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Dubai Airshow 2011

Air force dropped 10,600 bombs in two years: Qamar

15 November, 2011



DUBAI: Pakistan Air Force chief has outlined details of airpower's role in a three-year-old campaign waged against Taliban insurgents entrenched in the northwest tribal areas, reports Flight Global.

Speaking at the Dubai International Air Chiefs' Conference, Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman confirmed for the first time the role played by the air force's Lockheed Martin F-16s and specially-equipped Lockheed C-130s.

Until August 2008, Pakistan's air force had no experience in participating in counter-insurgency operations. The role had previously been dominated by the army's artillery and helicopters.

Believing the range and precision of the air force's new F-16 fleet could yield better results, the air force embarked on a rapid learning curve. The air force acquired Goodrich DB-110 targeting pods for F-16s and fitted C-130s with FLIR Systems Brite Star II and Star Safire III sensors, Suleman said.

The fighters in August 2008 launched a bombardment against a newly discovered Taliban stronghold of about 200 fighters in the small village of Loe Sam, Suleman said. The Pakistani Air Force later applied a number of lessons from the Loe Sam operation on a subsequent campaign against major Taliban positions in the Swat valley.

Among the lessons was the need to monitor and strike mountain passes that could be used as escape routes for the displaced Taliban fighters, Suleman said. In the first two years of counter-insurgency operations, the air force conducted more than 5,500 strike sorties, dropped 10,600 bombs and hit 4,600 targets, Suleman said.

AINONLINE adds the commander of the PAF described some lessons learned to the air chiefs' conference. The need for good airborne reconnaissance was paramount, said Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleiman.

When the Army launched large-scale operations in the remote Federally Administered Tribal Areas in August 2008, the PAF had to rely on Google Earth imagery when planning air support missions, Suleiman admitted.

However, by the time that the army was ready to move against insurgents in the Swat valley in May 2009, the PAF had acquired Goodrich DB-110 electro-optical reconnaissance pods for its F-16 fighters, together with the same company's ground station for imagery exploitation. Intelligence analysts could now identify terrorist training camps, ammunition dumps and command and control facilities. Some of these targets were well camouflaged and protected by bunkers, Suleiman noted.

Two days before the ground offensive was launched, the PAF launched a series of interdiction missions and followed up with close air support throughout the six-month campaign. From the imagery collected by the PAF, the army was also able to identify suitable landing zones for the airdrops of commandos.

In these mountainous regions, airpower was best delivered from medium altitude by fast jets, Suleiman said. "The army has lost many attack helicopters due to their operating limitations at high elevations and [due to] hostile fire," he noted. Fighters could also react more quickly to developing combat situations.

When the army turned its attention to South Waziristan in October 2009, the PAF conducted a seven-day campaign in advance. By now, the service had added FLIR Systems Star Safire III EO/IR sensor ball to one of its C-130 transports. Army staff on board the C-130 was able to track the movement of terrorists at night and radio maneuvering instructions to soldiers on the ground.

The PAF has completely overhauled its tactics and techniques for the conduct of irregular warfare, Suleiman said. All of the squadrons were put through a training program over a four-month period. Laser-guided bombs have been used in 80 percent of the PAF strikes, the PAF chief revealed.

Avoiding collateral damage was a primary concern, he explained, "especially since we were engaging targets within our own country. We engage isolated structures only, away from populated areas."

More than 10,600 bombs have been dropped and 4,600 targets destroyed, he said. The PAF has flown more than 500 F-16 sorties with the DB-110 pod, and 650 with the Star Safire EO/IR sensor on the C-130.

The statistics may impress but while Suleiman claimed that "we've broken the back of militants in the Fata," he also warned that offensive military engagement could only accomplish" 10 to 15 percent" of the task of pacifying the tribal areas. The rest must be done by dialogue, winning hearts and minds through economic development of these very poor regions, he said.

In his presentation, Air Chief Marshall did not mention the Selex Galileo Falco UAV. However, Pakistan was the first customer for the reconnaissance drone, which carries the Anglo-Italian company's own electro-optical/infrared sensor ball.

Suleiman later told AIN that there had been problems with the UAV's data link, caused partly by terrain masking. "Then we put in a relay station and started flying it higher, so now we are using it more," he continued.

Courtesy: The News
 
i havent pointed out anyone be name [and that is being tolerant] but thanks for pointing me out :tup:eventhough most of the pics i uploaded were from translated french and indonasian forums-- which were later uploaded to blogs and then reposted here by members

lol it may be coz its really hard to remember so many names as atleast a dozen members have done so....but i wasn't pointing at you neither was i directive ...it was just to calm down some nerves -if any.
 
Air force dropped 10,600 bombs in two years: Qamar

15 November, 2011



DUBAI: Pakistan Air Force chief has outlined details of airpower's role in a three-year-old campaign waged against Taliban insurgents entrenched in the northwest tribal areas, reports Flight Global.

Speaking at the Dubai International Air Chiefs' Conference, Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman confirmed for the first time the role played by the air force's Lockheed Martin F-16s and specially-equipped Lockheed C-130s.

Until August 2008, Pakistan's air force had no experience in participating in counter-insurgency operations. The role had previously been dominated by the army's artillery and helicopters.

Believing the range and precision of the air force's new F-16 fleet could yield better results, the air force embarked on a rapid learning curve. The air force acquired Goodrich DB-110 targeting pods for F-16s and fitted C-130s with FLIR Systems Brite Star II and Star Safire III sensors, Suleman said.

The fighters in August 2008 launched a bombardment against a newly discovered Taliban stronghold of about 200 fighters in the small village of Loe Sam, Suleman said. The Pakistani Air Force later applied a number of lessons from the Loe Sam operation on a subsequent campaign against major Taliban positions in the Swat valley.

Among the lessons was the need to monitor and strike mountain passes that could be used as escape routes for the displaced Taliban fighters, Suleman said. In the first two years of counter-insurgency operations, the air force conducted more than 5,500 strike sorties, dropped 10,600 bombs and hit 4,600 targets, Suleman said.

AINONLINE adds the commander of the PAF described some lessons learned to the air chiefs' conference. The need for good airborne reconnaissance was paramount, said Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleiman.

When the Army launched large-scale operations in the remote Federally Administered Tribal Areas in August 2008, the PAF had to rely on Google Earth imagery when planning air support missions, Suleiman admitted.

However, by the time that the army was ready to move against insurgents in the Swat valley in May 2009, the PAF had acquired Goodrich DB-110 electro-optical reconnaissance pods for its F-16 fighters, together with the same company's ground station for imagery exploitation. Intelligence analysts could now identify terrorist training camps, ammunition dumps and command and control facilities. Some of these targets were well camouflaged and protected by bunkers, Suleiman noted.

Two days before the ground offensive was launched, the PAF launched a series of interdiction missions and followed up with close air support throughout the six-month campaign. From the imagery collected by the PAF, the army was also able to identify suitable landing zones for the airdrops of commandos.

In these mountainous regions, airpower was best delivered from medium altitude by fast jets, Suleiman said. "The army has lost many attack helicopters due to their operating limitations at high elevations and [due to] hostile fire," he noted. Fighters could also react more quickly to developing combat situations.

When the army turned its attention to South Waziristan in October 2009, the PAF conducted a seven-day campaign in advance. By now, the service had added FLIR Systems Star Safire III EO/IR sensor ball to one of its C-130 transports. Army staff on board the C-130 was able to track the movement of terrorists at night and radio maneuvering instructions to soldiers on the ground.

The PAF has completely overhauled its tactics and techniques for the conduct of irregular warfare, Suleiman said. All of the squadrons were put through a training program over a four-month period. Laser-guided bombs have been used in 80 percent of the PAF strikes, the PAF chief revealed.

Avoiding collateral damage was a primary concern, he explained, "especially since we were engaging targets within our own country. We engage isolated structures only, away from populated areas."

More than 10,600 bombs have been dropped and 4,600 targets destroyed, he said. The PAF has flown more than 500 F-16 sorties with the DB-110 pod, and 650 with the Star Safire EO/IR sensor on the C-130.

The statistics may impress but while Suleiman claimed that "we've broken the back of militants in the Fata," he also warned that offensive military engagement could only accomplish" 10 to 15 percent" of the task of pacifying the tribal areas. The rest must be done by dialogue, winning hearts and minds through economic development of these very poor regions, he said.

In his presentation, Air Chief Marshall did not mention the Selex Galileo Falco UAV. However, Pakistan was the first customer for the reconnaissance drone, which carries the Anglo-Italian company's own electro-optical/infrared sensor ball.

Suleiman later told AIN that there had been problems with the UAV's data link, caused partly by terrain masking. "Then we put in a relay station and started flying it higher, so now we are using it more," he continued.

Courtesy: The News

I have 1 confusion if any 1 can clerify it...

Is our Air Cheif marketing BD110 targeting pods...i mean how did this came in discussion...did any 1 questioned him...he only spoke abt f16 role and targeting pods in detail and nothing else...abt other aircraft or future capabilities.

specifically putting detils abt this...

its so confusing...
 
Yaar Mani itni bari video post ki hai tum nay :D kahan tak daikhoon ... Thanks buddy
 
In Arabic forum the JF-17 is officially now known as "The Islamic Jet" lol.

The convos are like this "You can clearly see The Muslim jet rate of climb on this video yada yada" And "The Muslim Jet can carry these weapons yada yada" lol

@Mosamania your comment really made my day. I hope this Jet lives up to this name, over the course of it's lifespan. I personally feel that it's a huge mistake that many Muslim countries in the Middle East/Western Asiatic region either have compromised US-origin fleets, or really outdated Soviet-era aircraft. As an Egyptian brother said in the previous pages - if you arm yourself with weapons from your enemy's best friend(USA), you can't really pick&choose.

The JF17 offers an affordable, AND highly effective aircraft. China's latest frontline weapons suite is integrated with the aircraft, and their weapons are pretty advanced. The SD-10B BVR missile has better performance characteristics than Russian R-77s, even Janes(which is a western source) reported that they considered the missile to be at par with slightly older AIM-120C AMRAAMs, but behind the latest AIM-120Ds that they are developing. A HUGE advantage though, is that this BVR missile isn't likely to freeze up if Israel tries to pull some stunt. The lethal capability these aircraft offer, must enter the risk-reward calculus of any would-be aggressor. Behind all the media hype Israel creates around itself, they really are cowards who never come to a fair fight, where there's a real risk they might get beaten too.

We saw this for ourselves, when they came to attack Pakistan's nuclear plants at Kahuta, but saw we were prepared(Saudi AWACS had detected them over the Indian Ocean, and warned us) and chickened out and stayed on the Indian side of the border. Perhaps they still remember the 100% kill-ratio Pakistani pilots achieved against Israel in previous Arab-Israeli wars(shot down all Israeli aircraft engaged, without loosing a single one).
 
2015796.jpg
 
@Mosamania your comment really made my day. I hope this Jet lives up to this name, over the course of it's lifespan. I personally feel that it's a huge mistake that many Muslim countries in the Middle East/Western Asiatic region either have compromised US-origin fleets, or really outdated Soviet-era aircraft. As an Egyptian brother said in the previous pages - if you arm yourself with weapons from your enemy's best friend(USA), you can't really pick&choose.

The JF17 offers an affordable, AND highly effective aircraft. China's latest frontline weapons suite is integrated with the aircraft, and their weapons are pretty advanced. The SD-10B BVR missile has better performance characteristics than Russian R-77s, even Janes(which is a western source) reported that they considered the missile to be at par with slightly older AIM-120C AMRAAMs, but behind the latest AIM-120Ds that they are developing. A HUGE advantage though, is that this BVR missile isn't likely to freeze up if Israel tries to pull some stunt. The lethal capability these aircraft offer, must enter the risk-reward calculus of any would-be aggressor. Behind all the media hype Israel creates around itself, they really are cowards who never come to a fair fight, where there's a real risk they might get beaten too.

We saw this for ourselves, when they came to attack Pakistan's nuclear plants at Kahuta, but saw we were prepared(Saudi AWACS had detected them over the Indian Ocean, and warned us) and chickened out and stayed on the Indian side of the border. Perhaps they still remember the 100% kill-ratio Pakistani pilots achieved against Israel in previous Arab-Israeli wars(shot down all Israeli aircraft engaged, without loosing a single one).

Thanks buddy, But believe me by raising such points you are actually inviting Trolls here. so better not to discuss these thing here. let it be Dubai Air Show thread.
Thank you
 
@Mosamania your comment really made my day. I hope this Jet lives up to this name, over the course of it's lifespan. I personally feel that it's a huge mistake that many Muslim countries in the Middle East/Western Asiatic region either have compromised US-origin fleets, or really outdated Soviet-era aircraft. As an Egyptian brother said in the previous pages - if you arm yourself with weapons from your enemy's best friend(USA), you can't really pick&choose.

The JF17 offers an affordable, AND highly effective aircraft. China's latest frontline weapons suite is integrated with the aircraft, and their weapons are pretty advanced. The SD-10B BVR missile has better performance characteristics than Russian R-77s, even Janes(which is a western source) reported that they considered the missile to be at par with slightly older AIM-120C AMRAAMs, but behind the latest AIM-120Ds that they are developing. A HUGE advantage though, is that this BVR missile isn't likely to freeze up if Israel tries to pull some stunt. The lethal capability these aircraft offer, must enter the risk-reward calculus of any would-be aggressor. Behind all the media hype Israel creates around itself, they really are cowards who never come to a fair fight, where there's a real risk they might get beaten too.

We saw this for ourselves, when they came to attack Pakistan's nuclear plants at Kahuta, but saw we were prepared(Saudi AWACS had detected them over the Indian Ocean, and warned us) and chickened out and stayed on the Indian side of the border. Perhaps they still remember the 100% kill-ratio Pakistani pilots achieved against Israel in previous Arab-Israeli wars(shot down all Israeli aircraft engaged, without loosing a single one).

Where is the Arabic forum? Can anyone further elaborate?
 

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