Hi,
I am sure the Chinese cannot get hands on actually F-16 BLK52 hardware, but they can get the experience and interface results out of the pilots who fly them. So for example, PAF pilots can tell the Chinese at Chengdu or Shenyang that hey, this is how the F-16 Radar works in such and such situation. Can we have the JF-17 or J-10 radar like that or perhaps negate the weaknesses? So i am sure PAF experience can go into designing the Chinese jets.
Also, it is only a matter of time when the Chinese catch up to the electronics of the western fighters.
That is still only stating a requirement.. this may not be analogous to people trying to replicate the KFC secret recipe by trial and error. Since to say the radar works this and this way.. would still require the Chinese to reach a level in signal processing that they can replicate those parameters noticed by PAF pilots.
Thank you for the explanation- as you yourself have made clear Pakistan have very limited control over these systems - As the US already has a record, so to speak, of being a poor or unreliable supplier, why exactly have a segment of the Pakistani officer corp allowed Pakistan's defense to be under the control of the US??
You have said that the US decides WHO, HOW and WHEN - Is it, therefore, unreasonable to conclude that what a particular segment of the officer corp have done is to outsource Pakistan's autonomy of action to a foreign power (WHO, HOW, WHEN)
I completely understand that the segment of the officer corp which is in the good books of the US should find such a conclusion embarrassing, however, don't you think that instead of justifying the outsourcing of Pakistan's defense to a hostile foreign power that we should be rectifying this mistake??
The US is a hostile foreign power, not just towards Pakistan but towards Muslims in general, but even if this assertion is controversial to the segment of the officer corp favorable to the US, clearly, the public perception of the US and the officer corps cozy relationship with it, is having a negative effect on both the officer corp and the relationship with the US, will that segment of the officer corp that is cozy with the US, not realize that it cannot be out of step with the public?? Or will it risk it's very existence for the sake of being cozy with US and her interests over those of Pakistan and her populace?
Not autonomy of action per-se.. but autonomy of continued operations during wartime.
The PAF can if it wishes simply not comply with the US rules, however that will mean that any further US spares may not be forthcoming until the compliance is verified.
Think of it in terms of an Iphone(although too simple an example).. You may use the Iphone as you wish.. as long as you dont jailbreak it and install illegal software. When and if you do that, the warranty offered by Apple becomes void.
So you may go ahead and use the system in your defense or hand it over to the Chinese. But when and if that happens the support for your F-16s gets cut-off. After that you may take the whole aircraft apart and try to replicate it but there will be no more US hardware heading your way.
If there is to be actual serious concern about sovereignty then it should be about the surveillance system at KPT and Port Qasim that was operational during Musharraf's time(current status unknown)..
every container that came into Pakistan was scanned in real time by people sitting in the US..