Bulgaria to be offered JF-17 fighter by Pakistan

[OTTOMAN]

Bulgaria ar putea cumpăra avioane de luptă din Pakistan | Romania Libera

It depends if they accept this offer. We had also offered JF-17 to other countries as well, but the deal is not final yet.

depends what?
Please, don't confuse.... read the article and tell us something, what we don't know.

 

[Mughal-Prince]

NATO connection can be handled by French goodies mixed in package which may enable JFT for a NATO system compatibility. As well as it is flying with RD-93 derivative of RD-33 which is current part of their Mig package so it can be an attractive mix.

 

[ArsalanKhan21]

Why this obsession with exports ? Pakistan has hundreds of obsolete fighters that have to be replaced. JF-17 has been eclipsed by J-10C and now by J-31. We should concentrate on modernizing PAF.

 

[C130]

isn't the JF-17 inferior to the Mig-29??? i though it was a 3.5gen jet???


su-27 would be a better choice

 

[ArsalanKhan21]

isn't the JF-17 inferior to the Mig-29??? i though it was a 3.5gen jet???

According to Pakistan Air Force it is 80% as capable as F-16. It was designed to replace older fighters of PAF. They are backup fighters of PAF which relies on F-16 C/D. But the fan boys may consider it par with best fighters.

 

[Hurter]

Bulgaria ar putea cumpăra avioane de luptă din Pakistan | Romania Libera

depends what?
Please, don't confuse.... read the article and tell us something, what we don't know.

I really hope they buy this aircraft.. We had also offered this jet to Nigeria, but the deal has not reached the agreement as per my knowledge..

 

[Beast]

isn't the JF-17 inferior to the Mig-29??? i though it was a 3.5gen jet???


su-27 would be a better choice

You think Bulgaria has a gold mine? Why not ask Cambodia AF go for F-22? Oops, sorry they don't have the cash.

 

[Kompromat]

isn't the JF-17 inferior to the Mig-29??? i though it was a 3.5gen jet???

su-27 would be a better choice

At $25 Million dollars, it offers F-16 Block 40 capabilities. The right comparison would be between JF-17 and JAS-39 Gripen - C. Mig-29, F-16 are different class of fighters.

 

[Zarvan]

At $25 Million dollars, it offers F-16 Block 40 capabilities. The right comparison would be between JF-17 and JAS-39 Gripen - C. Mig-29, F-16 are different class of fighters.

We are offering F-16 to Argentina we would show two seater version on Paris Show and we are offering Bulgaria JF-17 thunder according to sources BLOCK III but where the bloody hell is BLOCK II ?

 

[SQ8]

isn't the JF-17 inferior to the Mig-29??? i though it was a 3.5gen jet???


su-27 would be a better choice

How does one classify it as that?

 

[ArsalanKhan21]

We are offering F-16 to Argentina we would show two seater version on Paris Show and we are offering Bulgaria JF-17 thunder according to sources BLOCK III but where the bloody hell is BLOCK II ?

Is it possible that JF-17 inducted in CCS College on Jan15th, 2015 were JF-17 Block II ?

JF-17 Thunder inducted in PAF Combat Commanders School

JF-17 Thunder inducted in PAF Combat Commanders School
21:54 Jan 26, 2015 Pakistan

SARGODHA: JF-17 Thunder, the multi-role and all weather fighter aircraft, was formally inducted in the prestigious Combat Commanders' School (CCS) of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) here on Monday.

The induction of this indigenous war fighting machine will further facilitate advanced combat training of PAF fighter pilots.

Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (Operations), Air Marshal Sohail Aman, was the chief guest on the occasion.

When smoke grey camouflaged Thunders landed at the air base, the jubilant crowd gathered at the occasion welcomed them with a thunderous applause.

The smartly turned out PAF ground crew received the aircraft at the tarmac.

As the fighter pilots stepped out of the cockpits, they were presented bouquets by young children. Later on, the chief guest met the air and ground crew and had a group.

While addressing on the occasion, the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (Operations) said PAF was fully prepared to meet the external and internal challenges.

He said the role of air power had increased manifold and it had become a weapon of first choice.

In his welcome address, Commander Mushaf Base, Air Commodore Sarfraz Khan said the induction of JF-17 Thunder in CCS would open new vistas of training for PAF pilots.

He said so far 50 JF-17 Thunder aircraft had been commissioned in the PAF.

It may be mentioned here that the induction of JF-17 aircraft in the PAF started in 2007. Today, it is operating two JF-17 squadrons, which are actively engaged in all types of operations.

Induction of JF-17 aircraft in CCS is a major milestone towards self-reliance and enhancement of operational capability.

Jointly co-developed by Pakistan and China, JF-17 Thunder is a light weight all weather multi-role fighter aircraft.

Modern state of the art avionics suite, advance cockpit layout with capability to carry a number of air to air and air to ground/seas weapons makes it a formidable, affordable and dependable fighter aircraft.

Integration of a potent BVR missile further makes it versatile fighter aircraft in today's air battle arena. -APP

 

[Zarvan]

Is it possible that JF-17 inducted in CCS College on Jan15th, 2015 were JF-17 Block II ?

JF-17 Thunder inducted in PAF Combat Commanders School

JF-17 Thunder inducted in PAF Combat Commanders School
21:54 Jan 26, 2015 Pakistan

SARGODHA: JF-17 Thunder, the multi-role and all weather fighter aircraft, was formally inducted in the prestigious Combat Commanders' School (CCS) of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) here on Monday.

The induction of this indigenous war fighting machine will further facilitate advanced combat training of PAF fighter pilots.

Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (Operations), Air Marshal Sohail Aman, was the chief guest on the occasion.

When smoke grey camouflaged Thunders landed at the air base, the jubilant crowd gathered at the occasion welcomed them with a thunderous applause.

The smartly turned out PAF ground crew received the aircraft at the tarmac.

As the fighter pilots stepped out of the cockpits, they were presented bouquets by young children. Later on, the chief guest met the air and ground crew and had a group.

While addressing on the occasion, the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (Operations) said PAF was fully prepared to meet the external and internal challenges.

He said the role of air power had increased manifold and it had become a weapon of first choice.

In his welcome address, Commander Mushaf Base, Air Commodore Sarfraz Khan said the induction of JF-17 Thunder in CCS would open new vistas of training for PAF pilots.

He said so far 50 JF-17 Thunder aircraft had been commissioned in the PAF.

It may be mentioned here that the induction of JF-17 aircraft in the PAF started in 2007. Today, it is operating two JF-17 squadrons, which are actively engaged in all types of operations.

Induction of JF-17 aircraft in CCS is a major milestone towards self-reliance and enhancement of operational capability.

Jointly co-developed by Pakistan and China, JF-17 Thunder is a light weight all weather multi-role fighter aircraft.

Modern state of the art avionics suite, advance cockpit layout with capability to carry a number of air to air and air to ground/seas weapons makes it a formidable, affordable and dependable fighter aircraft.

Integration of a potent BVR missile further makes it versatile fighter aircraft in today's air battle arena. -APP

The numbers they have on them suggested they were BLOCK I not BLOCK II but the number 5 is confusing things and also that is our top school I don't think we would test BLOCK I in that @Horus @Manticore @fatman17

 

[fatman17]

Bulgaria to be offered JF-17 fighter by Pakistan

Gareth Jennings, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly

04 March 2015



Although far cheaper than its Western rivals, the Chinese-Pakistani JF-17 is not compatible with NATO systems and so is unlikely to be adopted by Bulgaria. Source: Paul Jackson

Bulgaria is to be offered the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex/Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation (PAC/CAC) JF-17 Thunder combat aircraft, according to national media reports.

The single-seat, single-engined fighter is to be offered by Pakistan as an alternative to the several Western aircraft types that are all vying to be selected by Bulgaria as it looks to replace its ageing MiG-29 'Fulcrum' and Sukhoi Su-25 'Frogfoot' platforms, the novinite.com Sofia News Agency reported on 4 March.

No details pertaining to costs or potential delivery timelines were revealed.

The Bulgarian government has stated that it will choose to buy new or secondhand Western fighters, or commit to a further MiG-29 upgrade. The acquisition of 'new' fighters is expected to cost more than BGN500 million (USD282 million), although actual new aircraft, such as Lockheed Martin Block 52 F-16s, are almost certainly unaffordable.

Contenders for secondhand jets include surplus Block 25 F-16s from the US Air National Guard, F-16 midlife upgrade aircraft from Belgium, early tranche Eurofighter Typhoons from the Italian Air Force, or surplus Saab Gripens from Sweden.

Developed jointly by China (where it is designated the FC-1) and Pakistan, the JF-17 Thunder made its maiden flight in 2004. Powered by a single Russian-designed but Chinese-built Klimov RD-93 (RD-33 derivative) turbofan, it has a top speed of Mach 1.6 (at altitude); a radius-of-operation of 648 n miles (1,200 km) as a fighter and 378 n miles (700 km) as a ground attack platform; a range of 971 n miles (1,798 km) on internal fuel, or 1,100 n miles (2,037 km) for ferry; a service ceiling of 52,500 ft; and a g-rating of +8.5/-3.5.

It has seven underwing/fuselage hardpoints, and is equipped with an internal GSh-23-2 twin-barrel cannon. Weapon options include up to four PL-5, -7, -8 or -9 short-range air-to-air missiles (AAMs) or four PL-12/SD-10B medium-range AAMs; two C-802A anti-ship missiles; two anti-radiation missiles; five 500 kg bombs; twin launchers for up to eight 250 kg, MK-20, GBU-12 or anti-runway bombs; single 1,000 kg bomb or GBU-10; or up to three mission pods.

ANALYSIS

Although widely offered for export with countries such as Argentina, Serbia, and even Saudi Arabia, the JF-17 has yet to secure its first international customer.

While Bulgaria's economic situation would appear to make it a good candidate for the approximately USD30 million fighter (a comparable Western type would likely cost double this at least), its status as a NATO member would not.

As one of the alliance's newest members, Bulgaria is striving towards achieving full interoperability with its NATO partners, and indeed this is one of the primary reasons that it is looking to replace its Soviet-era MiGs and Sukhois. The JF-17 is not a NATO-compatible aircraft (although it can be upgraded to be so), and so is not a good fit for Bulgaria operationally.

Politically, such a procurement of a joint Chinese-Pakistani platform would be extremely difficult for Bulgaria, as evidenced by the reaction to Turkey's proposed procurement of the China Precision Machinery Import and Export Corp (CPMIEC) HQ-9 air and missile defence system in 2013.

That decision caused a fury, with Turkey's alliance partners saying that the Chinese system would never be integrated with NATO systems, effectively forcing a back down from the Turkish government, which is now moving away from the HQ-9 and is restarting negotiations with US and European suppliers instead.

Being a new and enthusiastic member of NATO, Bulgaria will be loath to place itself in a similar position, and for this reason primarily it would seem that a JF-17 buy is not likely to happen.

 

[C130]

How does one classify it as that?

I saw a thread with a China source saying it was 3.5gen, but the weapons and avionics would make up for that

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

I saw a thread with a China source saying it was 3.5gen, but the weapons and avionics would make up for that

Chinese have a different nomenclature ... for them Mig-35 is a 3rd gen fighter n F-22 is 4th gen.