First PAF IL-78 mid-air refueller aircraft arrives in Pakistan

[MZUBAIR]

My friend you are wrong, The Il-78M is a dedicated tanker and cannot be converted back to the transport role easily.

Congrats on getting a fuel tanker

IL-78M, which Pak got hav both capabilities of transport and Refuller..
its designed on PAF requirement.

 

[TaimiKhan]

Taimi I am basing my information based on Wikipedia - pls. check the link below & I have no intention of derailing the thread, I just wanted to correct the information.

May be the Il-78 midas ordered by pakistan does not have permanent tanks, which could be taken out to be modified as a freighter.

Ilyushin Il-78 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Don't mind but when Pakistani embers post something from this site its said to be rubbish and not fully credible, which is the fact so as its an open source, anyone can edit it and information can be old too. Best option is always to check multiple source to have more credibility of any topic, Google it and you will find sources from PAF officials and Jane's based defence analysts who are also credible ones as they have access to defence officials.

Plus, we have atleast 3-4 years when a number of aircrafts would get equipped with IRPs, till then these can be used as transporters too as PAF always looks for things which can have multiple uses too.
And the new generation is of MRTTs as what if you have 10 refullers and only 3-4 are needed at anytime for operational use, rest can be used for transport too instead making them sit idle on air bases.

Multi-role are also kind of force multipliers.

And wikipedia is never a 100% credible source, multiple sources are best.

 

[TOPGUN]

Great news.. but anynews on PAF trying to get some kc-135's for our f-16's ?

 

[PAFAce]

Taimi I am basing my information based on Wikipedia - pls. check the link below & I have no intention of derailing the thread, I just wanted to correct the information.

May be the Il-78 midas ordered by pakistan does not have permanent tanks, which could be taken out to be modified as a freighter.

Ilyushin Il-78 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Even on that Wiki article, under variants, it says:
"Il-78MP
Customized variant of the Il-78M, fitted with PS-90 engines and UPAZ refuelling pods for Pakistan Air Force. It's Tanker/transport as opposed to tanker only version, thus fulfilling the requirements of Pakistan Air Force for both transport and air refueling."
and under Operators, it says:
"Pakistan Air Force - 4 Il-78MP ordered from Ukrainian surplus aircraft stocks, fitted with PS-90 engines and UPAZ refuelling pods.[5][6] The first two aircraft are believed to have been delivered on 2 December 2008."

And here's a pretty reliable source confirming this:
Pakistan Eyes Boost in Transport, Lift - Defense News
"Though an Air Force spokesman could not verify the exact variant on order, he did confirm it was the tanker/transport and not the pure tanker version of the Midas."

Plus, we have atleast 3-4 years when a number of aircrafts would get equipped with IRPs, till then these can be used as transporters too as PAF always looks for things which can have multiple uses too.
And the new generation is of MRTTs as what if you have 10 refullers and only 3-4 are needed at anytime for operational use, rest can be used for transport too instead making them sit idle on air bases.

Multi-role are also kind of force multipliers.

Indeed. Airlift Capability shall be greatly enhanced with these 4 new IL-78s, which I am assuming, will be used for Cargo and Fuel only, not troops or personnel.

Our airlift capabilities currently stand something like this:
Heavy
~12 to 18 C-130 (at least 5 capable of troop transport)
4 CN-235 (3 troop transport, 1 VIP)
1 (+3) IL-78 (Fuel and Cargo only)
3 Boeing 707 (2 troop transport, 1 VIP)

Medium/Small/Utility
1 An-26
1 Saab 2000 (primarily for AWACs training)

If we are to assume that PAF will also purchase a Y-8 for ZDK-03 operator training, then it will be one more medium airlift aircraft. Overall, however, heavy-lift can still be improved because troop deployment between the Eastern and Western borders will now become frequent. Maybe PAF should look into purchasing a few Chinese troop-transporters soon.

 

[Barrett]

 

[BlackenTheSky]

If we got the tanker yesterday then how could have the admin of the following website uploaded pics on 9th Dec, you can clearly see the aircraft at one of the Airports in Pakistan, most probably khi.

Pakistan Air Force gets Ilyushin IL-78 MIDAS aerial refueling tanker | Pakistan News With Pakistan Ideology

that could be any ukrainian Airport

 

[Barrett]

that could be any ukrainian Airport

That has been cleared earlier, thanks

 

[notorious_eagle]

Even on that Wiki article, under variants, it says:
"Il-78MP
Customized variant of the Il-78M, fitted with PS-90 engines and UPAZ refuelling pods for Pakistan Air Force. It's Tanker/transport as opposed to tanker only version, thus fulfilling the requirements of Pakistan Air Force for both transport and air refueling."
and under Operators, it says:
"Pakistan Air Force - 4 Il-78MP ordered from Ukrainian surplus aircraft stocks, fitted with PS-90 engines and UPAZ refuelling pods.[5][6] The first two aircraft are believed to have been delivered on 2 December 2008."

And here's a pretty reliable source confirming this:
Pakistan Eyes Boost in Transport, Lift - Defense News
"Though an Air Force spokesman could not verify the exact variant on order, he did confirm it was the tanker/transport and not the pure tanker version of the Midas."


Indeed. Airlift Capability shall be greatly enhanced with these 4 new IL-78s, which I am assuming, will be used for Cargo and Fuel only, not troops or personnel.

Our airlift capabilities currently stand something like this:
Heavy
~12 to 18 C-130 (at least 5 capable of troop transport)
4 CN-235 (3 troop transport, 1 VIP)
1 (+3) IL-78 (Fuel and Cargo only)
3 Boeing 707 (2 troop transport, 1 VIP)

Medium/Small/Utility
1 An-26
1 Saab 2000 (primarily for AWACs training)

If we are to assume that PAF will also purchase a Y-8 for ZDK-03 operator training, then it will be one more medium airlift aircraft. Overall, however, heavy-lift can still be improved because troop deployment between the Eastern and Western borders will now become frequent. Maybe PAF should look into purchasing a few Chinese troop-transporters soon.

From what i know those birds are designed specifically for Electronic Warfare and are not involved in transport responsabilities.

 

[Kompromat]

Here we go!

 

[owais.usmani]

Here we go!

photoshop of an Indian tanker.

 

[ice_man]

one question is the IL78 capable of all weather day night flying & refueling?

& will our C130 pilots be the ones flying this new beast?

 

[air marshal]

Here we go!

Here in resolution

 

[Arsalan]

her is the footage of new break:

regards!

 

[Lankan Ranger]

First PAF IL-78 mid-air refueller aircraft arrives in Pakistan

The first Air-to-Air Refueler aircraft of Pakistan Air Force out of total four has arrived on an operational Air Base of the country, a spokesman of PAF here Saturday said. In a press statement the spokesman said, the delivery of remaining three Refueler aircraft is planned to complete by mid-2010.

By virtue of its capability to refuel Air Defence aircraft in air, PAF’s overall potential in terms of its effectiveness to defend the airspace of Pakistan would be significantly enhanced, he added. After attaining the facility, Pakistan Air Force has formally joined the rank of those developed air forces which have already the air refilling system. An expert of the aviation industry welcomed this induction in PAF saying this is a force-multiplier ability as the strength of the existing number of fighter jets would atleast be doubled, straightaway.

From:ASIAN DEFENCE: PAF gets IL-78 mid-air refueller aircraft

 

[TOPGUN]

The big question still remains for our f-16's ? any rumors,thoughts etc?