Pakistan Air Force set to get IL-78 mid-air re-fuellers

Lankan Ranger · Dec 13, 2009

Pakistan Air Force set to get IL-78 mid-air re-fuellers

Pakistan is acquiring four IL-78 transport planes that will work as mid-air re-fuellers. With this Pakistan would become third country of the region that would be having competence of mid-air fuelling and re-fuelling. Official sources said yesterday it will enhance the capability of the Pakistan Air Force to penetrate deeper in the enemy’s territory. Pakistan will be receiving first plane of the batch towards the end of this month from Ukraine. The Ukrainian government has informed Pakistan about start of supply of the sophisticated planes. The sources said that the transport-cum-air fueller plane belongs to the Soviet technology generation and proved most efficient in the service.

From:ASIAN DEFENCE: Pak Air Force set to get IL-78 mid-air re-fuellers

Gin ka Pakistan · Dec 13, 2009

December and January are good months for PAF

jawadqamar · Dec 13, 2009

Great news for PAF

rajeev · Dec 13, 2009

Pakistan will first hand experience of using IL-78 and know more of its flying abilities. It is quite obvious that Phalcon using IL-78 platform will be first target that PAF to focus on so that it could substantially reduced the ability of IAF.

Comet · Dec 13, 2009

Good News. It is a beast and I would personally like to see it inside out.

air marshal · Dec 15, 2009

Three more early warning aircraft next year: minister
Monday, 14 Dec, 2009

MULTAN: Minister for Defence Production Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan Jatoi said on Sunday that Pakistan would receive three more Airborne Warning and Control System (Awacs) aircraft in 2010.

Talking to newsmen at the airport here, he said that one such plane had already arrived in the country.

Answering a question about the demand for a new province, Mr Jatoi welcomed the prime ministers statement that he never opposed the demand but such issues should not be raised at a time when the country was passing through a difficult period.

Mr Jatoi urged the provincial government to allocate more funds for the development of southern Punjab.

He called for allocation of resources for the southern part of the province from the funds Punjab would get under the new NFC award.APP

Hari · Dec 15, 2009

Hi, please let me know, Is buying IL-78 a very good deal, Then Why IAF chose Airbus A330 MRTT over IL78

Barrett · Dec 15, 2009

Il-78 Tankers Arrive in Pakistan
By USMAN ANSARI
Published: 4 Dec 17:15 EST (22:15 GMT)

ISLAMABAD - Two Il-78MP Midas tanker aircraft have arrived in Pakistan, apparently the first of four purchased from the Ukraine.

Though the Pakistan Air Force declined to comment, the two aircraft landed at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi on Dec. 2, and were clearly visible from the observation lounge in their low-observation-gray PAF livery.

Though it was unusual that the two military aircraft did not land at the nearby Masroor or Faisal air bases, their presence validates November reports in local media about their impending arrival.

But reports that Cobham was to equip Pakistan's Il-78s with refueling pods were incorrect. A Cobham official said at last week's biannual Pakistani defense exhibition, IDEAS2008, that the pods were still the Soviet-designed UPAZs, and that the refueling kits on receiving aircraft, such as the newly upgraded Mirage-IIIs, were likely to be South African in origin.

The Il-78s will give the PAF its first airborne refueling capability. They will help train Pakistani crews in mid-air refueling techniques, and once operational will be used to refuel the Mirage-III and eventually JF-17 Thunder.

Air Force officials did confirm the $108 million order of 100 MAR-1 anti-radiation missiles from the Brazilian company Mectron, a deal signed in April but only now revealed. Few details are known about the MAR-1, and for many years its existence was denied. With confirmation of the deal, Pakistan appears to be the first export customer for the missile, which is also in service with the Brazilian air force.

Il-78 Tankers Arrive in Pakistan - Defense News