Yes sir, especially in range, payload and thrust/ vmax department.
Anyways you’ll get some good news soon.
Just curious, where exactly does BD/BAF plan to strike that the JF-17 does not fulfill its range requirements?
Pardon me, and I am not condescending, but I have been hearing the sentence "you'll get some good news soon" & names like J-10, Su-30, Su-35, and Eurofighter for past 13 to 15 years. Someone implied here that news pertaining to new aircraft would come in a month's time, that was several months ago. So far nothing.
Let me confess that even as a researcher/analyst I possess meager knowledge on BD's military affairs. However, since I have been periodically dropping in on this topic (this includes discussion on other past forums/websites) since the past 13-15 years I have come to invest some interest in the subject [this is also perhaps because I have come to like and admire Bangali/Bangladeshi people over the years ... excluding BD cricket fans (sarcasm)]. But basing my opinion on things as they appear on the surface, I would say BAF has no need for long-range or medium to heavy combat aircraft like Sukhois and Typhoons. I know you guys want something not just with a
punch but also
prestige, but the most resourceful thing to do is to buy an aircraft that can be purchased in numbers yet provides good capability and is operationally viable and economical. You don't need an aircraft sitting most of its time in a hangar for maintenance or because the cost of operation exceeds the allocated budget. This doesn't necessarily mean buying JF-17 but BAF needs to look for something along the line. The worst thing, however, would be if Tejas is shoved down BD/BAF's throat, which is not an unlikely scenario.
To retain Air Superiority over Burma you need a larger airforce compared to Burma, something you are very lacking. 32 Mig 29, 16 JF17 and 6 Su 30 is not a trivial forces for an Airforce like Bangladesh whose backbone still rested on J7/F7 bgb and meager 8 Mig 29.
For your obsession over India, let forget it.
Indeed, BD requires a larger but economical air force not a larger but costly aircraft. Building an air force with the ability to pose a challenge to IAF is beyond BD's means and will remain so for a long time to come. Even if BAF acquires jets like J-10, Su-35, EFT, or Rafale they would be overwhelmed in a matter of hours by IAF since they won't be able to acquire them enough numbers.
Despite my dislike for Hasina, I must say she has done well to mend ties with India, even if it has led her and BD to become appeaser to the country. If things go along as they are and mutual economic and political dependency (but mostly BD dependent on India) is achieved the likelihood of an armed conflict between the two countries on the state-to-state level would diminish. In fact, it is almost non-existent presently. Thus, BD/BAF are free to focus on Myanmar.
If not JF-17 then Gripen is an idol platform. But I would go for ~36 used F-16s or Mirage-2000s with BVR capability and light to medium AEW&CS. Around 10 to 12 J-10C can then be added to further boost the airpower. This way BAF would remain formidable as well as diverse without complete dependence on a single country.
