Hi,
I would have loved to have had the J10B in paf colors 4 years ago---it would have given the paf enough time to adjust the aircraft to their needs.
I think they GAMBLED---and started playing CUTESY with the americans---.
But as they have not inducted the J10---then what other option is there for a single engine---.
My option for a BLK4 JF 17 is not a new aircraft---it is in the same parameters---similar structure and lsight bit larger---Gripen has done it---they are not calling it a new aircraft--the south africans did it with the Mirage to Cheetah---they did not call it new aircraft---enough though the mirage was a major modification---.
I don't see any reason why this aircraft cannot be modified around 50 million dollars---.
Mastan Bhai
1. Even I do feel PAF should have gone to J-10 B, because not only it a superb single engine fighter plane, but also give the ample space and better range, and weapon load than the JF-17. But don't you think that PAF doctrine and budget justify JF-17.
2. So you want the development of the JF-17 Block 4 on the Grippen footprint but here is a simple twist, the development or in this case new development is not done in a Gut Feeling, but with proper analysis, calculations and requirement, and offcourse money/budget. First JF-17 development was made for the export in mind, and with the low cost factor.
Lets take your Road map similar to the Grippen NG.
1... first is the Engine, because you need more thrust in case of Grippen the engine chosen was F-414 replacing F-404. Both the engine have same dimension and same weight. Do you have any other engine in mind -- Russian r-d 33K ++, Chinese , French M-88 v 9, GE 414 or Pakistan is ready to invest for the uprated variant of the existing engne.
2. Since you change the Engine, you need to design the Air Intake to catter the pressure inflow change.
3. Since you change the Engine, and landing Gears, and various LRU's the CG also gets changed, that would need the whole set of aerodynamic tests and certification. Also since you change the airframe, and Engine, the Piping, wiring, hydraulic, actuators, internal LRUs positions have to be changed, designed and modified.
4. You want Sniper Pod, IRST (unknown), AESA Radar (Unknown), that means the whole EW suite, and flight control have to programmed again, and weapons needed to be mated.
5. In short almost the whole new design with all tests again.
Big Question is Does Pakistan's any OEM have IPR's of all the Subsystems for that. Say for example, if the DSI have been desinged by the Chinese OEM, do you have all the flight data, extensive rights to modify it.
@Manticore Sir, when we talk about a subsystem, the right to license manufacture is one thing, but to modify it you need to have permission from the related OEMs and in this various chinese OEMs, not only Caltic , can Kamra or any other Pakistani agency could modify them, as Mastan Bhai is asking.
Mastan Bhai -- My question is very simple, you are asking for an exclusive, JF-17 variant with superior features, but lets say the number projected is 50 units. And Chinese Caltic are interested in JF-17 old variant to marketed in the global market. So if you want that exclusive JF-17 block 4, but Chinese thinks that there won't be any market in the Globaly, why would they invest on it, in short, then Pakistan would be the alone customer, and he has to bear all the modification costs and since the number would be limited, the average cost would be significantly higher.
Thanks