PAF Air Refueling Capability

[khanasifm]

Not sure how many mirages were modified with aar original plan was to add to 30 odd mirages mostly rose mirages so crew can get trained and used to before Jf entry

 

[khanasifm]

Short On Cash For KC-46, U.S. Air Force Eyes Souped-Up KC-135

Aviation Week & Space Technology

Strapped for cash to buy Boeing’s new KC-46 tanker in sufficient numbers to fully replace the legacy fleet, the U.S. Air Force is looking instead to outfit its 60-year-old KC-135 Stratotanker with state-of-the-art survivability upgrades so it can fly for another 40 years. The service is buying 179 next-generation KC-46s as the first step in an ambitious effort to recapitalize its tanker fleet. But even after Boeing’s Pegasus is fully fielded in fiscal 2028, the remaining 300 ...

 

[X_Killer]

Why PAF won't go for Air tanker with Boom refueling Capability?
It will be on priority when PAF has frontline fighters that requires boom Refueling system.

 

[Super Falcon]

Why PAF won't go for Air tanker with Boom refueling Capability?
It will be on priority when PAF has frontline fighters that requires boom Refueling system.

Yes exactly my question boom air refuling is safer than conventional refueling

Even Boeing 737 can be modified as tanker or A 310 from Airbus are cheaper options

 

[X_Killer]

Yes exactly my question boom air refuling is safer than conventional refueling

Even Boeing 737 can be modified as tanker or A 310 from Airbus are cheaper options

PAF can buy a few Boom refueling kit and retrofit them on existing Air tankers.
Or PAF may ask for F-16 modification to make them eligible for probe & Drogue...

 

[Safriz]

https://www.facebook.com/

 

[khanasifm]

Il-78 served two purposes a) transport related to heavy duties for jf-17 and other acquisition programs b) aar
4 aircraft with trials plus training spares including aar for 110-120 (25-30 million a piece ) million you cannot get even one western mrtt in this price so it was not just aar but overall role which included aar in price that paf could easily afford

4 a310 or Airbus 330 would have costed anywhere from 400 million to a billion

 

[Bilal Khan (Quwa)]

Il-78 served two purposes a) transport related to heavy duties for jf-17 and other acquisition programs b) aar
4 aircraft with trials plus training spares including aar for 110-120 (25-30 million a piece ) million you cannot get even one western mrtt in this price so it was not just aar but overall role which included aar in price that paf could easily afford

4 a310 or Airbus 330 would have costed anywhere from 400 million to a billion

Depends on how you get A310 or A330 tanker. If you buy the A330 MRTT from Airbus DS directly, then yes, it'll cost $250-350 m each. But if you buy used airframes from the commercial airline market and speak to Cobham or even Ukraine to integrate the WARP or UPAZ (Ukraine) to those aircraft, it would be much, much cheaper. Israel saved a lot of money by just modifying used airliners with its own refueling pods and even boom.

That said, yes, the PAF saved a lot of money upfront with the IL-78MP. But there's no beating the fuel efficiency and life-cycle costs of a modern commercial airliner. Even if Cobham (UK) is unwilling to help, the PAF should try to get an airline conversion program going with Ukraine by integrating the UPAZ (i.e. same refueling pod on the IL-78MP) to used A330s or even A320s (a small plane can be OK seeing that AAR would take place over Pakistan anyways).

This will leave the IL-78 to purely focus on heavy transport. Dedicated airliner tankers would mean more available AAR time for PAF units, especially the growing JF-17 fleet. Long-term, you'd want to see if the IL-78 can be replaced by another heavy-lifter - e.g. An-70/An-77, IL-76MD-90A, Y-20, etc.

 

[khanasifm]

Depends on how you get A310 or A330 tanker. If you buy the A330 MRTT from Airbus DS directly, then yes, it'll cost $250-350 m each. But if you buy used airframes from the commercial airline market and speak to Cobham or even Ukraine to integrate the WARP or UPAZ (Ukraine) to those aircraft, it would be much, much cheaper. Israel saved a lot of money by just modifying used airliners with its own refueling pods and even boom.

That said, yes, the PAF saved a lot of money upfront with the IL-78MP. But there's no beating the fuel efficiency and life-cycle costs of a modern commercial airliner. Even if Cobham (UK) is unwilling to help, the PAF should try to get an airline conversion program going with Ukraine by integrating the UPAZ (i.e. same refueling pod on the IL-78MP) to used A330s or even A320s (a small plane can be OK seeing that AAR would take place over Pakistan anyways).

This will leave the IL-78 to purely focus on heavy transport. Dedicated airliner tankers would mean more available AAR time for PAF units, especially the growing JF-17 fleet. Long-term, you'd want to see if the IL-78 can be replaced by another heavy-lifter - e.g. An-70/An-77, IL-76MD-90A, Y-20, etc.

Nothing will come close to 25-30 million per Ac though I mean from the West

German and Canadian airforces used a310 used modified for aar but I do-not think they were this cheap

http://www.airforce-technology.com/features/featurethe-worlds-best-aerial-refuelling-aircraft/

 

[sparten]

Wondering why we don’t get Y-20 for refueling purposes.

 

[Trango Towers]

yes the F16 are still a part of PAF, more will be on offer in world market but do you really think we must go for them!!!
do you really trust that the US will keep them flying by giving us the spares required!
do the members are having a wishfull thinking that it US wins the MRCA deal it will hand over something inferior or at most on par with the F16 that we have!
do you think it will bw wise to invset on such a venurable system
and most importantly do the respected members think that the FC20 and the JF wont be enough and we must take the risk of going for US systems yet again?

for me it is a big NO to US equipment!

regards!

We need some for spares but we shouldn't invest in more western fighters. History has shown any western stuff comes with problems. So we must be self reliant and as the air chief said jf17 is a very capable fighter. He has faith in it pilots have faith in it we just need to be patient for the 5tg gen. Then f the West

 

[Bilal Khan 777]

Wondering why we don’t get Y-20 for refueling purposes.

What will we do with the IL78? There is accountability you know.

 

[sparten]

Use it for Strategic Airlift, a long term pressing need.

 

[Bilal Khan 777]

Use it for Strategic Airlift, a long term pressing need.

thats already happening, but thats a sad use of a AAR platform.

 

[sparten]

thats already happening, but thats a sad use of a AAR platform.

Yes. If we get Y-20 or even Y-8 based refueller, then we can put the Midas's to other more pressing tasks. Get moe Midas as well.

No need to decide do we need a refueller or an airlifter.