Pakistan operated the F-6 (Mig-17). These aircraft were licence built in China.
Pakistan also operated F-7 (Mig -21) These were also licence built in China and later were being built in Pakistan.
PAF pilots have flown Mig 17's of Jordan, Egypt and Syria. They have recorded aerial Kills with these aircraft.
As far as Pakistan in concerned they are able to maintain the Russian Aircraft. Though they have never purchased aircraft from Russia Directly.
In the past PAF has operated twin engine aircraft F-6 and A-5 Fatan in the past.
Can you elaborate on the part in red.
PAF is trying to minimize collateral damage which USA and NATO was unable to do in Afghanistan. For this PAF requires duel seat aircraft which carry a WSO, hence PAF has a requirement of more duel seat aircraft then single seat.
As far as the capabilities of SU-35 are concerned you should consider them equal to the SU-30 MKI's because that is the only reason IAF did not order the SU-35 and chose Rafales.
Ohh not again...Funds are not the issue.
The issue is PAF wants to minimize the costs by increasing the numbers of F-16's so that it is able to procure a 5th gen fighter aircraft. So far PAF's initial requirement was of 100 F-16's which was increased to 200 aircraft in 2002. Today the total number of F-16's is no way close to that.
Hence if PAF has to procure aircraft from its own pocket then why should it go to the US for F-16 block 52's when it can get the F-16 V's?
Now if the USA does not allow the sale of F-16's then PAF should consider to replace these aircraft. This way they would reduce the over all flying of these aircraft keeping them in the air for an other 10-15 years.
If PAF goes for the SU-35 then it opens up the entire range of flankers. It also troughs out the agreement between Russia and China to supply J-11 series to PAF. It also offers PAF to get the J-10's with the Russian engines which power the SU-35's.
Both Russia and China would give loans because they know that the time PAF would be getting these aircraft would be for a very long time as the numbers would be increased over time. Moreover the cost of these aircraft is considerably lower then the US or European aircraft.
The Chinese do not want the SU-35 and were considering to cancel the order, now they might be negotiating that these aircraft are sold to PAF. China pays for them and PAF returns them the cost over time.
This is similar to what the Egyptians have done with France.
One must realize PAF has to replace around 200 aircraft. This is a huge requirement and no country would like to stay out of this kind of requirement.
The Indian MMRCA was of 130 aircraft and we saw interest from all manufacturers. Russia sent both Mig-35 and SU-35, BAE Euro-fighter Typhoon, Dassult Rafale, Boeing F-17's and Lockheed Martin F-16's.
1. Chinese copies of Russian aircraft actually Chinese, they have been modified, and are built from scratch using Chinese parts.
Pakistan's has no experience maintaining Russian aircraft.
All PAF can hope for is their maintenance is similar to Chinese aircraft, which it is unlikely, because Su are very different from the Migs, Chinese copied,and very very different from the Migs Chinese sold to Pakistan.
2. Money is the most important factor here, and PAF does not have much. As I said, before, it took PAF 3 years , before it had enough funds available to contemplate these 8 F-16s.
The fact is PAF simply does not have enough funds to simultaneously acquire, two separate lines of aircrafts, unless they are being subsidized by the seller, one of the main reason J10 B were cancelled , despite a deal being signed in 2006 itself.
3. Only the initial cost acquiring Russian and Chinese aircraft is low, they are maintenance intensive machines, who's life cycle costs far exceeds, those of Western aircrafts.
4. Yes PAF wants to replace 190 aircrafts by 2020, but it simply does not have the money to buy so many planes, Its budget is little more than $1.5 Billion a year, for operating it entire air force.
Even if entire budget is spent on acquisition over next 4 years(something that is never possible). Pakistan can not afford even 2 squadrons of Russian aircraft, with all its bells and whistles and maintenance.
5. Su 35 was never a part of MMRCA, it is a heavy air dominance fighter with limited multi role capabilities.
That's funny coming from a guy who belongs to a country that couldn't even sign the Rafale deal despite shaking so many hands at photo ops.
Why don't you sign the deal and get ripped off by the millions. LOL
PAF can not even imagine spending that amount of money on aircraft acquisition, which IAF is about too.
So yeah, it takes time to extract the best deal possible, with the amount of money, IAF is spending.
Look Closely to the MAP one more time...
There is border connection with China which opens up directly with Pakistan and Russia. Try to connect the two dots and you have only one country to connect the CPEC with Russia.
Travelling from Russia, through entire breadth China and then entire length of Pakistan by road.
Somehow its not realistic or economical.
Things were different, when it was Soviet union. They wanted access to warm waters, because their whole naval fleet use to get bottled up by Arctic ice or black sea, due to Turkish controlled Bosphorus straits.
