PAF - News and Interviews

[Mastankhan]

Hi,

In electronic warfare, it is not only the system that is good enough---it is also your electronics officer who can make the difference plus the commanding officer---is he the type who listens to everyone or just rides his ego train.

A system is a failure---an electronic officer is a failure---if the man incharge lacks vision and cannot share authority.

Remember in electronic warfare---everything is not black or white---there is no truth or lie----sometimes, it is just the bare deviance from the norm that makes or breaks it.

So---the bottomline is that the chinese awacs are as good as the anything else we have---it is what we make of it----just like our F7PG's---some have taken out the F 16's in dog fights.

[mean_bird]

Air Chief leaves for China on official visit


Thursday, 5 Nov, 2009 8:08 pm
ISLAMABAD : Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman on Thursday proceeded to China on the invitation of Commander People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).The Chief of Pakistan Air Force would attend the ceremonies being organised to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Founding of PLAAF.

He will also attend the Forum for Peace and Development, being held on the occasion. The Forum would be attended by Air Chiefs of more than 30 air forces from across the globe.

Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman would be a keynote speaker at the Forum and present his vision of the role of air forces in future warfare, as well as their supportive role in augmenting peace efforts viz à viz relief operations during natural calamities and disasters.

He would also be leading the Air Chiefs’ delegation, making courtesy call on President and Vice President of the People’s Republic of China.

Additionally, Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman would hold in depth talks with the heads and CEOs of Chinese Defence Industries.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2009
AAJ TV : Pakistan Ki Awaz

[Neo]

PAF to get eight new F-16 jets by June 2010: Qamar

Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman delivers a speech during the induction ceremony of the first Saab-2000 Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&CS) aircraft in the PAF fleet at PAF Base Minhas in Kamra on Dec 29, 2009. - APP photo

Saturday, 02 Jan, 2010

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman has said that the country will get eight new F-16 fighter jets by June 2010.

The Air Chief Marshal said that after the induction of hi-tech Saab-2000 Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&CS) aircraft in the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), the country’s frontiers have become more secure.

In an exclusive interview with DawnNews, the air chief said that the PAF was in the process of getting more advanced weapons which would significantly enhance its capability.—DawnNews

[keysersoze]

MELBOURNE, Australia — Pakistan is in negotiations with the U.S. to get more Lockheed Martin F-16s over and above what it already has on order, while at the same time it develops its defense manufacturing capability to reduce its reliance on the U.S.

“We have plans to have more F-16s and are negotiating with the U.S. government for more,” says Air Chief Marshall Rao Qamar Suleman, the Pakistani air force chief of air staff. Rao spoke to Aviation Week here, where he was attending an air chiefs’ conference.

When asked how many more aircraft Pakistan wants, Rao declines to specify the number on the grounds that “we are still in the process of negotiations.” “It depends in what form and the time frame,” he adds.

In 2006 the U.S. Congress agreed to give Pakistan 28 F-16C/Ds under an excess-defense articles scheme. Pakistan recently received the first 14, but has yet to get the others. Rao says it is unclear when these aircraft will arrive and it is part of the current negotiations.

Pakistan has a total of 63 F-16s, of which 45 are A/Bs and 18 are C/Ds. Rao says all the A/Bs are to undergo a midlife upgrade and become C/D aircraft “close to block 50” standard. The first three A/Bs are now undergoing the upgrade at Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI). “In 2013-2014 all of the A/Bs will have been upgraded to C/Ds.” He also says four other F-16s were sent to the U.S. for technical verification inspections so the upgrade kits could be developed that TAI will install.

While Pakistan is an ally of the U.S., it is also an ally of China. Pakistan, for example, is producing JF-17 fighters at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex in Kamra, a city in northern Pakistan. The JF-17 is a fighter jointly developed by China and Pakistan.

Rao says since becoming chief of air staff, he has made a concerted effort to increase the manufacturing capability of Pakistan’s defense industry. This is important because the country has in the past been subject to sanctions and embargoes, including by the U.S. over its nuclear weapons efforts.

Rao says Pakistan will have the second squadron of JF-17s enter operation at the end of March while simultaneously phasing out all of its Nanchang A-5s. The A-5 is a ground attack aircraft from China that was first produced in 1969.

“As for the Chengdu F-7s and Dassault Mirages, we will phase these out as we get JF-17s,” Rao says. “Some of Pakistan’s Mirages are the oldest in the world,” he says, adding that some were built in 1967. Phasing out the older Mirages is a top priority. The Mirages are difficult and costly to maintain because no one is producing spare parts for these aircraft anymore, he says. “We are getting secondhand parts, but we don’t know the history of these spare parts we are getting. It’s a flight safety issue and a nightmare for me,” he adds.

When asked about datalinks that could connect the F-16s to the JF-17s, Rao says Pakistan is working to develop its own solution. “We have Link 16 on the F-16s. We will not fiddle with Link 16 and not have direct linkages [between the JF-17s] with the F-16. However, we are trying to develop our own tactical datalink.” It will send information from the JF-17 to a ground station where there will be an interface, he says, adding there will be a short delay, and then the information will be sent to the F-16s.

Like with its fighters, Pakistan also has different types of airborne early warning and control aircraft. The country has three Saab Erieye aircraft and will receive its fourth by midyear, Rao says. This is its last Saab Erieye on order. Pakistan will also receive in the middle of the year its first Shaanxi ZDK-03. Pakistan has four on order, and the first rolled out of the Shaanxi Aircraft factory in November. But Rao says China is still busy installing the equipment and doing the necessary upgrades.

Another major requirement that Pakistan has is for UAVs. It already has Italian Selex Galileo Falco UAVs, and Rao says Pakistan has reached an agreement with the company whereby some Falcos will be made in Pakistan for the local market and export. Production will start in Pakistan this year, he says. In the past Pakistan reportedly wanted to have the Falco armed, a request that Italy rejected. Rao says the UAVs made in Pakistan will carry no weapons and will be for reconnaissance and surveillance, mostly of areas where insurgents and terrorists may be hiding.

Photo: Pakistan Air Force

[keysersoze]

So it looks like the option for the additional 18 F-16's has gone through on the quiet. I Wonder if some gamesmanship was at play due to the Indian MRCA deal?

[keysersoze]

WASHINGTON: Pakistan is trying to purchase used F-16 fighter jets from the United States to enhance its air capabilities, diplomatic sources told.

“We will take as many as they are willing to give,” said a diplomatic source when asked how many of these aircraft Pakistan was seeking.

In 2006, the US Congress agreed to give Pakistan 28 F-16C/Ds under its EDA or excess defence articles initiative. Fourteen of these aircraft have already been delivered.

These are the same that Pakistan purchased from the United States in the 1980s but EDA equipment is almost cost-free. Some of these aircraft are used for extracting serviceable parts for the existing fleet while those fit for overhauling are inducted into the air force. “Because of the disparity with India, our needs are huge,” said the diplomatic source. “Ideally, we should buy new F-16s but the current economy does not allow us to pay $40-50 million a piece.”

The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a lightweight, compact fighter aircraft designed to perform a wide range of military missions. More than 4,000 F-16s have been or will be produced for 24 nations worldwide.

Meanwhile, the US media quoted Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman as saying that while negotiating with the US for more aircraft, Pakistan was simultaneously developing its defence manufacturing capability to reduce its reliance on America.

According to these reports, he told an air chiefs` conference in Melbourne, Australia, that he had made a concerted effort to increase the manufacturing capability of Pakistan`s defence industry because the country has been subject to sanctions and embargoes in the past.

When asked about data links to tie F-16s to JF-17s, Air Chief Marshal Qamar said that Pakistan was working to develop its own solution.

“We have Link 16 on the F-16s. We will not fiddle with Link 16 and not have direct linkages [between the JF-17s] with the F-16,” he said. Pakistan also has different types of airborne early warning and control (AEW and C) aircraft.

Besides AEW and C aircraft, the air force chief said, “We are talking to some western companies about tankers too.”

When asked if Pakistan would like to be part of the Chengdu J-20, fifth-generation fighter programme, the air chief said: “We don`t have any involvement in this development so far. This seems to be an indigenous effort and we will keenly watch it. Obviously, China is a very good friend.” But it will be years before the J-20 becomes operational in the Chinese air force, he added.

[keysersoze]

Originally Posted by keysersoze

So it looks like the option for the additional 18 F-16's has gone through on the quiet. I Wonder if some gamesmanship was at play due to the Indian MRCA deal?

Looks like i was in error with this post. it's an additional 14 under EDA rather than taking the 18 option.

[Araz]

Originally Posted by keysersoze

Looks like i was in error with this post. it's an additional 14 under EDA rather than taking the 18 option.

No . you werent off the mark. I had heard from a reliable source, though a yr or so ago, that PAF was negotiatiing for 14 more Bl52s, and 26 OLd Bl15s. However, in the current situation , what happens is anyone's guess.
Araz

[keysersoze]

Originally Posted by Araz

No . you werent off the mark. I had heard from a reliable source, though a yr or so ago, that PAF was negotiatiing for 14 more Bl52s, and 26 OLd Bl15s. However, in the current situation , what happens is anyone's guess.
Araz

Well Depends if the current policy is just "For Show" or is actually a downturn in relations. If they withdraw funds the PA should wind down operations and concentrate on internal security.