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JF-17 Thunder Multirole Fighter [Thread 7]

One doesn't need to go in to a platform vs platform discussion, pit the SU-30 MKI vs the Viper Blk-52 or the Thunder Blk-1/2, and we almost certainly know the outcome on paper. The Indian propaganda smoke screen since the 2000's gave it i.e. the MKI, an air of invincibility. Couple that with the 'professional attitude' in the adversary churning out kill ratios for the public consumption while withholding the Rules of Engagement and other such details from them. The Cope Indias serve as a prime example. All this almost made it in to an organization which was similar to the big investment firms/banks before the 08 housing crisis i.e. "Too big to fail".

Except we all know what happened to those organization in the 08 crash, they needed bail outs from the government. Same is the case with the IAF whose air of invincibility got decimated on the morning of 27th of feb, 2019. IAF had 200+ MKI's in its service, and they couldn't do SH*T. The IAF at the hands of the PAF got a pilot captured, shot its own chopper down and possibly lost a MKI, not to mention the violation of the airspace it controlled in broad day light, ground attacks on Indian military targets etc. To the 20 year old Indian fanboy who was raised on "MKI, the Raptor of the East" BS, it was a moment of reckoning that the propaganda he was fed his entire life was just that, propaganda. Ofcourse to save face IAF claimed to have shot down a falcon and as proof showed an AMRAAM, and gave medals i.e. the usual routine.

So in my humble opinion, instead of looking at it platform vs platform, one need to look it in to the context of system vs system. The IAF system vs the PAF system. Let's not forget that since the 2000's the PAF has been successfully deterring the much bigger and as far as platforms go, much more advanced IAF. The PAF vs IAF of 2021 is much more favorable to the PAF then say the PAF vs IAF of 2000.


While the PAF plans, or is rather forced to plan as a system and the margin of error is quite low owing to the limitation of funds. The IAF seems to like celebrity planes in MKI, Rafale etc. platforms it can sell to its public as well.

At the end of the day it seems, when it comes to a conflict a better overall system is more likely to outperform a system with better individual constituents as shown on feb 27, 2020.
The IAF can even commit more MKI but they couldn't overcome the jamming of their radar by PAF. The JF-17 basically has lock all the MKI on presence. What prevent a massacre is only not wanting to escalate into total war.
 
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