Last time when we were inducting JF-17s in the late 2000s, we were all expecting to have J-10s by 2014. Now that we are finally in the process of inducting J-10s how long are we going to take to induct a new fighter?
Hi,
Expectations of the outsiders were 2014 or close by---but then certain technologies started to show their positive side---and it was decided to let them progress and mature so that both the Jf17 BLK3 and the J10 C's were equipped with them for operational use.
Induction of the JF17 BLK 3 would take awhile---.
For a pilot used to non aesa radar---when he is put on an aesa equipped aircraft---he has to learn to UN-LEARN the conventional radar usage and adjust to the aesa radar---which is a totally different ball game---.
The pilot has to UN-LEARN how he fought the enemy with a non aesa radar and learn to understand how aesa works and how the fighting field that he is in is a totally different playing field.
So this issue will be dealt with by experienced pilots till the time came that the fresh young pilots would be coming straight to be trained on aesa radar and they would not know any other radar per say.
Technically---the induction to BLK3 and J10C is not going to be a cakewalk---.
It will be hard---it will be intense---and it will take time---.
To UN-LEARN a machine---wipe your memory and reflexes clean and then start over again---not an easy task.
MOST OLDER PILOTS WILL FALTER.
I wrote something similar on this forum over a decade ago---about the F22 pilots traing and the pilots got switched from non aesa to aesa radar---the hardest part to train them was to forget WVR combat and learn to fight BVR---no merges and learn to escape to come back and fight.
I am not saying the merges will not happen---. They won't happen intentionally.
That is why F16 is still the KING---been service for the longest in Paf colors.