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Capabilities of PAF Dassault MIRAGE-III/V.

Should Pakistan upgrade its Mirages to South African Cheetah standard if not Beyond?

  • Yes

    Votes: 181 59.0%
  • No

    Votes: 126 41.0%

  • Total voters
    307
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Reality

 
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I think this may boil down to 2 issues: (1) the PAF itself didn't expect the Mirage III/5 to endure for this long and (2) the PAF didn't foresee its air-launched strike capabilities evolving to the extent that it did in the last 10-15 years. Generally, a SOW strike was likely a very limited (in scale) tool, but now, large-scale SOW employment is a difference-maker that could buy the PAF valuable time and space in a conflict. The current ASR of the NGFA clearly asks for a very capable strike platform. IMO, "deep strike" (via SOW, large platforms, etc) will be the new "next thing" the PAF will seek moving forward (as it had for BVR a couple decades back).

If the PAF could run it back, I think it would have pursued a Cheetah-type project back in the mid-1990s (instead of ROSE) across 100+ airframes so as to build a large deep-strike capability.

Yes, it seemed the development of our SOW capability moved so fast that all we require are just decent platforms as carriers, the sophistication and capability are all in the missile, in the early 90-s this was not the case.
 
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Yes, it seemed the development of our SOW capability moved so fast that all we require are just decent platforms as carriers, the sophistication and capability are all in the missile, in the early 90-s this was not the case.
Yea, and SOWs may be scalable and relatively low cost too. I'm thinking about the IREKs. They aren't fancy, but could get the job done at 60-100 km with Mk83s. The more platforms available to carry those the better.
 
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Yea, and SOWs may be scalable and relatively low cost too. I'm thinking about the IREKs. They aren't fancy, but could get the job done at 60-100 km with Mk83s. The more platforms available to carry those the better.

What about the Indian bases deeper inside Central India? Mkis in particular have a large fuel carrying capacity and might not need to fly from bases an 80-100 km radius from the border. Or were you referring to using guided bombs to neutralize air-defense layers pitched against PAF fighters in the immediate vicinity of IB to provide PAF with the flexibility to lob their longer ranged payloads from within the Indian territory?
 
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I think this may boil down to 2 issues: (1) the PAF itself didn't expect the Mirage III/5 to endure for this long and (2) the PAF didn't foresee its air-launched strike capabilities evolving to the extent that it did in the last 10-15 years. Generally, a SOW strike was likely a very limited (in scale) tool, but now, large-scale SOW employment is a difference-maker that could buy the PAF valuable time and space in a conflict. The current ASR of the NGFA clearly asks for a very capable strike platform. IMO, "deep strike" (via SOW, large platforms, etc) will be the new "next thing" the PAF will seek moving forward (as it had for BVR a couple decades back).

If the PAF could run it back, I think it would have pursued a Cheetah-type project back in the mid-1990s (instead of ROSE) across 100+ airframes so as to build a large deep-strike capability.
@denel. 👆
Oh the missed opportunity...
 
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I don't disagree with that, but I still wonder... it's been a while since KT tested it in dive mode. PAC has a full overhaul facility for the SNECMA. Have they made any mods? Who knows. I'm just speculating.
Only for ATAR9C. PAC does not have the capability to modify them in any sense. They are doing what is done at the MRO i-e strip the engine, inspect, overhaul and replace worn out parts such as bearing, shafts etc. We do not have the metallurgical expertise to manufacture compressor or turbine blades.
PAC would not be able to do much with a ATAR9k (Mirage F1) engine let alone M53 or M88.
 
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In 1970, a Pakistani Mirage 3 was in California undergoing flight testing of a new compact infrared scanner intended as a low-altitude target acquisition sensor. It was meant for target acquisition for low flying targets that the radar would not be able to detect or track due to ground clutter. The sensor was itself housed on top front of the weapon pylon launching rail (way ahead of its time in some sense) and was cooled using liquid nitrogen. It was developed by Varadyne Systems.

Anyone has access to the Nov 2, 1970 issue of AW&ST to post more details and better pictures?

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