Ukraine Deliveries 2 Il-78 Midas air-to-air refueling aircraft to PAF!!!

[fatman17]

Sir,

Please keep your camera on sharp, take as many pics as you can for us.

the birds have left jinnah (landed at 2200hrs on 3rd Dec-08). however i have one question?

why did they land at jinnah and not at masroor (PAF base), Mehran / Faisal (joint PN / PAF base). it dosnt make sense!

 

[Najam Khan]

Well those Il-78s in Pakistan are only for training of pilots,its been 5-6months that C-130 pilots are undergoing training on these jets.I won't be surprised to hear them landing at Sakardu too!!!

Just wait for Sep next year they'll be in our hands with our markings

 

[Super Falcon]

yes you are right i hope they will be painting it good colors and how much it is worth each i departed last month to uae i saw antonov in jinnah airport what it was for.

 

[AliFarooq]

I talked to my cousin today, he was at the multan base, doing laps on the run way, cuz he has a army exam tomorow. He said he saw huge plane, like a big cargo plane. Im guessing its one of these.

His brother is in the air force and he wasnt home. Ill call him and ask him abt it, and try to see if he can get me pictures for it.

 

[Hayreddin]

Ukraine Deliveries 2 Il-78 Midas air-to-air refueling aircraft to PAF!!!

Good News to all PAF lovers Ukraine has finally delivered 2 Il-78 aircraft to pakistan soon ill be uploading pictures of these aircraft thses aircrafts landed in pakistan at 10:30AM (2/12/2008) today....!!!

Actually i didnt have camera at that time so i couldn't take the pictures if any of you like to see these aircrafts please go to Jinnah international Airport and go to the public lounge(it is situated on the top of Airport any one can go there)the livery of the aircrafs are fantastic same as new PAF c-130's(gray ones)'s....plz go and watch!!!

and the aircraft is going to depart for chaklala day after tommarow so plz go and watch!!!

great news,,,,,,,,,,,,,
LONG LIVE PAKISTAN

 

[superbikez]

my friend whoz in Chaklala base Traffic control he said there is no IL 78 aur any militry aircraft on isb chaklala base from yesturday and today ...

 

[maqsad]

What exactly is the point of buying these flying whales, I mean what function will they perform? IAF is right across the border so not very much extra fuel will be lost crossing over to engage their pilots and if any of these bloated craft fly over the border to refuel fighters during extended missions then they will be an easy target for radar.

The precious foreign exchange spent on them could have been diverted towards indigenous AWACs, more fighters or even choppers and transport craft. How can such a vertically narrow country like Pakistan make use of a refueler when the fueling can be done at airbases instead?

 

[Keysersoze]

What exactly is the point of buying these flying whales, I mean what function will they perform? IAF is right across the border so not very much extra fuel will be lost crossing over to engage their pilots and if any of these bloated craft fly over the border to refuel fighters during extended missions then they will be an easy target for radar.

The precious foreign exchange spent on them could have been diverted towards indigenous AWACs, more fighters or even choppers and transport craft. How can such a vertically narrow country like Pakistan make use of a refueler when the fueling can be done at airbases instead?

Well simple actually....they would allow aircraft to stay on alert for longer. The AWACS and CAPs would not have to return to their bases and would allow a much longer coverage. It would take MUCH longer to land refuel and return. For strike packages it would allow aircraft to "top up" before going out which would allow the aircraft to have even longer range if needed.

Your thinking is very 2 dimensional.

 

[maqsad]

Well simple actually....they would allow aircraft to stay on alert for longer. The AWACS and CAPs would not have to return to their bases and would allow a much longer coverage. It would take MUCH longer to land refuel and return. For strike packages it would allow aircraft to "top up" before going out which would allow the aircraft to have even longer range if needed.

Your thinking is very 2 dimensional.

None of these functions seem critical enough to invest hundreds of millions of precious foreign exchange in refurbished junk from the 1980s since these whales cannot even refuel an F-16, the primary strike fighter of the PAF. On top of that nobody here has confirmed that it is compatible with the SAAB 2000s.

 

[superbikez]

None of these functions seem critical enough to invest hundreds of millions of precious foreign exchange in refurbished junk from the 1980s since these whales cannot even refuel an F-16, the primary strike fighter of the PAF. On top of that nobody here has confirmed that it is compatible with the SAAB 2000s.

agreed!

if PAF need Air-to-Air refueling aircraft so go for F16... KC 135.. these IL 78 refuel mirage Jf17 paper plane lol

 

[Patriot]

agreed!

if PAF need Air-to-Air refueling aircraft so go for F16... KC 135.. these IL 78 refuel mirage Jf17 paper plane lol

Dude..This stuff cannot be purchased like toys..

 

[hasang20]

I want u to ask you people one thing that if IAF decided to buy f-16 or f-18 than what will pakistan do because that is the one power pakistan have against india that US provide us F-16?

its going to take them along time to learn F-16 and Pakistan already know our F-16 and Pilots are very skillfullllll

 

[Keysersoze]

None of these functions seem critical enough to invest hundreds of millions of precious foreign exchange in refurbished junk from the 1980s since these whales cannot even refuel an F-16, the primary strike fighter of the PAF. On top of that nobody here has confirmed that it is compatible with the SAAB 2000s.

1) these planes are actually not dedicated air to air rather they are transports with the ability to be used as a2a. SO it would also increase the PAF's haulage capability.

2)The JF-17 will be the backbone of the airforce within the next few years. One of it's primary tasks is point defence. In a time of threatened attack it would allow "round the clock" air defence to be in the air. Also a similar capability will be on the J-10's when they arrive so most of the fleet will be covered.

3)The F-16's actually will have CFT's which will mean they will have enhanced fuel capabilities in the short run until a capability is sourced for them.

Frankly you seem to know very little about the aircraft and their uses so maybe you should stop posting? These aircraft would give a quantum leap in PAk's defence capability. As I said previously you are thinking in a narrow fashion and are stubbornly sticking to it to prove some point.

 

[Keysersoze]

agreed!

if PAF need Air-to-Air refueling aircraft so go for F16... KC 135.. these IL 78 refuel mirage Jf17 paper plane lol

Stick to making pictures mate.........

 

[ejaz007]

Il-78 Tankers Arrive in Pakistan
By USMAN ANSARI
Published: 4 Dec 17:15 EST (22:15 GMT)

ISLAMABAD - Two Il-78MP Midas tanker aircraft have arrived in Pakistan, apparently the first of four purchased from the Ukraine.

Though the Pakistan Air Force declined to comment, the two aircraft landed at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi on Dec. 2, and were clearly visible from the observation lounge in their low-observation-gray PAF livery.

Though it was unusual that the two military aircraft did not land at the nearby Masroor or Faisal air bases, their presence validates November reports in local media about their impending arrival.

But reports that Cobham was to equip Pakistan's Il-78s with refueling pods were incorrect. A Cobham official said at last week's biannual Pakistani defense exhibition, IDEAS2008, that the pods were still the Soviet-designed UPAZs, and that the refueling kits on receiving aircraft, such as the newly upgraded Mirage-IIIs, were likely to be South African in origin.

The Il-78s will give the PAF its first airborne refueling capability. They will help train Pakistani crews in mid-air refueling techniques, and once operational will be used to refuel the Mirage-III and eventually JF-17 Thunder.

Air Force officials did confirm the $108 million order of 100 MAR-1 anti-radiation missiles from the Brazilian company Mectron, a deal signed in April but only now revealed. Few details are known about the MAR-1, and for many years its existence was denied. With confirmation of the deal, Pakistan appears to be the first export customer for the missile, which is also in service with the Brazilian air force.

Il-78 Tankers Arrive in Pakistan - Defense News