When A-7 Corsair II Appeared in PAF Colours !

[Windjammer]

The PAF was looking for a new attack aircraft in the 1970s. It originally selected the A-7, but when the US canned the deal, the PAF approached the UK and France about the Jaguar. Even though India was getting the Jaguar, the UK/France were happy to sell it to Pakistan, and the PAF was happy to pick it up. However, because of the PAF's larger requirements, the program was too expensive.

Though Carter didn't greenlight the F-16 or F-18L to Pakistan, he did offer to facilitate a loan for France to sell the Mirage F-1 and Mirage 2000 to the PAF. So, if not for the F-16, the PAF would've likely gone for that combination. By that point, Dassault had configured the F-1 into a decent attack aircraft, and the Mirage 2000 was a promising air-to-air platform.

Even when the F-16 entered the picture, the PAF was actually still interested in the A-7. The latter was a true strike-optimize design and many of its core features wouldn't be in the F-16 until Block-40/42. However, we just couldn't afford both platforms, and, ultimately, the PAF decided to look ahead to the growth of the F-16. That said, if money wasn't an issue, the PAF would've ordered both the F-16 and A-7 back in the 1980s.

Fun fact: The PAF had even asked for the F/A-18 back in the 1980s (see WikiLeaks). However, the U.S. said it wasn't available for sale at the time, but the PAF learned enough about the fighter to know that it would've been an excellent multirole design.

Remember reading a very old copy of Air Enthusiast which claimed that PAF was keen on the F-4 Phantoms in the early 70s. As for F/A 18s, it was also the price which was a big minus said to be 1.5 of the F-16 and didn't it also have a design fault which resulted in corrosion to the both tail resulting in having to add strakes on the upper fuselage to break the flow of air .

 

[DocEinstein]

Credit : Sohail Ahmed

View attachment 800104

In 1974, PAF shortlisted its options to the Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter/Tiger and the Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV) A-7 Corsair II. It selected the A-7 Corsair II, and made a formal request to visit LTV Aerospace Corporation to evaluate the aircraft that same year.
By 1977, the US and Pakistan were working on a deal of up to 110 A-7 Corsair II for $500 million US. However, the Jimmy Carter administration cancelled the potential deal on the grounds that the sale could destabilize the balance of power in South Asia.
Washington also hoped to leverage the A-7 as a means to encourage #Pakistan to scale back its then clandestine nuclear weapons program. The #US viewed the A-7 as a potent attack asset, one that should assuage Pakistan’s concerns of India’s nuclear program
(Check out the 70s Bell Bottoms fashion)
View attachment 800105

OK OK Whatever
Those Bell Bottoms though !

 

[Bilal9]

The F-16/79 was designed as the export version, it was less capable and cheaper.

@SQ8 Do you recognise any of the guys in the OP........ I know you are not that old .

Bell-bottom pants are a dead giveaway this was in the late seventies...

 

[Bilal Khan (Quwa)]

Remember reading a very old copy of Air Enthusiast which claimed that PAF was keen on the F-4 Phantoms in the early 70s. As for F/A 18s, it was also the price which was a big minus said to be 1.5 of the F-16 and didn't it also have a design fault which resulted in corrosion to the both tail resulting in having to add strakes on the upper fuselage to break the flow of air .


View attachment 800155

Yep re: F-4, but once the A-7 came to market, the PAF preferred it over the F-4. For its time, the A-7 was like the F-35. It was extremely well optimized for strike at the time (e.g. terrain-following radar) and some new stuff like HUD.

As for the F/A-18. It was definitely more expensive than the F-16, but the additional range, payload, and newer technologies (versus the F-16 Block-15) more than offset the additional cost. Where the F-16 was a superb workhorse fighter, the F/A-18 was the dream "tip of the spear." Finally, with the Hornet being a carrier fighter at heart offered other benefits, e.g salt-erosion-proofing for maritime operations, endurance, etc.

Looking to the future, if things go the PAF's way, its 'fist' will go the way of the J-10CE and a twin-engine FGFA (like TFX). So, one way or another, we still have a shot to achieve the dream laid out in the 1980s.

 

[Trailer23]

Remember reading a very old copy of Air Enthusiast which claimed that PAF was keen on the F-4 Phantoms in the early 70s.

Yep, I knew 'bout the F-4 Phatom II's, but to date never knew about these A-7 Corsairs.

Nice find @Windjammer .

 

[Raider 21]

Credit : Sohail Ahmed

View attachment 800104

In 1974, PAF shortlisted its options to the Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter/Tiger and the Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV) A-7 Corsair II. It selected the A-7 Corsair II, and made a formal request to visit LTV Aerospace Corporation to evaluate the aircraft that same year.
By 1977, the US and Pakistan were working on a deal of up to 110 A-7 Corsair II for $500 million US. However, the Jimmy Carter administration cancelled the potential deal on the grounds that the sale could destabilize the balance of power in South Asia.
Washington also hoped to leverage the A-7 as a means to encourage #Pakistan to scale back its then clandestine nuclear weapons program. The #US viewed the A-7 as a potent attack asset, one that should assuage Pakistan’s concerns of India’s nuclear program
(Check out the 70s Bell Bottoms fashion)
View attachment 800105

Thank goodness this never made it to Pakistan. The F-16 was an excellent decision to pursue, just minus the Sparrow decisions.

Around the same time, PAF were pursuing Viggen, but the Swedes embargoed those and gave PAF models of the aircraft instead.

 

[untitled]

The F-16 was an excellent decision to pursue, just minus the Sparrow decisions.

Were the F-16s (all existing variants) Sparrow capable at the time Pakistan took deliveries?

 

[Aneeq Rashid]

PAKISTAN SEEKS SURVEILLANCE PLANES



By David B. Ottaway
April 29, 1987

President Reagan received a request yesterday from Pakistan that the United States lease the nation surveillance aircraft to help it fend off an increasing number of air attacks from Afghanistan.
Sen. Gordon J. Humphrey (R-N.H.), who delivered the letter from Pakistani Prime Minister Mohammed Khan Junejo to Reagan, said the Pakistanis were renewing a request for either Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft or the smaller E2C Hawkeye to counter the attacks.
"Pakistan has asked for our help. And I believe we have an obligation to do what we can given Pakistan's crucial role in acting as a bulwark against Soviet expansionism," said Humphrey, who recently had talks in Pakistan with Junejo and President Mohammed Zia ul-Haq.

Humphrey said the Pakistanis were looking for a "short-term" way of dealing with the air attacks through the lease of AWACS or Hawkeyes, but that they also wanted to purchase a number of either aircraft to cope with the long-term threat from Soviet-backed Afghanistan.

A senior administration official said that in the past two or three weeks the Pakistanis were showing particular interest in leasing E2C Hawkeye aircraft.

Humphrey said he had been told Pakistan was willing to give assurances it would return any leased aircraft if the United States suddenly had a need for them or if a war broke out between Pakistan and India.

The senior administration source said the Pakistani request was being studied but there were complications.

"We have to go back and think about all the laws and all the restrictions Congress has placed upon the transfer of military equipment to foreign governments," he said, emphasizing that providing the aircraft is not a "light decision."

A 1981 amendment to the Foreign Assistance Act allows leasing of U.S. military equipment only if there is a presidential determination that there are "compelling foreign policy and national security reasons" for it and the transfers do not endanger U.S. readiness.

In addition, the country leasing the equipment must pay all costs in dollars, including reimbursement for depreciation and any losses.

The official noted that Pakistan is strapped for U.S. dollars and that Congress is expected to cut back foreign aid sharply.

There also may be problems with the availability of the equipment, the official said.

"There is a real need. And we'll see what we can do," he said. "Everyone wants to be positive."

‐----‐-------------
Even with soviets breathing down on Pakistan neck USA still wouldn't sell pakistan AWACS. Because it might upset India or "change balance of power". Otherwise Pakistan would had AWACS platform in the 80s.

 

[Thorough Pro]

We wanted E3A, they offered E2C, we refused, a bad mistake.

 

[haroonn]

The F-16/79 was designed as the export version, it was less capable and cheaper.

@SQ8 Do you recognise any of the guys in the OP........ I know you are not that old .

I think the guy on the extreme left is Shafique Haider..

 

[Raider 21]

Were the F-16s (all existing variants) Sparrow capable at the time Pakistan took deliveries?

Yes