What's new

Mirage III / V of Pakistan Air Force

1642973526061.png
 
. . . . . .
If we are inducting drones do you see the role of M3/5s becoming redundant? How do drones fit in to the calculus.
A
They may not be going fully redundant and become the dedicated stand off weapons units. Because that volume available underneath the delta lets them carry more and the inherient stability at low altitude makes them great at penetration in that sphere.
All that is needed is a strong EW pod for them and you still have a decent stand off truck to use for another 20 years or so.
 
.
They may not be going fully redundant and become the dedicated stand off weapons units. Because that volume available underneath the delta lets them carry more and the inherient stability at low altitude makes them great at penetration in that sphere.
All that is needed is a strong EW pod for them and you still have a decent stand off truck to use for another 20 years or so.
Why does it always seem like that the ROSE upgrades are to last till eternity, and our mirages do not require any further improvements, like the latest gadgets available out there to give them a real punch and a fighting chance against the enemy?
 
.
@SQ8

MEHPOD Indigenous Electronic Warfare Pod​

by Sema Susar

April 27, 2020


MEHPOD Indigenous Electronic Warfare Pod
0
SHARES


MEHPOD is an indigenous Pod System developed to provide protection and survivability of Fighters against RF Guided Threats.
Capabilities
• Electronic Protection against RF guided threats,
• Easy Integration to Fighters as a Standalone Pod
• Threat detection, classification and identification in E-J band
• RF energy transmission enabling deceptive and noise jamming techniques in a dynamic threat environment
• Tracking and jamming the threats autonomously
• Phased array antenna and solid state transmitter architecture (AESA)
• Fully programmable Mission Data File architecture
Technologies
• Instanteneous Frequency Measurement (IFM),
• High-sensitivy Superhet Digital Receiver,
• Digital RF Memory (DRFM),
• Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPA)
• Active Electronic Scanning Array (AESA),
• Aerodynamic Design with low drag index
• Qualification and Certification
• Self-contained ECS and Power Systems
mehpod.jpg
 
.
@SQ8

MEHPOD Indigenous Electronic Warfare Pod​

by Sema Susar

April 27, 2020


MEHPOD Indigenous Electronic Warfare Pod
0
SHARES


MEHPOD is an indigenous Pod System developed to provide protection and survivability of Fighters against RF Guided Threats.
Capabilities
• Electronic Protection against RF guided threats,
• Easy Integration to Fighters as a Standalone Pod
• Threat detection, classification and identification in E-J band
• RF energy transmission enabling deceptive and noise jamming techniques in a dynamic threat environment
• Tracking and jamming the threats autonomously
• Phased array antenna and solid state transmitter architecture (AESA)
• Fully programmable Mission Data File architecture
Technologies
• Instanteneous Frequency Measurement (IFM),
• High-sensitivy Superhet Digital Receiver,
• Digital RF Memory (DRFM),
• Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPA)
• Active Electronic Scanning Array (AESA),
• Aerodynamic Design with low drag index
• Qualification and Certification
• Self-contained ECS and Power Systems
mehpod.jpg
Wish to see this pod on PAF F-16s and JF-17s.
 
.
Why does it always seem like that the ROSE upgrades are to last till eternity, and our mirages do not require any further improvements, like the latest gadgets available out there to give them a real punch and a fighting chance against the enemy?
They likely will be phased out in 10-20 years but that only talks to how that platform is soo good at the strike mission that the PAF keeps it going until it finds a decent replacement.
The PAF has and can fit anything below the Mirage and it will carry it giving a smooth ride at 200ft off the deck(which even without ECM is still the best way to keep out of a SAM’s tracking radar) to the launch parameters. Because of spending time with it the engineering knowhow exists on exactly what space is available to fit what type of equipment to test and what impact it will have.

Its the same reason the IAF will continue to operate the M2k for a long time even if the -5 upgrades are the last because it offers them the most flexible,stable & mature strike platform versus even the Rafale.

So while the JF-17 comes into its own it will lag behind in terms of the legs a Mirage has and will never provide the extremely stable strike platform the Mirage is. With stabilized targeting pods and precision weapons it will get less and less important but the fatigue a pilot has to go through from being bumped around at 200ft in the planform of the JF-17 versus the Mirage wont change.
Unfortunately, opportunities to really upgrade the Mirage were missed both due to financial issues and(some say) vested interests.
@SQ8

MEHPOD Indigenous Electronic Warfare Pod​

by Sema Susar

April 27, 2020


MEHPOD Indigenous Electronic Warfare Pod
0
SHARES


MEHPOD is an indigenous Pod System developed to provide protection and survivability of Fighters against RF Guided Threats.
Capabilities
• Electronic Protection against RF guided threats,
• Easy Integration to Fighters as a Standalone Pod
• Threat detection, classification and identification in E-J band
• RF energy transmission enabling deceptive and noise jamming techniques in a dynamic threat environment
• Tracking and jamming the threats autonomously
• Phased array antenna and solid state transmitter architecture (AESA)
• Fully programmable Mission Data File architecture
Technologies
• Instanteneous Frequency Measurement (IFM),
• High-sensitivy Superhet Digital Receiver,
• Digital RF Memory (DRFM),
• Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPA)
• Active Electronic Scanning Array (AESA),
• Aerodynamic Design with low drag index
• Qualification and Certification
• Self-contained ECS and Power Systems
mehpod.jpg
these systems have been looked at and evaluated but the primary issue is budget allocations. Does it make more sense to allocate to JF-17, or J-10 or upgrade the Mirages.
Unlike its neighbors Pakistan doesn’t have huge pockets and has to choose its investments very carefully. And sometimes those making those decisions aren’t always doing it best informed or with the best(doesn’t mean they aren’t good) intentions.
 
.
Unfortunately, opportunities to really upgrade the Mirage were missed both due to financial issues and(some say) vested interest
So may be we need an authoritative think tank that can make recommendarions to the government as to which weapons procurements would be most suitable for the armed forces, think of something like RAND corporation and others in the US. Vested interest should not be allowed to tamper with the nation security of the country.
 
.
They likely will be phased out in 10-20 years but that only talks to how that platform is soo good at the strike mission that the PAF keeps it going until it finds a decent replacement.
The PAF has and can fit anything below the Mirage and it will carry it giving a smooth ride at 200ft off the deck(which even without ECM is still the best way to keep out of a SAM’s tracking radar) to the launch parameters. Because of spending time with it the engineering knowhow exists on exactly what space is available to fit what type of equipment to test and what impact it will have.

Its the same reason the IAF will continue to operate the M2k for a long time even if the -5 upgrades are the last because it offers them the most flexible,stable & mature strike platform versus even the Rafale.

So while the JF-17 comes into its own it will lag behind in terms of the legs a Mirage has and will never provide the extremely stable strike platform the Mirage is. With stabilized targeting pods and precision weapons it will get less and less important but the fatigue a pilot has to go through from being bumped around at 200ft in the planform of the JF-17 versus the Mirage wont change.
Unfortunately, opportunities to really upgrade the Mirage were missed both due to financial issues and(some say) vested interests.

these systems have been looked at and evaluated but the primary issue is budget allocations. Does it make more sense to allocate to JF-17, or J-10 or upgrade the Mirages.
Unlike its neighbors Pakistan doesn’t have huge pockets and has to choose its investments very carefully. And sometimes those making those decisions aren’t always doing it best informed or with the best(doesn’t mean they aren’t good) intentions.
The Mirage III/5 is a victim of its own versatility. Ultimately, I think only 3 countries really understood the design's true potential, in this order: Israel (1970s), South Africa (1980s), and Pakistan (2000s). I think the PAF truly understood this issue in the early 2000s when it started deploying SOWs. Then it clicked, but by then, it didn't seem to make sense to rerun the ROSE into another update so soon -- these fighters were supposed to be on the way out. Unfortunately, the true alternative never showed up.

I believe the situation could've been completely different had South Africa not been under sanctions in the 1980s. The PAF could've had an actual look at the Cheetah in the late 1980s and, in turn, slot the Mirage III/5s for a total remanufacturing upgrade. Or -- being controversial here -- if Pakistan had some type of relationship with Israel, it could've seen the Kfir up close too and start work on their own comparable project in the 1980s.

It's a shame because when the PAF was seeking a low-cost replacement for the F-6s, Dassault had offered to basically send the Mirage F-1 manufacturing line plus a massive stockpile of the ATAR 9K50C turbojet engines. We could've done some interesting stuff with both the F-1 and the Mirage III/5 in the 1990s, including deploy BVR and SOWs by 1999.
 
Last edited:
.
They may not be going fully redundant and become the dedicated stand off weapons units. Because that volume available underneath the delta lets them carry more and the inherient stability at low altitude makes them great at penetration in that sphere.
All that is needed is a strong EW pod for them and you still have a decent stand off truck to use for another 20 years or so.
If the EW pod is being done locally do you think we can induct that on the M3s?
A
 
.
If the EW pod is being done locally do you think we can induct that on the M3s?
A
Technically(from this disconnected seat) there shouldn’t be too many challenges and it could work.
 
.
Back
Top Bottom