Pakistan's Special mission aircrafts Information Pool

[Jango]

PAF had bought 4 Saab 2000 ERIEYE AWACS aircraft from Sweden. Following a short history.

1- Serial number 10025:

Construction Number (MSN): 025
Aircraft Type: Saab 2000
First Flight: 26-09-1995
Age: 17.6 Years
Test registration: SE-025

Former operators of the aircraft:

Deutsche BA, Lithuanian airlines, Fly LAL.

PAF got this aircraft in 2010.

2- Serial number 10040:

Construction Number: (MSN) 040
Aircraft Type: Saab 2000
First Flight: 30-09-1996
Age:16.6 Years
Test registration: SE-040

Former operators:

Regional airlines.

PAF got this aircraft in 2009.

3- Serial number 10045:

Construction Number (MSN): 045
Aircraft Type: Saab 2000
First Flight: 03-03-1997
Age: 16.1 Years
Test registration: SE-045

Former operators:

Europcharter, Regional, Fly LAL.

Aircraft rumored to be delivered to PAF in 2010.

No pictures as of yet in operational service. The following picture is rumored to be of 10045 though.

4- Serial number 09049:

Construction Number (MSN): 049
Aircraft Type: Saab 2000
First Flight: 26-06-1997
Age: 15.8 Years
Test registration: SE-049

Aircraft delivered in 2009.

All Saab 2000's except the VIP version are with 3 Squadron stationed at PAF Minhas, Kamra.

 

[Jango]

THese are PAF FLIR systems fitted with Star Safire and Star Brite systems.

In early 2009, ACM Suleman had come up with an idea to install a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) system on one of the PAF's C-130B Hercules transport aircraft which could remain
airborne for up to eight hours.

He recalls: "My engineers told me we could put it on the side door, but I said it would only record from one side of the aircraft if we did! I suggested we put it under the chin, which meant the bulkhead would have to be cut.

"We discussed it with the aircraft manufacturer but were quoted around $10 million and it would take eight to nine months. We could not afford to send a transport aircraft away for that long, and where would we get the money from?"

Instead PAF engineers did the work and within a couple of months there was a system on board with two large flat screens in the passenger area, so personnel could seethe live video. One screen displays a map of the area that the aircraft was flying over and the other shows the FLIR video, watched by army intelligence officers. When the Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, saw the system working during a sortie in August 2009 he was impressed, and by October 2009, at the start of Operation Rah-e-Nijat, the FLIR Hercules was operational.

The success of the Pakistan Army in defeating the militants was by now moving at a faster pace, largely due to the PAF's bombing campaign. Combined ops followed a familiar routine - strike aircraft softened up the enemy and attack helicopters engaged any remaining targetsbefore the troops moved in.

F-16s would normally operate at 10,000-18,000ft (3,048- 5,486m) and dive-bomb in; sometimes if they got clearance they would get down to 8,000ft (2,438m). Mirages, when used, would go down lower. By December 2009, the bombing campaigns had all but ended.

Today, the PAF continues to support army personnel whenever required as it attempts to rid Pakistan of the people who co-ordinate bomb attacks on innocent civilians in the country. With recent deliveries of new equipment, joint operations can now be undertaken 24 hours a day. This represents another huge leap in capability as the PAF continues to revolutionise its 0 war-fighting procedures.

1. Introduction of the DB-110 sensor into PAF service has meant the reconnaissance variant of the Mirage is all but redundant.

Source: http://www.defence.pk/forums/pakistan-air-force/236765-paf-prowess.html#ixzz2RAOjEYOZ

2 aircraft are believed to be fitted with the FLIR systems.

Pak Army also has same FLIR systems installed on a couple of Mi-17 and Bell 412.

 

[Jango]

These systems are installed by the same company on both PN and Pak Army. HISS - World Class Surveillance Systems Integration

Atleast 2 Fokker aircraft of Pak Navy are installed with a FLIR system.

 

[Bratva]

 

[Jango]

PAF also has another type of AWACS, the ZDK-03.

A total of 4 are in order, with 2 delivered and 1 undergoing crew familiarization and the 4th one undergoing final tests.

Here is the 1st one with serial number 11-001:

And here is the 2nd one 11-002:

Both were delivered in 2011-early 2012.

 

[Rajput_Pakistani]

I wish PAF post the photos of remaining Saabs and put an end to the controversy.

 

[fatman17]

Excellent effort, as usual, by ANTIBODY.

What is the role of No.24 Squadron, Blinders, now that the PAF has two other special mission aircraft types at it's disposal?

ECM squadron

 

[acetophenol]

PAF had bought 4 Saab 2000 ERIEYE AWACS aircraft from Sweden. Following a short history.

1- Serial number 10025:

Construction Number (MSN): 025
Aircraft Type: Saab 2000
First Flight: 26-09-1995
Age: 17.6 Years
Test registration: SE-025

Former operators of the aircraft:

Deutsche BA, Lithuanian airlines, Fly LAL.

PAF got this aircraft in 2010.

2- Serial number 10040:

Construction Number: (MSN) 040
Aircraft Type: Saab 2000
First Flight: 30-09-1996
Age:16.6 Years
Test registration: SE-040

Former operators:

Regional airlines.

PAF got this aircraft in 2009.

3- Serial number 10045:

Construction Number (MSN): 045
Aircraft Type: Saab 2000
First Flight: 03-03-1997
Age: 16.1 Years
Test registration: SE-045

Former operators:

Europcharter, Regional, Fly LAL.

Aircraft rumored to be delivered to PAF in 2010.

No pictures as of yet in operational service. The following picture is rumored to be of 10045 though.

4- Serial number 09049:

Construction Number (MSN): 049
Aircraft Type: Saab 2000
First Flight: 26-06-1997
Age: 15.8 Years
Test registration: SE-049

Aircraft delivered in 2009.

All Saab 2000's except the VIP version are with 3 Squadron stationed at PAF Minhas, Kamra.

Bro,
So PAF's Awacs are based on second hand airframes? Don't you think its a bad decision?

 

[Jango]

Bro,
So PAF's Awacs are based on second hand airframes? Don't you think its a bad decision?

Saab 2000 isn't made anymore...

Secondly, a second hand frame is less costly.

Thirdly, they were with regional airliners, so I wouldn't expect them to be really high on the miles, and they are commercial jets, so they are built for about 30 years of life, so 15-16 years life isn't that bad.

It's all about the costs.

 

[acetophenol]

Saab 2000 isn't made anymore...

Secondly, a second hand frame is less costly.

Thirdly, they were with regional airliners, so I wouldn't expect them to be really high on the miles, and they are commercial jets, so they are built for about 30 years of life, so 15-16 years life isn't that bad.

It's all about the costs.

But bro,
When you have custom built airframes for you it would have been easier to integrate sensors and stuff. I wouldn't favour a 16 yr old frame to be made into a awac platform due to the structural modifications it had to undergo,but thats me only. I am sure your experts have done whats good for you.

 

[Manticore]

this aircraft's operating costs are lower, flight hours/single sortie are higher as compared to other options

 

[Jango]

But bro,
When you have custom built airframes for you it would have been easier to integrate sensors and stuff. I wouldn't favour a 16 yr old frame to be made into a awac platform due to the structural modifications it had to undergo,but thats me only. I am sure your experts have done whats good for you.

Saab 2000 isn't made anymore. That was the problem. PAF was looking for a turbo prop, the ATR's and Fokker's didn't give us the required cabin space (a hunch) and there aren't many other platforms.

For a custom made, you need money, a whole lot of money, which we don't have!

Anyways, if you wanna pursue this further, let's go into the main thread, ANTIBODY bhaiyya ghussa ho jayen gay!

 

[Manticore]

links to pictures are not working, NP

 

[Jango]

links to pictures are not working, NP

Check now...

A third PAF C-130 with the FLIR system was spotted recently, serial number 3699...grey camo.

 

[Super Falcon]

i personally feel with the skill our armed man have got our millitary think tank and government dont provide them state of the art equipment or sensible equipment to them to form killing machine balance between training and equipment not been balanced in pakistan armed forces armed forces think tank highly think for training but in todays war you need have balance in these parts today they are going for equipment which hardly go next 10 years with force