Saudi Arabia planning procurement of JF-17 Thunder, Mashshaks, says Saudi air chief

[The SC]

How Many aircraft are the Saudi's looking to procure?

They have retired 125 F-5s, might sell some to Argentina!
Maybe they can replace them with 70 or 80 JF-17s Blk 3 with AESA and so on..

Wondering why would Saudis buy a JF-17 when they can buy better platforms in terms of technology and capability.

Just because it has also good tech and good capabilities too, maybe it is not at par with the 4++G but it is a good 4 G up to Blk 2, 4+G for Blk3..So who won't like to replace its3rd G F-5, Mig 21, Mirage 3 and other obsolete platforms with an affordable 4 or 4+G?

Please don't confuse realism with pessimism. The possibility of Saudi's buying Thunder is zero. This talk is just typical Saudi habit of talking a lot but offering nothing substantive. Trump or no Trump KSA along with Israel is lynchpin of American alliance in Middle East.

35 years ago General Zia said 'peanuts' with referance to US aid to Pakistan. That can also be applied to the KSA in referance to Pakistan.

It will be better to revise the Pakistani nuclear tests+ Western sanctions on Pakistan and then add KSA to your search.. those were no peanuts from KSA..

 

[Plotinium]

Currently Saudi Arabia is short on cash and has oil to spare (as I referenced the Al-Yamamah deal with Britian); Pakistan as a whole needs a steady supply of oil to keep its industries and power generation going. If the Pakistani government bought the jets from PAC/PAF and sold them onwards to Saudis or the Qataris in exchange for Oil; it could net more profit for the nation as a whole.

Do you think PAC/PAF wouldn't be paid fairly or fully?

apologies for the late reply, I was away. Saudi arabia is short of cash is indeed the truth. But are we a rich state? PAC, PAF or the government does not have spare cash. How we will buy the engine for the saudi's, these things comes with cash that we don't have and saudi's have a lot of it. They are just spending billions and billions on their prince's, they can easily buy anything from anywhere still. one thing more they don't want block 2, they need block 3 i.e., if they wanted it. It will be ready in 2019, even if we delivered 1st squadron(2020) to them(keeping in mind our need is more than them), things would have gotten a lot better for them at that time and we will still be with billions of billions of debt.

Moreover, the government and PAC, PAF; cannot come to an agreement of payment even if things start rolling tomorrow due to lack of cash with the government and PAC and PAF doesnot have spare cash for themselves.

 

[FuturePAF]

apologies for the late reply, I was away. Saudi arabia is short of cash is indeed the truth. But are we a rich state? PAC, PAF or the government does not have spare cash. How we will buy the engine for the saudi's, these things comes with cash that we don't have and saudi's have a lot of it. They are just spending billions and billions on their prince's, they can easily buy anything from anywhere still. one thing more they don't want block 2, they need block 3 i.e., if they wanted it. It will be ready in 2019, even if we delivered 1st squadron(2020) to them(keeping in mind our need is more than them), things would have gotten a lot better for them at that time and we will still be with billions of billions of debt.

Moreover, the government and PAC, PAF; cannot come to an agreement of payment even if things start rolling tomorrow due to lack of cash with the government and PAC and PAF doesnot have spare cash for themselves.

In light of your clarifications, I will withdraw my suggestion. (Just try to think outside the box)
Although I still think Pakistan should be more amenable to filling the Saudi Order asap, IF we can get access to European Technological input into the jet and the saudi's can spring for paying for increasing the composite usage.

The Engines, Avionics, EW, and weapons systems would be a game changer for the PAF, just like the new Block 3's AESA is. With more reliable (and powerful) engines; we get better tactical and operational improvements to the plane; more sortie rates. and the electronics and weapons would negate the need for the PAF to procure any other fighter type till the J-31 matures.

p.s. also sorry for the late reply; long week at work

 

[mrrehan]

Why is everyone always considering. I heard Nigeria wanted our JF17's... what happened to that? I think its time to market JF17 aggressively and get ourselves some real sales.

Yes correct

 

[Zain Malik]

Yes correct

Nigeria is going to get 3 JFTs Soon.
Myanmar is going to get them soon in 2K17.
Saudi arabia is planning and will have them in 2-3 next years.

 

[imadul]

Saudi Arabia can get JF-17 with TOT. Secondly BLOCK III would be pretty much a new Jet with AESA radar capable of carrying all kind of missiles including cruise missiles and BVR and Air to Ground and other. In other words JF-17 would not only give us techonolgy but also great experience to Saudi Air Force as well as there industry.

But Sir, how will saudi absorb TOT. TOT is not a pill. It is cognitive and intellectual assets that develop and apply knowledge to produce tangible
Physical artefacts.
Secondly JF-17 block III in the development phase. It does not look it can be inducted before 5-6 years. It takes time for a platform to mature and remove bugs, flaws etc. It will be JF-17 block II they can get in 2-3 years.

 

[FuturePAF]

Pakistan as currently the sole operator should look into how sweden is doing upgrades to its gripen vis a vi the software upgrades; this could cut current time table in upgrading block 1 and 2 in terms of software upgrade and pave the way for the block 3 to be ready as soon as its structural bugs are worked out

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Order of 100-150 planes for Saudia would be a ideal scenario and follow up order of 80 Thunders with Qatar

• Successfully used in Largest Anto Terror campaign
  
• Successfully used in highest peaks of Planet earth himalayas
• Successfully used for Keeping skies safe approaching 10 years

 

[somebozo]

JF17 is a cheap and cheerfull jet fighting for low scale war like the conflict in Yemen where adversary does not have sophisticated ground defense which makes flying F15 and EF2000 unnecessary and adds up to cost of war...however the Russian engines of JF17 could be a problem as Saudi and Russia arent getting along and as of todays news the oil talks have collapsed..

 

[FuturePAF]

JF17 is a cheap and cheerfull jet fighting for low scale war like the conflict in Yemen where adversary does not have sophisticated ground defense which makes flying F15 and EF2000 unnecessary and adds up to cost of war...however the Russian engines of JF17 could be a problem as Saudi and Russia arent getting along and as of todays news the oil talks have collapsed..

All the more reason The Saudis should get the British and Rolls Royce to integrate their EJ-200 on to the JF-17
Commonality with the Typhoon Fleet and keeps Saudi out of Russian Entanglements

 

[Zeeshan Farooqi]

Its strange that saudia arab giving funds for that.

 

[Zeeshan Farooqi]

Thats great saudia will get jf17 very soon ..

 

[Syed_Adeel]

Why is everyone always considering. I heard Nigeria wanted our JF17's... what happened to that? I think its time to market JF17 aggressively and get ourselves some real sales.

Nigeria already declared that they are buying. my be you are not updated.

 

[Sheikh Rauf]

i think its time for muslim world to form research and development org and invest some money in it. We have alots of smart people who can do amazing discoveries.

 

[Manidabest]

first of all they just talk and they dont buy these planes from Pakistan they have got money and they can buy better planes than jf17 soo stop wishful thinking for now ......