Pakistan F-16 Discussions 2

[Taha Samad]

Few questions:

- Why did PAF not buy AIM-9X HOBS WVR Missile with Block50/52+, MLU deal. Given PAF acquired JHMCS. Can existing AIM-9M/L variants be upgraded to AIM-9X standard?
- What about AIM-120C5, can they be upgraded to D standard or something with similar if not exactly D.

I think the most feasible route for PAF to keep up will be to have V upgrades for its F-16s with 9X & 120D.

Obviously if JF-17 Block III comes with AESA, HMS, PL-15 & PL-10; it will be a very capable fighter but still JF-17s are light weight fighters so you want F-16s to retain their edge versus any enemy aircraft.

 

[khanasifm]

2 mki needed against single f-16 ??

Mki was the so called air dominance fighter of iaf and region what happened

Now it’s this one




https://economictimes.indiatimes.co...et/iaf-gets-new-muscle/slideshow/71502585.cms

 

[Talon]

 

[GriffinsRule]

View attachment 583332

Dont understand why editing out serial numbers is a thing still

 

[nomi007]

F-16 Block 70/72

 

[MIRauf]

PAF was not cleared for AIM-9X, AMRAAM-120C5 were the second best best offer after the offer of Block-52+.

 

[GriffinsRule]

No not Pre-MLU..you can clearly see after zooming in that the "bird slicers" have been erased.

Haha you are right, so ridiculous

 

[hassan1]

 

[Talon]

 

[Imran Khan]

View attachment 583332

Seems need repaint

PAF was not cleared for AIM-9X, AMRAAM-120C5 were the second best best offer after the offer of Block-52+.

I think in 2006 9x was not ready for sale. Aim9 and aim120 are two total diffrent things . Or you mean to say aim120c7 ?

 

[Viper27]

Few questions:

- Why did PAF not buy AIM-9X HOBS WVR Missile with Block50/52+, MLU deal. Given PAF acquired JHMCS. Can existing AIM-9M/L variants be upgraded to AIM-9X standard?
- What about AIM-120C5, can they be upgraded to D standard or something with similar if not exactly D.

I think the most feasible route for PAF to keep up will be to have V upgrades for its F-16s with 9X & 120D.

Obviously if JF-17 Block III comes with AESA, HMS, PL-15 & PL-10; it will be a very capable fighter but still JF-17s are light weight fighters so you want F-16s to retain their edge versus any enemy aircraft.

At the time, the Aim9X was still a fairly new concept with very limited operational use. There was no known bar on its purchase but PAF may have simply gone for a more established variant.

The block 3 will make up for its lightweight through quantity. A pair of JF-17 Block 3s coming at you armed with at least two PL-15s each capable of kill beyond 100kms will do nicely for PAF requirements.

 

[Hadi ali jaffri]

 

[MIRauf]

Seems need repaint


I think in 2006 9x was not ready for sale. Aim9 and aim120 are two total diffrent things . Or you mean to say aim120c7 ?

yes they are indeed two different things, thus i wrote AMRAAM 120C5, I guess I should have added aim in front of 120C5 so to be clear.

I cant vouch for PAF being interested in it or not, but I do recall from readings off that time in relation to F-16s and PAF that aim9X was not cleared for PAF. I do recall however same standard reply that we can get it if the need arises /lol

 

[Imran Khan]

yes they are indeed two different things, thus i wrote AMRAAM 120C5, I guess I should have added aim in front of 120C5 so to be clear.

I cant vouch for PAF being interested in it or not, but I do recall from readings off that time in relation to F-16s and PAF that aim9X was not cleared for PAF. I do recall however same standard reply that we can get it if the need arises /lol

i think both are totally different

we buy 200 AIM-9M-8/9 Sidewinder rather then AIM-9X
we buy 506 AIM-120C5 rather then AIM-120C7

but who know what is future sir

 

[SABRE]

2 mki needed against single f-16 ??

Mki was the so called air dominance fighter of iaf and region what happened

Now it’s this one




https://economictimes.indiatimes.co...et/iaf-gets-new-muscle/slideshow/71502585.cms

It was for the time being with its powerful radar and BVR missiles. But once PAF acquired Block 52+ and the older versions got MLU that superiority got significantly diminished. We all knew this would happen with the more advance F-16s. In lay terms Su-30 might be able to see F-16 first but the F-16 equipped with AIM-120 would be first to fire.

In terms of perceived threat IAF's acquisition of Su-30MKI may have taken place keeping not just Pakistan in mind but China. They didn't have long range platform to counter/threaten China with, but even with Su-30MKI they failed to achieve that. All major Chinese cities are in the far East, out of IAF's reach. Whereas possible/potential/probable deployment of long range assets by PLAAF could put Delhi in their range. I think IAF would have known this when they decided to induct Su-30MKI. They needed something tactical like Mirage-2000s but instead got Su-30MKI got shoved into their hands. Thus, the acquisition of Su-30MKI primarily appears to have taken place for political and prestige purpose. India perhaps wanted to show off its air power superiority to the region and the world in the wake of first gulf war where US showed that having a powerful air force could have profound impact on both friends and foes.

It appears that the problem with Su-30 in the 1990's - when Indian decided to acquire them - was that its development had been hampered by the collapse of the Soviet Union. I think it didn't even have Friend-or-Foe identification at the time of Kargil war. Indians probably thought they could fill in the technological holes by incorporating European & Israeli avionics. That doesn't appears to have gone well either. The aircraft spent more time in maintenance then in the air. The Russians seem to have same problem and thus capped Su-30's induction and diverted their attention to Su-35. The Chinese began seeking local solutions for their own Su-30 and ended up reverse engineering the technology and acquired Su-35 also.

I don't know how two Su-30MKIs are going to counter one F-16 though. The chances of two finding one F-16 operating alone are quite slim. Two targeting one would give chance to other PAF assets to target those two distracted Su-30MKIs.