Hey Iam Not here to troll, if you dont like What i said, ignore it... there are other potential readers who can say if Pakistan can afford it or not.... And its not that I dont know to Give your Jaw Breaking answer, but its only that if you do the same its argument, and If I do, Its a troll.....
That had
nothing to do with my point...which was simply stating that (a) PAF has already selected its set of top-tier 4+/4.5 gen fighters - F-16 & FC-20 - and that (b) IAF is in fact the one still in the process of "deciding", and has been "deciding" since at least 2003-2004. By the end of this year, the PAF will have inducted two new fighter types, two AEW&C types, refueling aircraft, and acquire a range of new capabilities such as precision ground strike and data-link interface. The urgency of IAF's acquisitions was far more threatening in 2004 when I was in Grade 9, than it will be in Fall 2010 as I start law school.
In any case, the PAF's counter to IAF's MRCA will be a variant of J-10B, and like it or not, China's current line of fighters are sufficient in their performance and technology to assume this vital task. PAF has already lined up its next fighter (FC-20), and there are now reports about it seeking as many as 150 of these aircraft. That said, the PAF also has the option to pursue additional upgrades of its F-16s in the form of perhaps AESA radars (such as SABR and RACR), or next-gen ECM/EW suites, etc in the next decade or so.
I think we all need to accept that IAF fighters such as SU-30MKI and MRCA are not invincible, nor are they guided by a magical fairy that will infinitely make them superior to *anything* PAF fields. Accept the reality that PAF has finally treaded itself into the stable position of thwarting IAF air dominance in the region. Yes Pakistan has financial troubles, but don't make it to seem that it is destitute - otherwise the aforementioned inductions will not be taking place. And please, don't cut with me crap about "American aid'...BS...aid money to Pakistan cannot possibly cover the scale of acquisitions in the form of subsystems and training needed to operationalize ALL the above.
PS: If you think I am a Pakistani patriot, then you're dead wrong...some of the senior most members here will be familiar with my notoriety of being critical about Pakistan's present establishment, the role of its military, its relationship with U.S. and China, and even at times its founders. That said, I do have enough research and knowledge of the PAF under my belt to tell you that it is indeed a very professional
and contemporary organization. And finally, get over your bias (latent or active) of Chinese equipment...