Windjammer
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They have chutes for the situation, I don't know the rest. However in my view it would be suffice to use chutes and not have the arrest cables.
Do the PAF F-16 also have tail hooks as the other ones?
The tail hooks are used for tethering the aircraft during engine tests etc, but another use is of arresting the aircraft at the end of the runway in case of brake failure or runway over run. Just like an Aircraft carrier but on the ground and as a redundancy.
Does the PAF have arresting cables at the end of it's runways? The USAF has them.
Though i agree with the philosophy part, but MLU f-16s with AIM120s can take on anything in our adversary on east's inventory, including the upcoming Rafale.
BUt yea, i guess it is time to move on
Actually it don't since the versions you get are technically limited, compared to what LM other F16 operating countries have, to what radars, EW systems and missile combos IAF has and even to what JF 17 and J10Bs will bring to PAF.
I know that you and many Pakistani members might not like it, but the time of F16s beeing the prime fighter in PAF is nearing it's end, since China offers you more.
More agile WVR missile, BVR missiles with longer range than the AIM 120C5s are under development, integration of Raad, possibility of AESA radar and IRST, anti radiation missiles, heck even mid air refuelling. The Chinese fighters will make PAF much more capable in combination with tankers and AWACS, since the package of capabilities they offer is simply up to date, while even the F16 B52s hardly provide more than air defence and CAS capability now.
The F16 is still a highly capable multi role fighter, but as long as PAF don't get AIM 9X, AIM120D, AESA radar, better EWS, JSOW and SEAD capability, a lot of it's potential is cut down.
Btw, taking on Rafale F3+ ?
Nobody is doubting the Chinese weapons procurement, and for the foreseeable future that is the only option considering the amount of literally unlimited options Pakistan can play with.
My point is, that MLU-ed F-16s can easily match any 4 to 4.5 gen fighter in India's Hand for the next 10 years. If we can get used F-16s and get them MLU-ed to last even another 3000 hours, it would that proverbial a bird in hand is better than two in the bush thing. PAF has unmatched experience of F-16s since what? 3 decades!!! It's a plane we know inside out and hence any new versions would easily absorbed by the flying pilots.
Which brings me to your comment about Rafale, which IAF pilots have no real world flying experience in........(Sorry, but flying for MMRCA tender evaluations doesn't count)
Rafale F3+? Seriously? Is that level you stoop down to?
First get Rafale inducted, let alone upgrades.
You need to raise a squadron of Rafales first, get pilots experience. You think an average IAF bloke can jump in Rafale F3+ and take on PAF f-16s with pilots who have been flying for decades? If you say yes, i guess you are just kidding yourself. By the time Rafales are flying with IAF, even JF-17 pilots would've been flying JF-17s for 5 years!!!!
With all due respect, IAF Has Far Far More Experiance Than PAF ( As Far as F16s are Concerned ).
IAF has been regularily having Excersises AGAINST F16 52 , and Singapore AF has been Given a Regular Base as Well, In a sharp contrast Su MKI ( Very Very Different frm Su 30 MK ) is an Alien Bird for PAF.
We Know F16 Much Better Than PAF Knows MKI ( Or for that matter Rafale in Future )
With all due respect, IAF Has Far Far More Experiance Than PAF ( As Far as F16s & Countermeasures are Concerned ).
IAF has been regularily having Excersises AGAINST F16 52 , and Singapore AF has been Given a Regular Base as Well, In a sharp contrast Su MKI ( Very Very Different frm Su 30 MK ) is an Alien Bird for PAF.
We Know F16 Much Better Than PAF Knows MKI ( Or for that matter Rafale in Future )
That is total bullshit. IAF doesn't have anything with respect to F-16 as much as PAF knows it. PAF OWNS and Operates F-16s. IAF can never match that. !!
The variety of weapons, costomizations and future upgrades that we can do on jf17s and j10b are far more than what we can ever achieve via f16s --- right now ideally, additional f16s should be considered as a stop gap measure and our future should not be built around it --- however its difficult to think objectively when our economy is crippled by dishonest politicians
If we have to choose between j31 and j10b, then the way to go ahead would be j31 from china and used f16s from the u.s at cheep price --- but who know if we are even at that financial capability or not
My point is, that MLU-ed F-16s can easily match any 4 to 4.5 gen fighter in India's Hand for the next 10 years.
Which brings me to your comment about Rafale
But then again... it is up to the user how the weapon system is employed. The IAF can only learn so much about the aircraft and not its employment tactics within the PAF.
After all, the USAF knows all about the Mig-29 through its early evaluations(with Israel) in the late 80's and early 90's.
Yet, when the unification of germany happened and Luftwaffe pilots went up against USAF units.. they showed different tactics that ended up surprising the Americans. The problem was not that the USAF did not know about how the mig-29 flew and its limitations..
It DID NOT KNOW HOW THE LUFTWAFFE PILOTS WOULD EMPLOY THEM