PAF Air Refueling Capability

[air marshal]

 

[Mani2020]

@airmarshal

already posted by me

 

[air marshal]

 

[American Eagle]

Is the PAF going to use refueling tanker methodology to sustain overseas UN and world humanitarian missions involving PAF air lift and/or military interdiction in hot spots as a NATO and/or UN ally?

 

[fatman17]

Is the PAF going to use refueling tanker methodology to sustain overseas UN and world humanitarian missions involving PAF air lift and/or military interdiction in hot spots as a NATO and/or UN ally?

i dont have any previous info, but i am guessing no as the PAF has never participated in UN or NATO led missions. - refueling may be used during 'ferry' stage for a/c participating in multi-national excercises as well as inland refueling of PAF a/c for 'longer' CAPS over sensitive areas or god-forbid another 'confrontation' with our adversary. - this raises a question - will PAF refuel its AWACS aircraft in the air?

 

[SQ8]

The saab does not seem to be equipped for it..
and the ZDK isnt showing much promise for AR either..
I suppose we might not need it..
Higher sortie rates probably take care of the slight gaps..
and since we will be fighting over home turf.. an airfield may never be far away to refuel..
it also will allow us to have fresher crews compared to those Awacs systems that spend more than 10 hours on station.

 

[Silk]

The saab does not seem to be equipped for it..
and the ZDK isnt showing much promise for AR either..
I suppose we might not need it..
Higher sortie rates probably take care of the slight gaps..
and since we will be fighting over home turf.. an airfield may never be far away to refuel..
it also will allow us to have fresher crews compared to those Awacs systems that spend more than 10 hours on station.

It is not that Pakistan has no decent radar coverage over India but the AWACS can do a lot more. It can look further, better and lower. So even if it returns from the trip (which cannot be a lot of time with a depth of max a few hundred kilometers) you already have the second up and running. Asking controllers on the awacs up there for more then 7-8 hours is risking concentration.

 

[SQ8]

Here's the little problem.. the strategy works at the start.. but when attrition kicks in..and it will.. we will lose some high value assets..
The need to have them up longer might come in.

 

[truthseeker2010]

Where the hell is that... seems like some sort of cold environment testing is going on.

 

[American Eagle]

But the Pakistani Army has bravely and successfully participated in UN operations in Africa since the 1990s.

It would not be impossible and might be desirable from a training stand point for the PAF to airlift it's own troops in future into areas of both UN/NATO and/or joint multi-nation exercises. In those instances, in the future, air refueling would be a good thing I would think.

i dont have any previous info, but i am guessing no as the PAF has never participated in UN or NATO led missions. - refueling may be used during 'ferry' stage for a/c participating in multi-national excercises as well as inland refueling of PAF a/c for 'longer' CAPS over sensitive areas or god-forbid another 'confrontation' with our adversary. - this raises a question - will PAF refuel its AWACS aircraft in the air?

 

[air marshal]

PAF gets third air refuelling Ilyushin Il-78 Midas aircraft from Ukraine
January 30, 2011

By Wasim Iqbal

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has received third air to air refuelling aircraft from Ukraine, which is likely to reach here in the first week of February 2011, sources disclosed. PAF purchased a total of four IL-78P Midas tanker aircraft from Ukraine.

The third aircraft is likely to arrive in the first week of February. These aircraft are equipped with Soviet-designed UPAZs pods and refuelling kits on Mirage-III Rose-I of South African origin.

In the first phase, PAF announced that 30 Mirage-III Rose-I will be upgraded with in-flight refuelling probes and this too, is being done at PAC Kamra.

The IL-78s will help train Pakistani crew in mid-air refuelling techniques and once operational, will be used to refuel the Mirage-III, eventually JF-17 Thunder and Fc-20 fighter jets.

These IL-78 Midas mid-air refuelling aircraft will allow PAF to increase the range and endurance of its fighter aircraft. The capability will also allow Pakistan to hit targets deep inside enemy territory by refuelling fighter aircraft during flight.

An official said that air-to-air refuelling will enhance PAF capability in military warfare allowing its aircraft long ranges.

The first air to air refuelling aircraft joined the force in mid of December 2009. PAF is using IL-78 aircraft that it procured from Ukraine for refuelling purposes and immediately installed refuelling kits to save cost.

It has been learnt that PAF operates around 45 F-16A/B that are being upgraded to F-16AM/BM along with 17 new F-16C/D Block 52.

So far, PAF has not shown any interest in new conformal air refuel tank system for F-16s to make them capable of taking fuel from IL-78 as its old F-16A/B can not carry conformal fuel tanks.

Source: Business Recorder

 

[American Eagle]

So if some of the PAF fighters cannot be serviced by the three refueling tankers what is the use of the refueling tankers to be, for which portion of the PAF air fleet can the tankers be used...and are there any other PAF types of aircraft which also might not be able to be in air refueled?

Thanks.

 

[Mani2020]

So if some of the PAF fighters cannot be serviced by the three refueling tankers what is the use of the refueling tankers to be, for which portion of the PAF air fleet can the tankers be used...and are there any other PAF types of aircraft which also might not be able to be in air refueled?

Thanks.

So far mirages can refuel from Il-78MP , but later on jf-17 and FC-20 will also be refueled using Il-78 ,the only fighter aircraft that will not be able to get refueled (until some real modifications are made) are F-16's

 

[Donatello]

So if some of the PAF fighters cannot be serviced by the three refueling tankers what is the use of the refueling tankers to be, for which portion of the PAF air fleet can the tankers be used...and are there any other PAF types of aircraft which also might not be able to be in air refueled?

Thanks.

yeah, you are smart and PAF is dumb and stupid.

Duh!

 

[Mani2020]

yeah, you are smart and PAF is dumb and stupid.

Duh!

You could have answer his query with bit of respect.he was just asking it