New Thunder with 9 Hardpoints

[Imran Khan]

you guys want more and more missiles

 

[Suff Shikan]

Dual Racks.

look closely its Dual Ejector Rack

 

[volatile]

Dual rack is not a new thing on thunder ,how ever integration od SD10 on dual rack for dedicated task ,this clearly shows or indicates that for Maritime role thunder will be a strong candidate infact this puts all news/rumors a step back for medium category fighter since the dual rack offers more

The hard points are 7 but with dual or there is a picture in which there were triple rack for dumb bomb . Its a wonder that a platform with ease or freedom of integration can do wonders

The addition will be two pods on chin one for targeting pod and second most probably IRST if we go with the route of Chinese AESA in block 3 (chances are since Block 1/2 all have to be integrated sooner or later

 

[tarrar]

Its good to see JF17 is developing even more.

 

[Falcon26]

Great post from @Windjammer as always

Are there any drawbacks from dual racks?

 

[Maarkhoor]

so our boy can take 6 BVRs now that great,,,,,,,,,,, But just look at those fuel tanks (if they are),,,,,,,,,,,, Both are different in shape ,,,,,,,,,

No, 54 BVRs and two wing tip short range air to air missiles and yes if no external fuel tanks then yes it may take 6.

 

[Fawad alam]

Pictures from Chinese websites showing JF-17 supporting multiple SD-10s on two extra hard points in addition to the seven seen in the image in the back ground.

View attachment 434677

JF-17 is getting better and stronger with time, Love to see this dual rack SD-10s with cruise missiles, My heartily salute to the people working for this cause.

 

[Maxpane]

i can see this all day

are these drop tanks or some kind of bombs?

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Great addition , now JF17 is on par with F16 from weapon's prespective

 

[Maxpane]

sir can you elaborate plz?

Great addition , now JF17 is on par with F16 from weapon's prespective

 

[Jinn Baba]

Air marshal shahid lateef is a personal friend. He started the jf17 program. Spoke with him yesterday about the Smokey engine and he knows my back ground. After that he said trust me this beast is bad. It's as capable if not better than some of the f16s in our arsenal. Go PAF. Conformal fuel tanks along with 9 hardpoints and this will bitchslap anyone out there.

Was he talking about the current block 2s or the future block 3?

I ask because the comparison to "some of the f16s" suggests as good as older but not quite as good as the block 52s; and the answer would indicate how capable the block 3 is likely to be.

 

[Riz]

Anyone one knows about Block 3 with conformal fuel tanks?

 

[ziaulislam]

8 hard points with AESA,IRST, and dual racks are more than enough..even the mig 29 has just 9 hardpoints...so to me dual racks is as good as hard points. Though we would. Need another no.8 hard point below air intake for mission pods

Now what's really needed is IRST and HAD with fifth gen WVR

 

[SSGcommandoPAK]

Anyone one knows about Block 3 with conformal fuel tanks?

Block 3 will not have CFT's according to my sources !

 

[niaz]

I fail to see the fascination with the number of hard points. Additional hard points do not imply that Thunder can also carry extra weight.

According to the info in post # 48 by Honourable Volatile, maximum external load carrying capacity of the Thunder is only 4,000 Kg. Increasing number of points to 9 means that while 9 bombs / missiles can be carried simultaneously, total ordinance weight remains the same. F-16 can carry 7,577 Kg of bombs, that is nearly double the JF-17 bomb load.

Thunder is undoubtedly a very capable fighter, but let us not get carried away. PAF are not stupid, their love affair with F-16 is based on sound reasoning.