I think the 5th gen Azm could be a lot cheaper and simpler than past 5th gen aircraft. This is because:
1. Technologies have matured and do not need to be reinvented
2. Pakistan can use the spare parts train of China
3. A less ambitious design that focuses on reasonable performance rather than trying to build the next uber stealth design.
4. Cooperation with China, perhaps the rival delta design from Chengdu to the J-31
Bilal Khan shared an interesting picture of a shield presented. If you look closely, it looks like a pure delta with canted twin tails. Perhaps the most ideal, bang for the bucks, stealth design.
A simple KISS philosophy would result in the following design choices:
1. Borrow the spare parts of the J-31, the entire front nose to cockpit section.
2. Borrow the landing gearing and other parts from the J-31 (as it will be a similar weight class design)
3. Borrow avionics and radar from Chinese industry
4. No need for a full internal weapons bay, just conformally carried weapons, semi-recessed, under the belly.
5. Basic stealth features, aim should be an RCS of 0.1m2
6. Focus on getting IRST / EOTS / DAS as this is key to anti-stealth air combat.
For missiles - use what is available in China or South Africa / Brazil. Give Denel a sweet temptation deal - give TOT for seeker technology and PAF will go with the A Darter.
Use that deal to build a thorough SAM complex for ground forces and for ships.
Once you have seeker technology you can actually update to an IRST (early IRSTs where just SRAAM seekers).
Use FCS of the Chengdu delta rival design to F-31. Keep a simple delta design without canards, but with LERX and thrust vectoring, and a V tail. Would be a Mirage-2000 on steroids or a mini F-23.
With the KISS fighter, you should be able to have a ready for production design in 5 years. There is no reason why this can't be achieved. Main delay with JF-17 was Zardari / Bhutto and later the PAF brown sahib, kiss-white-man-backside "F-16 mafia". As a poster in Pakdef PShamim once pointed out, many of them made a lot of money from basically betraying their country.
Move on to the Attack helicopter problem. This is a COIN / CAS problem essentially. Two main scenarios:
1. Balochistan / PK where you need CAS / COIN like the US needs in Afghanistan. Incidentally, the best platform for this for the US was not the Apache but the A-10 Thunderbolt. This is because a plane can stay longer, have greater payload / armor than a helicopter, and are cheaper to purchase and run on a cpfh basis. At the same time, the A-10 could cover the troops for a long time, hanging up there, while other aircraft just came and left. The US grunts loved the A-10.
2. Defending against "Cold Start" basically a big blunder by a Hindutva extremist government. The only possibility of an armored thrust is between the desert and the fixed defences around Lahore sector. Here is where an armored battle will take place, and India is not only buying lots of more tanks, but a huge number of other armored vehicles. This is a serious threat despite nukes - a Nawaz government may not have the balls to use tactical nukes.
For thwarting an armored combined arms thrust, with SAM units and Apache and other attack helicopters, again, the best solution is NOT an attack helicopter. Attack helicopters are by design slower, with giant radar returns and will be hunted down by SAMs and the top radar equiped Apaches.
So what is the solution? Here me out:
If PA cannot get an attack helicopter, it can easily get an A-10 equivalent. According to a very senior LM / US mil person, the best replacement for the A-10 is the basic form of the British SABA. A relatively simple but sturdy plane, designed to counter an armored thrust in Europe, while fighting of attack helicopters.
This can easily be built in Pakistan as the design is very simple and the parts, surprisingly, are easily available. VIZ:
1. The SABA is a single seat, single turboprop engined plane, with a pusher propeller, unlike other CAS turboprops, and more like a UAV design. This gives its enhanced survivability (engines are hiding behind like the A-10) while higher speeds (harder for IAF / SAMs to shoot down)
2. An engine of the class required is already produced by Ukraine, and is a highly mature and tested system, and would be cheap, given the economic condition there.
3. Use the Cirit as the major weapon system. Studies show that the 2.75 rockets can replace guns for basic CAS / COIN work and be highly effective.
4. Use the parts bin of the Chinese industry.
Cost for such a plane could easily be as little as 7 million USD and a major portion of this going to the local economy and in local currency.
The aircraft would be survivable and have STOL performance, meaning they can be based on semi-prepared runways, roads, flat fields.
Because of the inherent superiority of airplanes to helicopters in speed, range and loiter, they would easily overcome Indian attack helicopters and be Ababeels for any armored "cold" start.
