 also received a more advanced radar, as China Central Television reported on Saturday that the fighter jet is equipped with the KLJ-7A airborne active electronically scanned array fire control radar.

The radar is of the most advanced level in the world, Hu Mingchun, director of the No.14 Research Institute at the state-owned China Electronics Technology Group Co, told the Global Times at the 9th World Radar Expo in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province, last week.

The first JF-17 Block 3 prototype, with serial number "3000", was taken into the skies for the first time in December 2019 in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, Beijing-based Aerospace Knowledge magazine reported at that time.

Other technologies, including a new and larger holographic wide-angle head-up display and integrated cockpit display similar to the one used by the J-20, in addition to an advanced infrared missile approach warning system used by the J-10C, J-16 and J-20 fighter jets, are also used on the JF-17 Block 3, Aerospace Knowledge said.

The JF-17 Block 3 will be one of the world's most powerful light fighter jets, experts said.

The Block 1 and 2 versions of the JF-17 can also use new radars and missiles for upgrades, analysts said.

JF-17 fighter jet gets J-20’s combat missile: reports - Global Times

www.globaltimes.cn

Lethal additions for JF-17 thanks to our Chinese friends.

 

[crankthatskunk]

Here goes Rafael down the drain.
One puzzle in its place.
When the long range PL15 inducted, Rafael would be saying "agar long range missile hota tu nateeja kuch aur hota"

 

[appliedfor]

What will be the range of PL-10E with AESA

 

[Tornado23]

What will be the range of PL-10E with AESA

20km

 

[appliedfor]

20km

Its very low if we need to counter the violations

 

[Hakikat ve Hikmet]

What a coincidence!!!! Turkey is facing problems with Rafaels too for Greece is having them. The Turkish approach looks like upgrading the F16s with indigenous AESA radars, WVR/BVR missiles, EW pods etc. Not to mention indigenous SOJ (stand off jammer) aircrafts, and land and air based long range EW and AD.....

The Qatar AF has operationalized its Rafael fleet. I am pretty sure it’s electronic capability is being scrutinized to the last ounce to generate counter measure libraries for EW.....

If PAF can upgrade her F16s in this line it’ll be like a double down on the Rafaels....

 

[alphapak]

What a coincidence!!!! Turkey is facing problems with Rafaels too for Greece is having them. The Turkish approach looks like upgrading the F16s with indigenous AESA radars, WVR/BVR missiles, EW pods etc. Not to mention indigenous SOJ (stand off jammer) aircrafts, and land and air based long range EW and AD.....

The Qatar AF has operationalized its Rafael fleet. I am pretty sure it’s electronic capability is being scrutinized to the last ounce to generate counter measure libraries for EW.....

If PAF can upgrade her F16s in this line it’ll be like a double down on the Rafaels....

Im sure Turkey and Pak have done their homework with the Qatari Rafales.

 

[Hakikat ve Hikmet]

Im sure Turkey and Pak have done their homework with the Qatari Rafales.

As reported in the Turkish media, during a recent "dog-fight" like situation over the East Med, the TurAF F16s locked the Greek F16s with very aggressive maneuvers while a couple of the French Rafaels were loitering nearby. But, they didn't come to the aid of their Hellenic brethren...

 

[alphapak]

As reported in the Turkish media, during a recent "dog-fight" like situation over the East Med, the TurAF F16s locked the Greek F16s with very aggressive maneuvers while a couple of the French Rafaels were loitering nearby. But, they didn't come to the aid of their Hellenic brethren...

Interesting, What is the longest range BVR missile that the TuAF use?

 

[Jinn Baba]

What will be the range of PL-10E with AESA

Its very low if we need to counter the violations

It's a short range "dog fight" missile. Look up AIM9X to find out what it does and why its a great addition.

The beyond visual range missile (that relies on radar guidance) is likely to be 100km+.