Pakistan Air Force | News & Discussions.

[Donatello]

Sir it is a very important deal from our perspective but Israel ordered 14000 Hellfire AGMs recently. That's massive. Don't get me wrong getting hellfires was a great achievement. Now we need to convince US to supply AIM9X for our F16s.

Look at the rate Israel uses them up and they money they have........plus Pakistan or India ain't no Israel.

 

[fatman17]

Look at the rate Israel uses them up and they money they have........plus Pakistan or India ain't no Israel.

Our rates are not bad either using the TOWII and the bakhtar shikan in the WOT

 

[Donatello]

Our rates are not bad either using the TOWII and the bakhtar shikan in the WOT

Yes, but our choppers are more 'conservative' at using them only when needed, plus TOWs were getting old anyway. Meanwhile, Israel is usually found wandering in other nations.

 

[fatman17]

This is a picture from PAF Base Shahbaz home to No 5 Sqn F16C/D's. Note the perimeter wall in the background. 20ft high and 3 ft thick. Such security measures are required at all military installations to safeguard our assets against militant attacks.

 

[fatman17]

A birds eye view of the inner perimeter wall at Shahbaz AB

 

[araz]

This is a picture from PAF Base Shahbaz home to No 5 Sqn F16C/D's. Note the perimeter wall in the background. 20ft high and 3 ft thick. Such security measures are required at all military installations to safeguard our assets against militant attacks.

Sir it seems like prefabricated sheets of concrete which have been bolted on to a a base . Reminds me of the wall Israel is creating around Gaza and other parts of Palestine. I fully agree with you on this arrangement on each and every base starting at karachi, and Sargodha and Peshawar.

 

[fatman17]

Sir it seems like prefabricated sheets of concrete which have been bolted on to a a base . Reminds me of the wall Israel is creating around Gaza and other parts of Palestine. I fully agree with you on this arrangement on each and every base starting at karachi, and Sargodha and Peshawar.

It's not rocket science just common sense. Pakistanis in general are very lax in their security procedures except for the SPD.

 

[Ack Ack]

 

[Ack Ack]

 

[fatman17]

The Hero of Skies

Columnist Sqn Ldr Matloob Bokhari goes back into memory lane to remember one of PAF’s authentic sons.

On 12 March, 1933, God blessed Syed Dur Hussain Bokhari with a son named Shabbir Hussain.The child with large brown eyes and moon-like shining face was given the nickname of “Chan” moon. According to his cousin, Syed Sajjad Hussain, Shabbir, since his childhood, had a passion for flying. His dearest pastime, in those days, was to make models of aircraft. Shabbir did his matriculation from MC High School Mozang, Lahore and then got admission to FC College, Lahore. His cousin, Syed Abid Ali told that Shabbir had an average interest in studies at the college. His fondest dream was to become a fighter pilot. His joy found no bound when he got commission in PAF in February, 1954. His brother Colonel Saghir Bokhari told that Shabbir achieved all successes in life due to his strong faith in God. His faith carried him through hazards courageously. He used to say, “ If you work hard with sincerity, God will give you more than you deserve”.

The study of annual reports of his early service career shows that he was an enthusiastic fighter pilot who had a great passion for flying. “ To get ability, you need good training” (Colonel Enrich cited in Robert. I. Shaw, 1986, p.333). Shabbir worked against time to gain consummate flying skill. His service record reveals that he was a true professional who loved his job. He served in various fighter units as a squadron pilot and fighter commander for 9 years. He took over command of a fighter squadron in 1963. From 1963-1970, he commanded three different fighter squadron at Masroor, Dacca and Peshawar. Afterwards, he commanded two fighter wings at the different bases. In 1975, he was posted to Air Headquarters as Director of Operations. He was given the prestigious appointment of Base Commander Sargodha in 1979. Subsequently, he took over as Air Officer Commanding, Northern Air Command in July,1982. Shabbir always put service before self. Similarly, service befittingly rewarded his dedication to duty and professionalism. He was made DCAS (Ops) and later on, he retired from PAF as VCAS in 1988 after rendering 34 years of brilliant service.

During his service, Air Marshal Shabbir attended a number of professional courses. His course reports reveal that he was highly disciplined, hardworking, self-confident officer who was driven by a dream to become the ace of aces. His service courses include: Fighter Leaders’ Course, Flight Safety Officers’ Course at University of Southern California, USA; Pakistan Air Force Staff Collage; Royal College of Defence Studies, UK; and Senior International Defence Management Course, USA. Also, he had the honour of training the pilots of Iraqi Air Force in 1968. PAF acknowledged his services by awarding him Hilal-i-Imtiaz Military, Sitara-i-Jur’at and Tamgha-i-Basalat.

As he progressed in career, Shabbir’s unparalleled professionalism, excellent marksmanship and exceptional flying skill distinguished him as a fighter pilot. “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood who strives valiantly, who knows the great enthusiasms who spends himself in a worthy cause.” (Roosevelt cited in Nixon, 1982, p.345). Certainly, the time came in the life of Shabbir when his mettle and Leadership were tested in the flames of war. He bravely stood the test of time and made a permanent niche in the temple of fame. A formation of 5 F-86 aircraft with Squadron Leader Shabbir Hussain Syed, the Squadron Commander, in the lead, took off at 0635 hrs to strike against Kalaikunda. The total loss to the enemy on that single day was over 14 aircraft, whereas, PAF lost only two aircraft during the war in the Eastern Theatre.

During the strikes, Sqn Ldr Shabbir and his flight destroyed on the ground 10 Canberra (Light Bombers) and two unidentified enemy aircraft and damaged two more. In an aerial combat following the strike, the lion-hearted Shabbir destroyed one enemy Hunter aircraft. For his exceptional flying skill and outstanding valour, Squadron Leader Shabbir Hussain Syed was awarded Sitara-i-Jur’at. After these epoch-making missions, No 14 Squadron earned the nickname of ‘Tail Choppers’. “Despite the Kalaikunda strike becoming a classic in the PAF, I never heard Shabbir giving an embellished account of it in any company. When pressed, all he ever said was that he had trained his squadron for that mission and when the time came, his boys performed upto his expectations.This rare leadership quality and his distinguished performance in more senior ranks and assignments in the subsequent years earned Shabbir an enormous amount of respect and he accepted it with quiet dignity.”Air Chief Marshal Jamal, commending the leadership and courage of Air Marshal Shabbir, Air Marshal Nur Khan writes, “In spite of the advice from local army soldiers and the Government of East Pakistan not to take any initiative that might provoke Indian, it was difficult to hold back Shabbir and his Squadron from launching an offensive ... This courageous strike and continued aggressive air operations by Shabbir and his men totally brought the sky of East Pakistan under the control of PAF. The strike of Kalaikunda in East Pakistan was thus one of the most humiliating experiences by IAF”. Air Chief Marshal Shamim in an interview with the writer said, “Shabbir was a jewel of a man who always had good opinions about others. As ACAS(Ops), he always gave solid recommendations instead of only writing, “Recommended and forwarded” on files. I valued his professional and matured opinions. He was an unassuming person who never liked to discuss his historic strike against Kalaikunda”. Air Cdr Kamal talking with the writer said, “Shabbir was a great man who never discussed people. He was one of the best leaders PAF ever produced. Shabbir was a humble person who never liked to talk about his classic Kalaikunda Strike”. In an interview with the writer, Air Cdr M M Alam paid tribute to Air Marshal Shabbir in these words “Sajad’s strike against Pathankot, our superior air combat and Shabbir’s strike against Kalaikunda tipped the balance of war in favour of PAF”. Of all the galaxy of military attributes that which shone brightest in Air Marshal Shabbir was leadership, Air Cdr Sajjad Haider praises his leadership talent in these words “My friend was a great leader. He led the Kalaikunda Strike with remarkable valour, professional skill and meticulous precision”. Air Marshal Shabbir’s mastery over his flying machine proved that, in the aerial warfare, the factor of quality is relatively more decisive than the factor of quantity. The story of lightening and roaring raids over Kalaikunda continue to be a resounding chapter of the air combat history. Perhaps, the greatest tribute paid to Air Marshal Shabbir was by Air Chief Marshal PC Lal, Chief of the Air Staff, Indian Air Force when he writes about sound and fury of this memorable attack “When we have not realized ... and once in a while we have not, as at Kalaikunda, we have paid for it”. Very few in the history of warfare have enjoyed the unique distinction which Air Marshal Shabbir has — that in spite of inflicting heavy losses to the enemy, he was admired by him as a brave and courageous fighter pilot. His high order leadership, excellent professionalism and brave deeds will be a great source of inspiration for all the fighter pilots.

“The fighter pilot is an independent character. He does not like too many people around him. He is an individualist”.(Colonel Hartman cited in Robert. L. Shaw, p.282). These lines truly portray a true picture of Air Marshal Shabbir. He was an independent character and an individualist In the history of aeral warfare, Shabbir will ever be remembered a hero who was respected and praised by the friend and foe alike. Born and bred in a small village, Shabbir inscribed a saga of courage and valour in the azure sky.

On 29 April, 2002, he closed his large brown eyes for all the times. His moon-like shining face waned away. The “Chan” eclipsed forever never to appear again.

PAF never forgets its heroes. From Air Marshal Nur Khan to Air Chief Marshal Pervez Mehdi Qureshi — all the former Air Chiefs went to his village to pay homage to the hero of the nation. Air Chief Marshal Mushaf Ali Mir with his PSOs was there to salute the permanent resting abode of the Hero of The Skies.

Every soul shall have a taste of death: And We test you by evil and by good by way of trial: To Us must ye return. (XXI:35)

 

[ghazi52]

.........Salute..................................

 

[AsifIjaz]

Salute to the son of the soil.
May Allah give us the insight and the memory to honor them forever.

 

[fatman17]

China's Super Weapons: Beware the J-20 and J-31 Stealth Fighters


Ryan Henseler

Throughout its history, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has lagged behind the aerial programs of other world powers such as the United States. Now, the PRC has set its sights on producing indigenously designed “fifth generation” fighter jets comparable to the US F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II. Many U.S. officials and pilots suspect that the Chinese have been using hacked U.S. technology to aid their indigenous development programs. The PRC is also leveraging additive manufacturing technology (better known as 3D-printing) in order to increase speed and efficiency in manufacturing aircrafts and compete with the U.S. The J-20 Black Eagle could be fully operational by 2018, and a second model, the J-31 Gyrfalcon, by 2020. If true, China’s new generation of fighters could have a substantial impact on its ability to either defend what it considers to be sovereign airspace, or to mount an aerial offensive in a wartime scenario, particularly against Taiwan (ROC).
Recent Advances in the PLAAF
Between 1990 and 1992 the PRC purchased 24 Su-27 Flankers from Russia and slightly modified the design to become the J-11 Flanker B+. In response, the U.S. sold 150 F-16 Fighting Falcons to Taiwan. The acquisition of fourth generation Su-27s allowed China’s Air Force to enter modernity, and they have become progressively more capable ever since. In 2010, half of the PLAAF fleet still consisted of jets modeled after 1950s and 1960s Soviet MiG-19 Farmers and MiG-21 Fishbeds, but China’s ability to project air power has increased significantly within the past 5 years. Recently, the PRC and Russia have nearly completed a deal to transfer 24 Russian Su-35 Super Flankers, a potent “generation 4++” fighter, to the Chinese, in addition to China’s scheduled integration of fifth generation technology.
Currently the PLAAF relies on the J-11 as its primary fighter. However, this model is largely unproven. This aircraft is perhaps most recognized as the fighter variant involved in an August 2014 incident in which a single J-11 intercepted a USN P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft 135 miles east of Hainan Island. Twice the J-11 came within 50 yards of the U.S. aircraft. The aggressive maneuvering by the Chinese pilot was an example of the PLAAF making it clear that U.S. surveillance is not appreciated within the airspace over its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Fifth Generation Capabilities
Since 2008 the PRC has worked to design and manufacture fifth generation concepts, both for its own use and to sell on a global scale. Two companies in China have worked on designs: the Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (J-20) and the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (J-31). Both are subsidiaries of the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). It is likely that the J-20 and J-31 will complement one another when integrated into the PLAAF’s arsenal. The J-20 is closer to becoming operational, with an inaugural test flight in 2011; it is expected to reach initial operating capability (IOC) by 2018. Because both jets are still in prototype stage, their exact capabilities are not certain. However, it is speculated that the J-20 will provide a long-range strike system capable of reaching anywhere in the Western Pacific region, and incorporate a stealth design; the first of its kind in the PRC. In a conflict, the J-20 would likely be deployed in air-to-air combat with the mission of limiting the enemy’s radar coverage and strike range. The J-31 could be a potent complement to the J-20, similar to the planned U.S. partnership of the F-22 and F-35. While the J-20 is expected to possess superior dogfighting abilities, the J-31 will be “the perfect fighter for the PLA to carry out anti-access area-denial (A2AD) strategies in the Western Pacific”. The J-20 is slightly faster, with a maximum speed of Mach 2.5 compared to Mach 2 for the J-31. Both sport a combat radius of approximately 2000km (1242 miles).
U.S. officials believe that the J-31 will immediately match or exceed the capabilities of U.S. fourth generation fighters such as the F-15 Strike Eagle and F/A-18 Super Hornet, and could possibly even compete with the F-22 or F-35. But this would largely depend on several factors including the quality of Chinese pilots, the quantity of fighters produced, and the reliability of radar and other equipment on board. In late 2014, AVIC President Lin Zhouming made an even bolder prediction, saying, “When [the J-31] takes to the sky, it could definitely take down the F-35. It's a certainty.” Even if neither of the Chinese fighter jets is entirely up to par with U.S. fifth-gens, they still could drastically change the dynamic of both a conflict with the U.S. or a scenario such as an invasion of Taiwan.
Implications
If the PRC decided to launch an attack across the Taiwan Strait, a contingency that it practices every year, air superiority would be essential for three reasons: the relatively small amount of airspace available over Taiwan; the ROC Air Force’s (ROCAF) ability to saturate its airspace with its own fighters, and the ROC's extensive surface-to-air missile defense system. If the PLAAF is unable to prevent or significantly limit attacks against its naval vessels when crossing the Strait, the mission would almost certainly fail. Ultimately, the PRC’s accumulation of cutting-edge fighter technology could provide the critical air advantage over the ROCAF to carry out a successful invasion, and should be cause for concern at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels of war for the U.S.
This piece first appeared on Project 2049’s blog AsiaEye here.

 

[fatman17]

Mixed flight of Mirage III and Vs

 

[fatman17]

How China's expert fighter jet designer avoids America's mistakes


Robert Beckhusen

August 3, 2015

There's aircraft designers, and then there's ace designers. There are thousands of engineers around the world producing planes, but ace designers only come along once every few decades.

The United States had Kelly Johnson, the designer of the SR-71 Blackbird. Germany's Willy Messerschmitt produced a line of famous fighter planes. The Soviet Union's Mikhail Simonov created the muscular Su-27 fighter-bomber to compete with America's F-15 Eagle.

Each of these aces were highly skilled, but they also owed much of their success to circumstance. They came along when their respective governments invested millions  —  or billions  —  of dollars into transforming brainpower into cutting-edge combat aircraft.

This intersection of engineering genius and lavish spending appears to have produced an ace designer in China. In recent years, an obscure engineer named Yang Wei has rapidly risen to the leadership of the Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute  —  a major warplane manufacturer responsible for quickly churning out Beijing's top warplanes.

Yang is principally responsible for two fighter jets that we know about. One of these is the J-20, China's first stealth fighter. He also headed the development of the JF-17 Thunder, a modern and evolutionary improvement of the early MiGs developed by the Soviet Union a half-century ago.

What we know about Yang is that he was born in 1963, and enrolled at the Northwestern Polytechnical University in 1978 at the age of 15. He completed two degrees and became a control systems engineer at Chengdu.

In a 2011 profile, the state-owned journal Science and Technology Daily described Yang as the brains behind China's 1980s innovations in electronic fly-by-wire controls. The journal credited him with implementing "all-digital simulation" tests for aircraft, "breaking the blockade of foreign technology."

This is overstated, but there's no doubt Yang is highly influential. By the age of 35, he rose to Chengdu's leadership and worked on the J-10, one of China's most numerous warplane types. The J-10 was a tricky aircraft to build and was beset by numerous design flaws, including a notable failure in its fuel system in the late 1990s. But Yang's solutions later worked their way into the JF-17; a practice known as "parallel development," according to the journal.

In other words, what Yang seems to have done is establish an alternative philosophy to Western fighter design  —  illustrated by the stealthy, but expensive and problem-prone F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. China now builds fighters cheaply, quickly, and simply. This is not to say Yang's fighters are perfect or even fundamentally new.

J-20

Case in point is the Chengdu J-20. As a stealth fighter, this twin-engine, delta wing aircraft could be stealthier  —  at least from behind. Which probably means it's not principally an air-to-air dogfighter. But there's an ongoing debate about that. No one except its designers know what it's supposed to do.

One school of thought has the J-20 acting as a long-range sniper, speeding directly toward U.S. reconnaissance planes and tankers … and shooting them out of the sky. Without those support assets in the air, America's ability to wage war in the western Pacific drops dramatically.

The J-20 is stealthy from the front  —  see its angular features. But it's also big at 62 feet long (about 19 meters). That befits more of a ground-attack role with some self-defense capabilities, which would also require a stealthy shape principally at the front.

Even then, it has its problems. Tiny canards, like little extra limbs, protrude from the forward half of the fuselage to add more aerodynamic stability. This appears to be an afterthought, as the canards reduce stealth, which means China still has work to do to make a near-undetectable aircraft comparable to American designs  —  perhaps even Russian ones as well.

Another problem is that it's underpowered considering its size and the fact that it wields twin AL-31F engines. Those engines are Russian and just a bit too weak for an aircraft that must balance speed and agility, which the J-20 appears to strive to do. Then there's the electronics and fire-control systems, both areas where Chinese innovations are lacking.

But it does represent a major leap for Chinese stealth airframe design  —  which had heretofore been unable to produce a fighter of this kind at all. The Pentagon, for its part, drastically underestimated the timeline; it didn't expect a stealth fighter until later this decade at the earliest. China revealed it to the world in January 2011.

Chengdu has produced six prototypes. The designers are also taking J-20 and evolving it. The plane's engine nozzles, one of the big giveaways to radar sweeps from behind, have been partially concealed on later prototypes. And Chengdu has apparently modeled its electro-optical targeting arrangement after the F-35. Other features, such as the front, resemble the U.S. F-22. That's perhaps helped by data theft from America's stealth fighter programs.

Plus, the J-20 will likely have an advantage over the F-35 in terms of speed and maneuverability owing to its large, delta wing design. What the J-20 lacks is a bigger, reliable engine. Particularly one that's not made in Russia. And, of course, the sensors to see targets at long range.

"The J-20's size, range, and stealth could also make it a formidable long-range strike platform, particularly if bomb-carrying planes were mated with air-to-air missile-armed J-20s as part of a strike package to hit high-value targets in the vicinity of the first and second island chains", China military analysts Gabe Collins and Andrew Erickson noted in a 2011 paper (as PDF).

Now step back for a moment. This is not a game-changing warplane. But in a little more than a decade, China went from having no stealth warplanes to entering the select club of countries in the fifth-generation fighter business. That's no small feat.

We can expect, owing to Yang's design philosophy, that whatever the J-20 becomes will not be radically different from what we've seen already.

JF-17

The JF-17 Thunder is a very interesting plane, if you like modern takes on classic Soviet-era fighters. You should.

The lineage is one the most interesting things about it. An upgrade of China's J-7  —  itself a copy of the workhorse MiG-21  —  the Thunder is indicative Chengdu's evolutionary approach to fighter design. The JF-17 traces its basic framework all the way back to the 1950s. Plus, at $25 million per unit, it's a bargain compared to a $200 million F-35.

Chengdu designed this multi-role fighter  —  which can dogfight and attack targets on the ground  —  for export to the Pakistani air force.

The Thunder is roughly equivalent to the American F-16 Fighting Falcon, which is also in service with the Pakistani air force, but which cost twice as much per unit. The Thunder is not a stealth fighter. Far from it. But if an F-16 can beat an F-35 in a dogfight, then so can a JF-17.

This isn't your grandfather's MiG-by-another-name. For one, it has improved wings for greater maneuverability and a powerful Russian RD-93 turbofan engine. Another key difference is the shape of the nose. If you look at a MiG-21 or J-7, each has a rounded, inward-protruding engine air intake. This made sense when these fighters came about in the 1950s and 1960s, respectively, as both types had limited fire-control radars.

But as Chinese radar technology advanced, Chengdu moved the Thunder's air intake into its fuselage, freeing up room for the Chinese-made KLJ-7 radar  —  which has capabilities for both air-to-air and air-to-ground strikes.

Then there's the weapons. The fighter can carry quite a lot of weapons; about 3.6 tons worth. It's capable of firing beyond-visual range missiles and the Chinese-made C-802A anti-ship missiles  —  designed to hit American aircraft carriers from 180 kilometers away. In Pakistani hands, the Indian Navy should worry.

Pakistan is the only current user, but the Thunder has emerged as Islamabad's go-to fighter since it became operational in 2007. Part of this is political, as there's a limited base of customers for jointly developed Chinese and Pakistani fighter planes.

There are reports Myanmar and Sri Lanka have ordered Thunders from Pakistan, but as with most arms sales, we'll believe it when we see it. A more serious problem is that the plane's engine is Russian, which complicates the logistical supply chain. Any user who wants their fighters maintained must maintain good relations with the Kremlin.

For China's aviation industry, the continued reliance on foreign parts  —  and particularly engines  —  is one of its biggest liabilities. Beijing's ace fighter designer might never overcome that.