Would conversion of C-130 into REK bomb truck help PAF strategic bombing?

[KhanBaba2]

A better solution would be to turn a C-130 into a flying drone platform. It depends on how large the drones are, but they could easily overwhelm what appears to be a struggling air defense system in India into complete chaos if hundreds of drones can be launched. Those drones would likely be ground support aircraft or if possible, jammers. India's ability to protect it's air communications looks like a significant weakness in their defense

Small drones do not have a large range. So the C-130 would have to come within range of India's air defense. And a C130 is a pretty defenseless bird.

With large drones, Pakistan does not have enough C-130 to overwhelm Indian defenses.

 

[SQ8]

Instead of the C-130, the REK kit could be applied to MLRS for a quick response short range system.

 

[MystryMan]

not workable in any conflict with india

 

[HawkEye27]

PLEASE STOP THIS USELSS DISCUSSION

“Any Glide Bomb like Spice-2000 or REK to achieve its range of 60-100 km can only be achieved is the plane flies at 36,000 ft with 0.8Mach speed. C-130 can’t do any of it so its impossible”

I repeat “IMPOSSIBLE”

 

[Comrade]

With a radar cross section RCS of a gaint tank flying in the air the C130 can't be used for any offensive rules the indian airborne early warning system can see it even if its flying in Balochistan so stop this its a transport plane nothing else....

 

[Meliodas]

Before ethinking of using these as bombers we should first focus on updating our logistical ability which is getting old every day.

To use a bomber effectively we need proper air superiority escorts which we don't have much at this time.

 

[Irfan Baloch]

Sir,

Whys is this forum allowing children to run worthless threads on a continuous basis---?

because we all need time off and relaxation. if things go by us grumpy old gits then we will have very limited activity and all this fanfare will go away

secondly when my blood pressure becomes too low, reading some outrageous things brings it back to normal as well.
so there is some silver lining

(PS I have no excuse , my apologies)

Thats what I told him and the OP that you need complete air superiority to use C130 meaningfully as a bomber... but here we are in another thread now.

Here is my reply from the other similar thread:

This is not out of the box thinking at all by the OP but rather a result of being ignoramus.

The entire C130 fleet of PAF was used as a bomber in 1965 war. The C-130 aircraft played an important role in the 1965 war and destroyed Many Bridges as well as Indian fighter jets during the air missions as per a TV documentary aired on AirMarshal Nur Khan. Special guns were installed at the ramp of C-130 aircraft for Gilgit air mission to target the Indian aircraft too. But that was another era altogether. The rules of the game have changed.

Not repeating the obvious flaws of the Idea already explained by some posters like much needed air superiority etc as well as common sense...

There is however one particular strike role that C130s can possibly fulfil without the much needed airsuperiority requirements over eastern border areas; Carry a couple of Nuclear tipped ALCM like Babur on modified pylons and hover around KPK Baluchistan boundary to provide "additional" and much needed "second strike" capability to our strategic weapons arsenal.

We have 18 C130s (B/ C/ E and H versions). If PAF adds ALCM capabilities to half of them for additional or "multi-role" use, then it potentially gives us a good 18 ALCMs to hit back at Indias as a Second Strike option from the air when our cities and installations are already hit.

I did use the term "additional second strike" capability as the best of it is still Submarine LCM or SLCM. Limiting the comment on purpose.

Do read up on second strike capability, its unequivocall deterrence value and why its needed and more importantly, what the implication of its use means.


View attachment 576793

desperate times need some out of the box solutions. if things go that bad even commercial airliners maybe used .
point was that C130 has to be able to take off and survive long enough to do something in a thin Pakistani airspace in a full blown war with India. with already limited number of these planes needed for transport I dont know how many and if any can be spared to modify them for this role. they will need fighter escort as well which will take further resources. wish we have 65 like air superiority and then we can use them and any other plane as we please

 

[Battle of Waterloo]

> See what a few cruise missiles did to an airfield in Syria :

View attachment 576790

Actually, that attack was a total failure by the US. They used 60+ cruise missiles to target that airbase and it was being used by Syrian jets just a few hours after the attack.

 

[MastanKhan]

secondly when my blood pressure becomes too low, reading some outrageous things brings it back to normal as well.
so there is some silver lining

Hi,

Thank you---it is indeed a good therapy to get the BP back up---

 

[The Terminator]

Well did you consider the S400 factor into it? It has an advertised range 400+ km and India is getting them soon. Fighters may have some tricks up their sleeve to survive under hostile S400 range but your transports, AEW&C, Refuelers all would be struggling to operate even deep within Pak airspace. That combined with Rafale threat are the area of most concern to be reckoned with. And then they have Su-30 in huge quantities as well that can play the role of bomb trucks literally.

I personally liked the ideas such as converting old Mirage, retired F7 and other older aircrafts to fighter bomber drones. But I don't know if PAC has the capability/capacity to do it and if it's even feasible for an airforce already stretching its allocated limited budget.
The other idea I liked the most is acquiring a few H-6K bombers from China and deploying them with extended range ALCM.


Both of these ideas are really logical and would render masiive indian SAM cover useless and ineffective so our planes may have some room left to breathe freely within our own airspace. Our aerial assets are still too scarce to counter and attain favorable outcome in full blown war against IAF so there have to be alternate platforms rather than our Frontline fighters to counter ever growing Indian SAM threats.

But of course C130 would never be among those platforms. That's the backbone of our military logistics and can't risk it till very last moment. If you wanna do that then better buy a dozen Y20/il78 first then you are all set to play with those C-130s until then don't even think about it.

 

[TsAr]

Why would it need air superiority? You are dropping bombs from inside Pakistani airspace thus making the need to get up close and dirty is not needed.

Yes it would be dropping bombs from inside Pakistan but the defending airforces also carries long range Air to air missiles and they can also target the C-130's staying within their airspace

 

[BringHarmony]

Well did you consider the S400 factor into it? It has an advertised range 400+ km and India is getting them soon. Fighters may have some tricks up their sleeve to survive under hostile S400 range but your transports, AEW&C, Refuelers all would be struggling to operate even deep within Pak airspace. That combined with Rafale threat are the area of most concern to be reckoned with. And then they have Su-30 in huge quantities as well that can play the role of bomb trucks literally.

I personally liked the ideas such as converting old Mirage, retired F7 and other older aircrafts to fighter bomber drones. But I don't know if PAC has the capability/capacity to do it and if it's even feasible for an airforce already stretching its allocated limited budget.
The other idea I liked the most is acquiring a few H-6K bombers from China and deploying them with extended range ALCM.


Both of these ideas are really logical and would render masiive indian SAM cover useless and ineffective so our planes may have some room left to breathe freely within our own airspace. Our aerial assets are still too scarce to counter and attain favorable outcome in full blown war against IAF so there have to be alternate platforms rather than our Frontline fighters to counter ever growing Indian SAM threats.

But of course C130 would never be among those platforms. That's the backbone of our military logistics and can't risk it till very last moment. If you wanna do that then better buy a dozen Y20/il78 first then you are all set to play with those C-130s until then don't even think about it.

You dont need s400s. Against a non-maneuvering target even a R-77 will be highly effective, even going way beyond its advertised range. There will be no energy to bleed away in maneuvers.

 

[Zulfiqar]

Instead of the C-130, the REK kit could be applied to MLRS for a quick response short range system.

A weapon similar to serbian kosava will be of good use to us.

Although an MLRS type mix use weapon is being developed here.