JF-17 Sales opportunity in Turkey. Just an opinion:
Turkey is now effectively in a long drawn military campaign in a highly contested airspace. In addition, its opponents now have anti-aircraft capabilities. One of its potential opponents is the US. With Turkish F-16s using FOF from NATO, it may not be able to target US aircraft.
Furthermore, with bugs found in Turkish F-16s, capabilities may be switched off or degraded.
Other points:
1. Due to the long nature of the war, high end platforms like the F-16 will quickly gain fatigue.
2. Turkish F-16s are ageing already, so this is doubly a concern
In this situation, the JF-17 is near ideal for ground pounding and self-defence. PAF may be able to give a squadron out of its own inventory or lease 2 squadrons.
This would drastically help the Turkish effort and be a cost effective solution, while saving F-16 airframes for a greater potential conflict.
Wish the PAF was more proactive in its marketing. OR perhaps it is and I am just not aware. Or perhaps someone like Mastan Khan can shed some light. He would be an ideal sales agent for the JF-17 with his sales background.
Turkey seriously needs sustained close air support. And fast, as the war is progressing at pace.
I think the attack helicopters are not doing as effective a job as envisioned, because they are slower and easier to shoot with manpads and increasingly more sophisticated air defenses. They would also be a sitting duck if challenged by a jet.
I think its something to think about. Don't you think?