F-16 Block 15MLU/50/52 Fighter

[Shahin-e-Iqbal]

MUMBAI: A crisis has been brewing in the Indian Air Force and it's about to blow up in the face of the government. The Indian Air Force (IAF) top brass has informed the Union Government that if corrective measures are not taken immediately, India will lose its air superiority over Pakistan.

"Unless immediate steps are taken to arrest the reduction in Indian Air Force's force levels, the nation will for the first time in its history, lose the conventional military edge over Pakistan."

This is a what the three-page letter of warning, written by Air Chief Marshall Tyagi to Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, says.

A copy of the letter, which has raised serious concerns over the declining combat force level of the IAF, is available with CNN-IBN.

In his letter, the Air Chief Marshall writes, "Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is being beefed up with 44 F16s from America. They have a clearly defined goal of attaining parity with the IAF. With China supplying J 10 and JF 17 aircraft (fitted with Russian engines), PAF force levels of combat squadron will increase."

"Unless steps are taken to move ahead with procurement, the IAF's combat strength will deplete to a level, which would entirely neutralise the conventional superiority held by IAF since our Independence. PAF will have 19 to 26 squadrons by 2011-12, while the IAF could reduce to 26.5 by 2015."
http://www.thenews.com.pk/update_detail.asp?id=10468

 

[Neo]

Pakistan, U.S. sign letter of acceptance for F-16s

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan and United States have signed a letter of acceptance for a multi-billion dollar package to supply the Pakistan Air Force with F-16 warplanes, an air force spokesman said on Monday.
A signing ceremony was held on Saturday in Rawalpindi, the northern Pakistani city were the military is headquartered, he said.

Both sides had expected to wrap up the deal a month earlier, but negotiations dragged on because of strings Washington wanted attached.

A statement issued by the Pakistan Air Force, however, did not mention what conditions were being set by the United States on use and maintenance of the planes.

It said that the United States will supply 18 new F-16 aircraft, as well as an unspecified number of upgraded second-hand F-16s. Previous reports have said the number of second hand aircraft Pakistan was considering buying was 26.

The United States will also sell Pakistan missile weaponry and other support infrastructure, and upgrade Pakistan's present fleet of 34 old-model F-16s.

Lockheed Martin Corp builds the F-16, but Boeing Co., Raytheon Co, Northrop-Gumman Corp and General Electric Co., are other principal contractors involved in the deal.

The Bush administration formally notified Congress on June 28 of plans to sell Pakistan the "Fighting Falcon" warplanes.

But it had also sought unprecedented guarantees to stop the technology of the advanced F-16s, their spare parts and munitions from falling into the hands of third countries -- notably China, which has close military ties to Pakistan.

John Hillen, the Assistant Secretary of State for political-military affairs, told Congress on July 20 the United States had, among other things, proposed that F-16 flights outside Pakistani air space, including for exercises with other countries, must be approved by the U.S. government in advance.

Hillen, in his testimony to the House of Representatives' International Relations Committee, also disclosed that the United States was withholding unspecified technologies "that would usually go with an F-16," including ones that would let it "be used in offensive ways to penetrate air space of another country that was highly defended."

In his testimony, Hillen highlighted that Pakistan's F-16 fleet and its munitions would be segregated from aircraft supplied by other countries, so that unauthorized engineers could not get access to the U.S.-made planes.

He also said U.S. personnel would carry out inventories of the F-16s and their associated systems every six months.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061002/pl_nm/arms_pakistan_usa_dc_1

 

[Neo]

Guys,
Any news about the armament and electronic suite?
Have the differences been sorted out with Washington?

 

[Quwa]

Guys,
Any news about the armament and electronic suite?
Have the differences been sorted out with Washington?

The weapon systems are high end - AIM-120C5 & JDAM; the only problem is DRFM, which I think will be solved by the end of this decade.

 

[Kaiser]

It has been confirmed by the ACM that the F-16 will come with everything including the ew suite, AIM-120 C5, Sidewinder (x?), and JDAMS

 

[vijay dahiya]

but when the paf will get the goddamm planes??
have u any specific date or year ?

 

[Tajammul Khan]

What about the talk of the RWR having a pre installed library and not being able to give warning if the plane is locked by nato aircraft in india case the jauguars and Mirage 2000s.

Has this issue been resolved???

 

[Bull]

What about the talk of the RWR having a pre installed library and not being able to give warning if the plane is locked by nato aircraft in india case the jauguars and Mirage 2000s.

Has this issue been resolved???

Or probably its a ploy to make India buy the F18s.

 

[Quwa]

but when the paf will get the goddamm planes??
have u any specific date or year ?

The used F-16A/Bs can be expected to arrive before 2008; the new F-16C/Ds will likely be delivered late 2008 or early 2009 - while the rest by 2011.

What about the talk of the RWR having a pre installed library and not being able to give warning if the plane is locked by nato aircraft in india case the jauguars and Mirage 2000s.

Has this issue been resolved???

I am not sure on why one would put a NATO-secret on a non-NATO fighter aircraft; remember, lock-on and engagement systems are part of IFFs. The Indian Air Force would be programming its aircraft with their own IFF - NOT NATO's.

 

[blain2]

What about the talk of the RWR having a pre installed library and not being able to give warning if the plane is locked by nato aircraft in india case the jauguars and Mirage 2000s.

Has this issue been resolved???

This was never an issue. The F-16s will come with proper IFF library and EW pods (integrated ones). The issue was the offensive capability of the EW pods. The pod that Pakistan is receiving does not have DRFM which comes in handy during offensive AOs.

Pakistan has other European options aside from the US made DRFM capability so this is not a huge issue. The primary concern was with regards to the restrictions placed on the usage of the aircraft. Those have been worked out b/w PAF and the US authorities.

 

[KashifAsrar]

Govt goes into huddle on Pak military might

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi: Barely three days after Washington and Islamabad resolved their differences over the proposed F-16 fighter package to the latter, cabinet secretary B K Chaturvedi has summoned a meeting to discuss Pakistan’s war-waging potential.
The high-level meeting to discuss ‘‘enhancement of Pakistan’s war capability’’ and the threat it poses to India is likely to be held on Wednesday, with presentations being made to the cabinet secretary.
Faced with a declining combat ratio with Pakistan, the armed forces have called for urgent steps to ensure that their long-standing conventional military superiority is not eroded any further.
It’s well known that Pakistan, with the help of China and North Korea, has taken major strides in the field of nuclear weapons and missiles. Pakistan’s 750-km range Shaheen-I and 1,500-km Ghauri-I ballistic missiles, for instance, are basically derivatives of the Chinese M-9 and North Korean Nodong missiles respectively.
The defence establishment here, of course, is also worried about the conventional edge. ‘‘Unless immediate steps are taken to arrest the reduction in IAF’s force levels, the nation will for the first time in its history lose the conventional military edge over Pakistan,’’ Air Chief Marshal S P Tyagi cautioned in a recent letter to defence minister Pranab Mukherjee.
Similarly, Army estimates show India enjoys only a slight edge over Pakistan now. Consider this: The combat ratio during the 1971 war was 1.75:1 in India’s favour. But it declined to 1.56:1 by 1990, and now stands at only 1.22:1.
Though the immediate provocation for the meeting is not clear, it comes after the US and Pakistan over the weekend resolved their differences over the $5-billion military package.
Shifting Balance
Combat Ratio (In India’s Favour)
1971 war
1.8:1
1990
1.6:1
Now
1.2:1
Indian Air Force:
Rapidly declining number of fighter squadrons
PAF:
More F-16s from US; JF-17 ‘Thunder’ jets and J-10 fighters from China
Indian Navy:
Scorpene submarine project yet to fully kick off. 6 subs to be inducted between 2012 and 2017
Pakistan Navy:
Has inducted two Agosta-90B submarines, armed with Harpoon and Exocet missiles, with another on the way




Pak stealing India’s thunder

New Delhi: It’s no surprise that the Army is pushing for a rapid overall modernisation drive to ensure ‘‘credible conventional deterrence’’ against Pakistan. It’s particularly worried about shortfalls in fields like self-propelled and air defence artillery guns; night-fighting capabilities and attack helicopters; weapon-locating and battlefield surveillance radars; earlywarning devices and electronic warfare systems.
The Indian Navy, of course, enjoys much-greater superiority over its Pakistan counterpart. But it, too, is concerned about its aging submarine fleet, with the long-delayed 18,798-crore Scorpene project to construct six submarines between 2012 and 2017 only now poised to take off. Pakistan, in contrast, has already inducted two Agosta-90B submarines, built with French help and armed with Harpoon and Exocet missiles, with another one on the way.
The package to Pakistan includes 36 or more advanced F-16s, apart from upgradation of the 32 F-16s already present in Pakistan’s combat fleet. It also includes a deadly munitions package, including beyond-visual range missiles.
Pakistan is also on course to acquire a large number of JF-17 ‘Thunder’ fighters jointly developed with China, apart from more J-10 fighters.
On the other hand, as reported earlier by TOI, IAF is faced with a rapidly-depleting number of fighter squadrons (each has 12 to 18 jets). It now stands at 32-33 when the sanctioned strength is 39.5 squadrons.
Unless India takes urgent steps to boost IAF’s combat fleet, it will deplete to 26.5 squadrons by 2015, while Pakistan is progressively adding to its existing strength of 26 squadrons.
The IAF is worried about the delay in issuing the RFPs (request for proposals) for the $6.5-billion contract to procure 126 MRCA, for which the contenders are the Russian MiG-35, French Rafale, Swedish JAS-39 Gripen, Eurofighter Typhoon and, of course, the American F/A-18 ‘‘Super Hornets’’ and F-16 ‘‘Falcons’’. It might take another five-six years for the actual contract to be signed and another four-five years after that for the fighter deliveries to commence.

 

[sigatoka]

I dont see how a few F-16's is going to dramatically alter the balance between the two nations. The F-16's and the addition of FC-1's is going to alter the air balance such that the gap between the two is narrowed unless the Indian's commit to acquiring at least another 50 Su-27's over next five years.

The Indian's have wasted lot of effort, time and resources on failed projects such as their LCA and Arjun tanks while the Pak's have squeezed out every dollar from their comparable joint projects with China.

 

[Owais]

I dont see how a few F-16's is going to dramatically alter the balance between the two nations. The F-16's and the addition of FC-1's is going to alter the air balance such that the gap between the two is narrowed unless the Indian's commit to acquiring at least another 50 Su-27's over next five years.
.

There will be about 96 F-16s(60MLU + 36Blk52+), not few. Also, IAF has 0 su27 . right now they are looking for 126 MRCA (F-18, Mg 35, F-16).

 

[Kaiser]

There will be about 96 F-16s(60MLU + 36Blk52+), not few. Also, IAF has 0 su27 . right now they are looking for 126 MRCA (F-18, Mg 35, F-16).

Actually PAF wants 110 F-16 on order by the end of the decade. Also you will see JF-17's and J-10 all data-linked with Eireye

If a force of 110 F-16's equiped with Sidewinder and AIM-120C5, 150 JF-17's equiped with A-Darter and SD-10, and 75 J-10 equiped with Pl-9c dont pose a threat to the IAF then I dont know what does

Also dont bring the mki into discussion since there radar threat is under conrtol thanks to the new eireyes and maybe future chinese AWAC systems

 

[Quwa]

I dont see how a few F-16's is going to dramatically alter the balance between the two nations. The F-16's and the addition of FC-1's is going to alter the air balance such that the gap between the two is narrowed unless the Indian's commit to acquiring at least another 50 Su-27's over next five years.

Well even with the JF-17s, F-16s and J-10s the IAF will still retain its edge; however it will not be the recognizable edge it has today. For the basics, the PAF will have BVR and WVR+HMS capability; as well as precision-guided air-to-surface and datalink capability. Then on the more important scale - Pakistan's geographical size gives the PAF deeper concentration than the IAF would have in India. With all the same capabilities and technology as IAF - there is very little chance that the IAF would gain substantial air superiority in Pakistan.