Pakistan's Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircrafts

[blain2]

any idea when the first Saab 2000 having and Erieye come to join the Air force and what is the compatiablity of it with the JF-17

If I recall correctly, its end of 2008 for the initial Erieye induction (total of 4 airframes). All aircraft including the F-16s and JF-17s would have Data Links to communicate with the AEW platforms.

 

[fatman17]

If I recall correctly, its end of 2008 for the initial Erieye induction (total of 4 airframes). All aircraft including the F-16s and JF-17s would have Data Links to communicate with the AEW platforms.

according to JDW, the 1st example was supposed to be delivered 18 months after signing of contract - that puts it around June-2008.

 

[ahussains]

according to JDW, the 1st example was supposed to be delivered 18 months after signing of contract - that puts it around June-2008.

It means at the end of this year we have a n AWACS plat form along with the squardron of Jf-17 thats sounds impresive .. and that day will be the land mark day in the history of Pakistan Air Force (Inshallah)

 

[hoodhood1]

I don't understand why PAF is opting for SAAB 2000, which is a Twin Turbo Prop and much slower. We should have gone for the same Erieye, available in Embraer 170 or 190, which would have been much smaller and faster.

 

[ahussains]

I don't understand why PAF is opting for SAAB 2000, which is a Twin Turbo Prop and much slower. We should have gone for the same Erieye, available in Embraer 170 or 190, which would have been much smaller and faster.

We are searching for such a Plateform from last 20 years at least now we will have this soon, and i think there is also a talk to getting Y-8 AWACS system from China on a co-production bases once we have it we can easily fit to any newr Aircraft Like Boeing 737/727 or AirBus 310/320 or Any other Russians or Chinees Aircraft Like AN-32 or IL76 ..

We will get the IL 76 tanker soon from UKRAINE.

 

[hoodhood1]

It is not feasible to install antenna on B727 and these a/c's days are over. I think we should look into small twin engine jets
Are we getting IL76 or IL78 as inflight refueling tankers? I believe we are getting four such examples. But the question is that inflight refueling is usually done at 40,000 ft and there is no need for such an a/c as in PK there are quite a few airstrips between point "A" to point "B" where jet "A" or jp4 fuel is available. Yes, if they are needed while ferrying a/c's from China than Two would be enough.

 

[echo 1]

The IL-76 or 78 will be there for long range missions HOODHOOD1 that is why we are getting them.

Also maybe in the feature we might carry out air exercises with China or some other country so it would be a good idea to have a tanker around for that porpous.

 

[hoodhood1]

Echo 1. Which long missions are we talking about? Refueling is done over home country or neutral air space. The speed of all the a/c are brought down between 300~350 Kts and if they loiter else where than they are sitting target of SAM and AAM.

 

[fatman17]

Planned Erieye roll-out paves way for 2009 delivery

Robert Hewson, Editor of Jane's Air-Launched Weapons

Key Points
• Delivery of the first Saab 2000 Erieye AEW&C to Pakistan is on track for 2009, says Saab
• The Pakistani programme is to be followed by Erieye aircraft for Thailand, while further customers are in prospect

Saab Surveillance Systems intends to roll out the first Saab 2000 Erieye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system for the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on 26 March.
The aircraft continues to be equipped with its full suite of mission systems and will fly later this year. It will serve as the test and evaluation platform for Pakistan's planned fleet of five Saab 2000 Erieyes.

The March roll-out will be conducted with customer representatives at Saab's main Linköping facility, but there will not be a delivery ceremony. With first flight, airborne testing and further development work still to come, Saab says that it is on track to deliver the first aircraft by the end of 2009 in line with its 2007 contract. Prior to the formal handover to the PAF the aircraft is likely to be transferred to Pakistan to conduct systems acceptance testing there.

The Saab 2000 AEW&C has been specially developed to a PAF requirement and marks the first time the Erieye active electronically scanned antenna (AESA) radar has been mated with the Saab 2000 airframe.

Pakistan's Saab 2000s are former airline aircraft recovered from their leases by Saab and extensively modified for their new military role. Each aircraft will be fitted with operator stations for between five and seven onboard personnel. The Saab 2000 AEW&C can also serve as part of a distributed AEW network by datalinking radar data directly to command-and-control networks on the ground. Pakistan's aircraft will be fitted with electronic surveillance/support systems for additional intelligence gathering and a full set of defensive aids.

In 2005 Saab and Ericsson announced that Pakistan intended to acquire Saab 2000 Erieye systems and an SEK8.3 billion (USD1 billion) contract was given the go-ahead in July 2006. The number of aircraft involved was never confirmed by the company but Jane's sources noted that it was six. By mid-2006 Saab had full control of the programme with its takeover of Erieye radar builder Ericsson Microwave Systems (now Saab Microwave Systems).

In May 2007 a renegotiation of the Pakistan AEW contract was announced, with a budget cut of SEK1.35 billion. As a result, the number of aircraft to be acquired is believed to have been reduced to five. Pakistan's contract includes airborne and ground-based systems plus logistics and product support.

Within Saab attention is now turning to the Erieye aircraft for Thailand ordered earlier this year. The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) plans to acquire two former Swedish Air Force S 100B Erieye aircraft, based on the Saab 340 airframe, beginning in 2011. The RTAF aircraft will be equipped with onboard operator stations allowing them to be used as both autonomous and networked platforms. Saab reported that it is also pursuing continuing interest in the Erieye surveillance system from Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.

 

[echo 1]

Echo 1. Which long missions are we talking about? Refueling is done over home country or neutral air space. The speed of all the a/c are brought down between 300~350 Kts and if they loiter else where than they are sitting target of SAM and AAM.

What about joint exercises in the feature with frendly nations such as china and far away exercises like Red Flag where we might end up taking our own aircrafts aside form the F-16. And as far as SAM and AAM goes usually refueling is done in a midpoint far behind the front lines so that SAMs or AAM are not a problem.

 

[baqai]

if i am not wrong than i read in this thread about TOT is that going to happen?

 

[Myth_buster_1]

I don't understand why PAF is opting for SAAB 2000, which is a Twin Turbo Prop and much slower. We should have gone for the same Erieye, available in Embraer 170 or 190, which would have been much smaller and faster.

SAAB 2000 is a very good platform for Erieye! the plane is very agile campre to other platforms such as, Il-76, 737, 767 etc.. such jet planes are best for rotodome. PAF chose SAAB 2000 due to cost effective maintenance.
but i think PAF should have really opted for Embraer ERJ 145, which is as fast as any other AWAC platforms with better agility and yet smaller radar cross section.

 

[Myth_buster_1]

What about joint exercises in the feature with frendly nations such as china and far away exercises like Red Flag where we might end up taking our own aircrafts aside form the F-16. And as far as SAM and AAM goes usually refueling is done in a midpoint far behind the front lines so that SAMs or AAM are not a problem.

Pakistan is getting this technology under strict agreements due to EU sanctions imposed to China. which is of course not to let Chinese get close to it, let alone a joint exercise.

 

[asaad-ul-islam]

i also heard ToT will be thrown in with the deal, can anyone shed some light on this issue?

 

[blain2]

I don't understand why PAF is opting for SAAB 2000, which is a Twin Turbo Prop and much slower. We should have gone for the same Erieye, available in Embraer 170 or 190, which would have been much smaller and faster.

The Saab 2000 is one of the fastest turboprops with a max speed of approx. 600 km hour. Secondly, PAF evaluated all the platforms and found the endurance of the Saab 2000 to be the best for an AEW platform (10 hours plus).

Small was not what PAF was going for. Prior to the PAF Erieyes, this AEW platform did not have on board operators. In order to accommodate 6 consoles,
PAF needed a decent size platform thus the Saab 2000. The onboard operator idea was liked by the Swedish AF as well and their platforms will be retroactively upgraded like the Pakistani ones. In the past the Erieye used to pass the entire picture in the air to stations (GCI) on the ground and they used to pass on intercept information to the aircraft, now the Erieye will do this autonomously and in conjunction with other Erieyes and aircraft with DLs in the air giving much much better SA to the PAF.