My friend who is saying that it is a super duper fighter of the world? I am just stating the facts here -- it is a multi role fighter designed to replace fighter interceptors, strike fighters etc. in PAF which are now nearing the end of their designed lives and or any SLEP programs, except for the F-7PG and some later date ROSE upgrades!!!
Given the sanctions, reluctance of a lot of nations to sell us top line fighters in numbers, and paucity of funds, this is the best we could do!!!
We r not China, USA or India for that matter to afford mission specific aircraft! Don't have money, period. Multi Role is the way forward!! Even countries like USA are trying to narrow down number of operating types to not more than couple of front line fighters. USN at one time was flying F-14's, Phantoms, Corsairs, Skyhawks from the same deck!!!! Over a period of time and in a planned transition, a/c types were brought down now to one type F/A-18!! Btw mission has not changed!
We have F-7P/MP Airguard/Skybolt for fighter interceptor role -- nearing end of their designed lives and in essence obsolete with no capacity for upgrades after Chinese HMCS and Grifo MK II Radars etc. Optimized for Dog fighting. Prone to increasing number of crashes (44 crashed or written off! out of a supplied fleet of 129! All 6 squadrons operating the type(s) had air crashes -- so there is no maint. or training issue. Supplied 1986 to 1993)
We have F-7PG for Air Superiority role. Higher altitude performance is better then the prev. version of F-7's and with Grifo - MG radar. (6 crashed out of 57 supplied between 2001 and 2003)
Mirage III/V: Interdiction, night strike and CAS (78 a/c crashed or written off out of a total fleet of 201 -- 89 III's and 112 V's, supplied between 1967 and 2010 -- all the III's supplied after 1977 were second hand. 96 a/c were new built. Maritime strike element 32 a/c V PA-3 n DPA-2 were supplied new built between 1980 n 1983).
Successive upgrades of Mirages kept the planes on the flight line.
ROSE I (1995) included upgrades: HuD, HOTAS, FLIR, GPS, INS, MFD, SAGEM Nav/Attack sys., RWR/ECM suit, radar Altimeter and Grifo M3 radar. 45 Aust. Mirage III were upgraded to ROSE I configuration. The biggest take away from this upgrade was Look Down/Shoot Down/BVR Capability.
ROSE II: 20 ex French birds (1999), Mirage 5's were retro fitted for night time strike at low level. The retrofit included FLIR, options for advanced ECM pods, Laser rangefinder, Thermal Imaging Sensor, RWR/Counter Measures, GPS etc. Take away: Extremely Low Level night Strike.
ROSE III: 14 Ex French (Mirage VI -- 2002) and later ex Lebanese (Mirage III -- 2004) A/c were converted. Basically repeat of ROSE II but done in PAC. Take away: Precision/surgical Night Strike.
Now my friend what is lacking in JFT that these birds have and JFT does not or is not planned to? I'm no big fan of JFT but I would certainly give it time to mature as we gave time to Mirage (1967 to 2004) or for that matter F-7 to evolve to a definitive version that suited us!
Stocking of spares and sub assemblies of four different a/c types n sub types, three different types of engines (SENECMA Atar 9C, SAEF WP-7B(MB) -- F-7PM; WP-13F in F-7PG) and literally hundreds of thousands of line times multiplied by four, with two very different inventory, ordering, stocking with its own logistics SOP systems is a headache. French and Chinese systems are different. Computerized Inventory Mgmt. Systems are totally different with a completely separate methodology to inspect, replace,order, stock (MSO), with duplicity of effort at Base Repair, Depot Repair and even at Overhaul Facilities.
All this costs!!! And require tech specialists to be kept separate for each major type of a/c at Depot Repair and Logistics Supply Chain.
I'm hoping against hope that now the "Logic" is starting to dawn on you -- the current inventory of PAF is getting old fast. Number of air crashes will climb up as the air frames grow older -- it saps the morale not to speak of operational readiness of the squadrons, costs are going up to keep them up in the air.
Time to change!!!! And move on and not keep on discussing the Mirage 2000 fiasco or such other options (With all due respect to all!) We are here, circa 2015, JFT is a reality, paucity of funds is a reality (and btw no Saudi Miracle funds or Chinese largess is there), our birds are getting old fast, Indian influence on major a/c manufacturing nations is rising, and we are sanctions prone.
Take your pick! go for J-10 (Power plant issues r still there) go for J-11 (Issues with license and power plant export) or go for SU-30/35 directly from Russia (My pick -- but I think Russia is playing a game with India to get a continued engagement with Indian military orders - but lets see, I can be wrong here). But are we planning to induct 200 of these birds??? Not more than fifty or so at best given the problems with our economy. So how are we going to fill the gap of 150 or so fighters?? With Typhoons, F-35's, Block 60's, Gripen ...... dream on bro........ defies logic!!
Au revoir!
