Featured PAF Center of Artificial Intelligence and Computing

[raahaat7]

We love to ban things initially or call them haram and later realize our stupidity. Few years ago youtube was haram now every molana is using them and making money. Same thing today, games and esports and tiktok and bitcoin is being threatened with bans. A decade or 2 later when new gen grows up they will have face-palm moments on the stupidity of current authorities.

Anyways good to see military feeling the importance on this very imp tech

Not anymore

 

[raahaat7]

I think this a step in the right direction. We may not be perfect and make all the right decisions all the time but it does some there's enough people with their head screwed on right. This is a crucial area for R&D. I am more excited about the computing part than the AI part. You need computing clusters to run FEM codes and FDC sims and I suppose PAF has realized this (it was about time they did). That being said many interesting applications for AI, but not in the way most people think (read autonomous fighter jets).



To add to that, in the US the military has very large setups for R&D - namely ONR and AFRL. It's just that the private sector is larger here. In contrast, in Pakistan our military does all the R&D but it is tiny compared to even ONR and AFRL, let alone the private US defence sector.

On a related note, Pakistan needs to seriously work on a Defence Industry Policy that aims to streamline and promote private and semi-private investment in Pakistan's defence sector. We are a very huge market and also have great export potential. But for this we will need to view these things as defence+economics and not just super-secret-defence.

I think the private partnership is not going to materialise untill the defence exports of the country gain the critical mass that is one billion dollars. Once this threshold is achieved they may be allowed partnership.

 

[JamD]

I think the private partnership is not going to materialise untill the defence exports of the country gain the critical mass that is one billion dollars. Once this threshold is achieved they may be allowed partnership.

I disagree that a private defence industry needs exports to materialize. Pakistan is the world's 11th largest importer of arms: ergo there's a massive demand for equipment that is currently met by imports. So what I'm arguing for is import substitution for arms.

 

[Syed1.]

I wonder when they will put up the job postings.


I have a few years of embedded development experience in the defense industry (sonars) and would love to be a part of this new institute. Provided that my managers and colleagues aren't just uniformed officers with limited knowledge of the field but experts of the subject matter.

 

[raahaat7]

I disagree that a private defence industry needs exports to materialize. Pakistan is the world's 11th largest importer of arms: ergo there's a massive demand for equipment that is currently met by imports. So what I'm arguing for is import substitution for arms.

I mean the total defence exports of the country which is at $200 million at the moment. For any industry to take off u need to achieve the $1billion dollar threshold.

 

[JamD]

I mean the total defence exports of the country which is at $200 million at the moment. For any industry to take off u need to achieve the $1billion dollar threshold.

Perhaps I stated my point poorly. I meant there is no need to look at export markets, just look at the local market - there is more than ample local demand.

Targeting export markets comes with international relations challenges and well-established competitors. Let's start local and not try the hard thing before we've tried the easy thing first.

 

[Bilal Khan (Quwa)]

I mean the total defence exports of the country which is at $200 million at the moment. For any industry to take off u need to achieve the $1billion dollar threshold.

Perhaps I stated my point poorly. I meant there is no need to look at export markets, just look at the local market - there is more than ample local demand.

Targeting export markets comes with international relations challenges and well-established competitors. Let's start local and not try the hard thing before we've tried the easy thing first.

To put what @JamD is saying in economic terms:

If the Pakistani private sector can supply $2 b a year of arms to the military, that's a $2 b savings on our foreign currency each year.

So even if the exports are $100 m, the added economic value of the defence industry is $2.1 b because of the savings (from avoiding imports).

On top of that, because GHQ is spending $2 b locally, it is injecting $2 b a year into our economy, which leads to jobs in manufacturing, engineering, etc.

So you have a few million middle to upper-middle class households, which means they'll spend -- which means you'll get others investing to meet their needs.

Overall, that $2 b local arms purchase translates into $3-4 b of economic activity (because if the defence industry people need homes, the homebuilders need cars, and the car makers need food, and food makers need equipment, etc). The gov't will tax all that activity, so its revenues go up and, as a result, our defence budget goes up and we buy more arms locally.

That said, we might not do well with defence exports, but if our private sector can build capacity in engineering, high-tech manufacturing, and R&D, they could drive other types of exports. They can, for example, sell design and engineering services or join some giant OEM's (e.g., Boeing, Airbus, etc) supply chain.

 

[raahaat7]

Perhaps I stated my point poorly. I meant there is no need to look at export markets, just look at the local market - there is more than ample local demand.j

Targeting export markets comes with international relations challenges and well-established competitors. Let's start local and not try the hard thing before we've tried the easy thing first.

To put what @JamD is saying in economic terms:

If the Pakistani private sector can supply $2 b a year of arms to the military, that's a $2 b savings on our foreign currency each year.

So even if the exports are $100 m, the added economic value of the defence industry is $2.1 b because of the savings (from avoiding imports).

On top of that, because GHQ is spending $2 b locally, it is injecting $2 b a year into our economy, which leads to jobs in manufacturing, engineering, etc.

So you have a few million middle to upper-middle class households, which means they'll spend -- which means you'll get others investing to meet their needs.

Overall, that $2 b local arms purchase translates into $3-4 b of economic activity (because if the defence industry people need homes, the homebuilders need cars, and the car makers need food, and food makers need equipment, etc). The gov't will tax all that activity, so its revenues go up and, as a result, our defence budget goes up and we buy more arms locally.

That said, we might not do well with defence exports, but if our private sector can build capacity in engineering, high-tech manufacturing, and R&D, they could drive other types of exports. They can, for example, sell design and engineering services or join some giant OEM's (e.g., Boeing, Airbus, etc) supply chain.

I agree with bith of u. Import substitution is the way to go as it will open up a whole sort of new industries which were not there before, benefiting the local economy. But my point is that defence is a capital and tech intensive industry and initially there are very little profits to be made and only one buyer in the market and the pie not too big. In this scenario we cant expect too many players to enter the fray. But once the local market becomes big enough it will start exporting to other markets. The achievement of a $ billion exports is a signal that more players can enter the industry. Basically i am in agreement with your posts.

 

[Tair-Lahoti]

A well written to. the point article about aims and objectives of CENTAIC.

Redirect Notice

 

[Salman Baig]

Being in software development for last 19 years I am extremely happy on this development. I always wondered why Pakistan never pursued on unmanned version of JF-17 or may be heavily automated version of it. Learning from practice sorties to make a programmed version which would be extremely hard to beat by any human. That dream can come to reality by this.

 

[Falcon26]

Being in software development for last 19 years I am extremely happy on this development. I always wondered why Pakistan never pursued on unmanned version of JF-17 or may be heavily automated version of it. Learning from practice sorties to make a programmed version which would be extremely hard to beat by any human. That dream can come to reality by this.

good point. In an ideal world, PAC would open the JF-17 program to the private sector, especially in terms of software development and artificial intelligence. But we don’t live in the ideal world and Pakistan Armed Forces will continue to love their bubble where only they have all the answers. @Bilal Khan (Quwa)

 

[Bilal.]

 

[fitpOsitive]

Inaugurated by ACM.

Thoughts and ideas? I believe it is part of project AZM primarily.

Do we have any plan to include Pakistani Universities in it also?

 

[JamD]

Something CENTAIC should be looking to replicate:

Just the part done in computer sims can be developed to a very advanced level before trying to implement things on actual aircraft.

 

[Muhammad Saftain Anjum]

Something CENTAIC should be looking to replicate:

Just the part done in computer sims can be developed to a very advanced level before trying to implement things on actual aircraft.

Are you aware of some progress of CENTAIC?
Its almost 2 years now