CriticalThought
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There has been considerable concern amongst Pakistani aviation enthusiasts regarding the status of PAF's inventory in the face of continuing IAF expansion.
Amongst the options available to PAF, Western options carry the risk of sanctions and OEM compromise. But even with the Russian options, the history of Afghan war hangs over any possible relationship. It's a leap of faith that PAF would need to make. So what steps can PAF take to guarantee air superiority?
We need to go back to the basics. Air superiority means assured destruction of the enemy while ensuring survival of own plane, and keeping the plane available during war time. If these criteria can be met, then it does not matter which plane an airforce flies. In a hypothetical world, if this could be achieved through a Mig-21, then the Mig-21 would be considered the air superiority fighter.
On the modern battlefield, the definition of air superiority above directly translates to better avionics, better EW, better sensors, better missiles, and better MTBF. Thus, the most assured way forward for PAF is to spend all available funds towards seting up a semiconductor fabrication backbone, along with indigenous production of avionics and radars. Indigenous designs which are guaranteed to be free of OEM compromise, and which deliver state of the art capabilities will provide air superiority.
But state of the art electronics need to be paired with top of the line missiles. Pakistan has significant indigenous capability for designing guidance systems. The need of the hour is indigenous motors that stay ahead of the rest of the world. Missiles which can be fired from stand-off ranges beyond the range of Indian radars, and which have the widest possible area of assured destruction.
The final area is flight control and engine control systems and engine maintenance. These systems will need to be insulated against any EM attack or activation of a remote kill switch. Thankfully, PAF performs local MRO of most engines in current employ. It makes sense that a wartime reserve inventory would already be in place.
In order to mitigate short term risks, PAF will have to rely on China, which has proved to be an extremely reliable partner.
The good news is that India cannot out maneuver PAF in the buying cycle to exclude it from even acquiring these capabilities. It seems the PAF leadership recognized this a while ago and initiated Azm. One hopes that this program of vital national interest would be well manged and well planned such that it starts delivering results quickly.
Amongst the options available to PAF, Western options carry the risk of sanctions and OEM compromise. But even with the Russian options, the history of Afghan war hangs over any possible relationship. It's a leap of faith that PAF would need to make. So what steps can PAF take to guarantee air superiority?
We need to go back to the basics. Air superiority means assured destruction of the enemy while ensuring survival of own plane, and keeping the plane available during war time. If these criteria can be met, then it does not matter which plane an airforce flies. In a hypothetical world, if this could be achieved through a Mig-21, then the Mig-21 would be considered the air superiority fighter.
On the modern battlefield, the definition of air superiority above directly translates to better avionics, better EW, better sensors, better missiles, and better MTBF. Thus, the most assured way forward for PAF is to spend all available funds towards seting up a semiconductor fabrication backbone, along with indigenous production of avionics and radars. Indigenous designs which are guaranteed to be free of OEM compromise, and which deliver state of the art capabilities will provide air superiority.
But state of the art electronics need to be paired with top of the line missiles. Pakistan has significant indigenous capability for designing guidance systems. The need of the hour is indigenous motors that stay ahead of the rest of the world. Missiles which can be fired from stand-off ranges beyond the range of Indian radars, and which have the widest possible area of assured destruction.
The final area is flight control and engine control systems and engine maintenance. These systems will need to be insulated against any EM attack or activation of a remote kill switch. Thankfully, PAF performs local MRO of most engines in current employ. It makes sense that a wartime reserve inventory would already be in place.
In order to mitigate short term risks, PAF will have to rely on China, which has proved to be an extremely reliable partner.
The good news is that India cannot out maneuver PAF in the buying cycle to exclude it from even acquiring these capabilities. It seems the PAF leadership recognized this a while ago and initiated Azm. One hopes that this program of vital national interest would be well manged and well planned such that it starts delivering results quickly.
