Possible steps to counter the rising threat from IAF ?

[omerhhh]

Quality or Quantity - What's better for PAF?

Please express your views. Thanks

A perfect balance between quality and quantity is absolutely essential for the PAF and that ia the answer.
LONG LIVE PAKISTAN!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[omerhhh]

And I really think that the guys at the PAC should try to design their own 4.5gen stealth warplane they can do it if they try
LONG LIVE PAKISTAN!!!!!!!!!!

 

[hj786]

Perhaps we can concentrate more on avionics, advance/early warning and recon capablities.

Advance or less advanced aircraft are in the ends weapon systems and we might be able to enhance our capablities, by not necessarily investing in entire systems and instead enhancing capablities of what we have.

Agreed. The reason JF-17 is essential for PAF is because F-7, Mirage, A-5 cannot be upgraded to match it - even if they are, they will still be less capable yet far more costly to develop, maintain and upgrade further than JF.

 

[iceman2009]

THE 3-1 ratio in favour of IAF over PAF is not numbers.

THIS is THE overall firepower advantage based on India having far more 4TH GENERATION FIGHTERS, better radars, satalite cover from insat and far more depth in weapons fuel reserves etc.

IF PAF has 400 fighters i can assure now IAF does not have 1200 planes

Surely you all know about the falling SQUARON NOS to just 32 SQUADRONS by now

 

[mean_bird]

THE 3-1 ratio in favour of IAF over PAF is not numbers.

THIS is THE overall firepower advantage based on India having far more 4TH GENERATION FIGHTERS, better radars, satalite cover from insat and far more depth in weapons fuel reserves etc.

IF PAF has 400 fighters i can assure now IAF does not have 1200 planes

Surely you all know about the falling SQUARON NOS to just 32 SQUADRONS by now

Whats wrong with you guys? everyday some indian come up with some weird stuff until proven utterly and disgracefully wrong. don't you do some homework before posting?

The 3:1 ratio is in term of fleet..i.e the total number of aircrafts in the airforce put together ( i repeat number count) which include fighters, trainers , bombers, transport, etc....all of them used either in a war or to train for war.

Its been the same before and its the same now...that IAF fighters fall like little birds during a war is another story. Go do some research before posting.

 

[blain2]

THE 3-1 ratio in favour of IAF over PAF is not numbers.

THIS is THE overall firepower advantage based on India having far more 4TH GENERATION FIGHTERS, better radars, satalite cover from insat and far more depth in weapons fuel reserves etc.

IF PAF has 400 fighters i can assure now IAF does not have 1200 planes

Surely you all know about the falling SQUARON NOS to just 32 SQUADRONS by now

The 3-1 ratio is always in terms of numbers and its this exact same context in the remarks of the CAS, PAF.

The advantage is on the BVR enabled platforms and that is the extent of the threat. PAF has just as good or better radar systems (with much tighter integration), enough war reserves as laid down by the PAF doctrine.

You would be surprised to find that Indian fuel reserves are not any greater than Pakistan's in terms of time (you require more for a larger force), but the usage and quantity possibly stored is in the same proportion.

 

[MastanKhan]

And I really think that the guys at the PAC should try to design their own 4.5gen stealth warplane they can do it if they try
LONG LIVE PAKISTAN!!!!!!!!!!

Ola senor,

Como esta. Algona veces no entendemas ingles---endonces necesitamos espanol----NECESITO MUCHO MAS---comprende.

 

[MastanKhan]

Hello Gentlemen,


Quality will always overcome quantity---that has been proven time and again---no doubts about it.

Quality has a number of its own----it is the multiplier effect that just turns the tables around

Case in point M1A1 tank---due to the range of its gun---it would take out any russian or chinese tank before the adversary were able to fire----secondly the special armour on the M1A1 will resist any hits from maximum range.

 

[qsaark]

Hello Gentlemen,


Quality will always overcome quantity---that has been proven time and again---no doubts about it.

Quality has a number of its own----it is the multiplier effect that just turns the tables around

Case in point M1A1 tank---due to the range of its gun---it would take out any russian or chinese tank before the adversary were able to fire----secondly the special armour on the M1A1 will resist any hits from maximum range.

True, but quantity can also turn the tables at high cost though. Therefore a combination of both the quality and quantity is preferable.

 

[satishkumarcsc]

There is a saying in army circles..."Quantity has it's own quality"...so quantity must not be neglected for the chase of quality.

 

[All-Green]

In WW2 Germany had qualitative edge in its tanks etc. but was eventually outgunned by the sheer number of opponents...Initially Germans were too much for the Russians but eventually despite having the most prolific strategists and tacticians on the Russian front (Manstein, Guderian, Hoth etc...) they could not overcome the sheer numbers thrown at them.

Still two things i would say that we should look at.

1) The fluid defense by mixing flexible defensive and daring offensive operations to relieve pressure on dangerously weak fronts was hallmark of Manstein's strategy and despite smaller numbers he was mostly highly successful.
Failure on eastern front was mostly due to Hitler's interference and his obsession with not surrendering territory.
He mostly ordered his troops to form hedgehog (Hitler's favorite military blunder) and subsequently lost meaningless battles.

2) Germans were deep inside enemy territory and therefore (even without numerical superiority) the damage they inflicted is colossal.

If we look at cold War then NATO knew it had to sacrifice a lot of territory to the superior numbers of the Russians, this was factored in their doctrine.
NATO had developed special tactics and focused on improving the quality to hit em where it hurts but was flexible in its strategy.
Russians maintained huge numbers and were a nightmare for NATO planners but still the operation cost of Russians literally brought down their house!

I think that if PAF has lesser numbers ( should not be less than 1:3) and high tech aircraft, then in a defensive role it shall be a nightmare for India to take it on.
However we should see that the strategic depth of Pakistan is not that great and that is something we have to take into consideration.

In my mind we need to focus on
1) 150-200 high tech aircraft (J-10, F16s if possible)
2) 300-400 mid to high tech light mutli role aircraft with focus on very high operational readiness and ease of field maintenance/repairs(JF-17)
3) Air to Air refueling
4) AEW & C
5) Excellent ground support equipment and dispersion of secondary airfields and support units throughout Pakistan (should be high priority).
6) Modern SAMs
7) Modern and more Air to Air Missiles

Our strategy should be of flexible defense coupled with lightning/decisive offensive strikes to bleed the enemy wherever possible.
For all of this we need people with nerves of steel to be on the top and with excellent strategic and tactical vision.
I have firm belief that our Air force has lots of competent officers and we shall not be lacking in this aspect.
However joint exercises with modern aircraft of friendly countries should be maximum possible to enhance the capabilities.

I guess we shall be relying heavily on our Chinese friends which shall be good for Pakistan as well as China.

I am really sorry to hear from Sir MuradK regarding BLK52s but sometimes i think destiny itself guides us towards a better path.
If it happens let us hope that this makes us more resilient and self reliant, Inshallah.

 

[batmannow]

In WW2 Germany had qualitative edge in its tanks etc. but was eventually outgunned by the sheer number of opponents...Initially Germans were too much for the Russians but eventually despite having the most prolific strategists and tacticians on the Russian front (Manstein, Guderian, Hoth etc...) they could not overcome the sheer numbers thrown at them.

Still two things i would say that we should look at.

1) The fluid defense by mixing flexible defensive and daring offensive operations to relieve pressure on dangerously weak fronts was hallmark of Manstein's strategy and despite smaller numbers he was mostly highly successful.
Failure on eastern front was mostly due to Hitler's interference and his obsession with not surrendering territory.
He mostly ordered his troops to form hedgehog (Hitler's favorite military blunder) and subsequently lost meaningless battles.

2) Germans were deep inside enemy territory and therefore (even without numerical superiority) the damage they inflicted is colossal.

If we look at cold War then NATO knew it had to sacrifice a lot of territory to the superior numbers of the Russians, this was factored in their doctrine.
NATO had developed special tactics and focused on improving the quality to hit em where it hurts but was flexible in its strategy.
Russians maintained huge numbers and were a nightmare for NATO planners but still the operation cost of Russians literally brought down their house!

I think that if PAF has lesser numbers ( should not be less than 1:3) and high tech aircraft, then in a defensive role it shall be a nightmare for India to take it on.
However we should see that the strategic depth of Pakistan is not that great and that is something we have to take into consideration.

In my mind we need to focus on
1) 150-200 high tech aircraft (J-10, F16s if possible)
2) 300-400 mid to high tech light mutli role aircraft with focus on very high operational readiness and ease of field maintenance/repairs(JF-17)
3) Air to Air refueling
4) AEW & C
5) Excellent ground support equipment and dispersion of secondary airfields and support units throughout Pakistan (should be high priority).
6) Modern SAMs
7) Modern and more Air to Air Missiles

Our strategy should be of flexible defense coupled with lightning/decisive offensive strikes to bleed the enemy wherever possible.
For all of this we need people with nerves of steel to be on the top and with excellent strategic and tactical vision.
I have firm belief that our Air force has lots of competent officers and we shall not be lacking in this aspect.
However joint exercises with modern aircraft of friendly countries should be maximum possible to enhance the capabilities.

I guess we shall be relying heavily on our Chinese friends which shall be good for Pakistan as well as China.

I am really sorry to hear from Sir MuradK regarding BLK52s but sometimes i think destiny itself guides us towards a better path.
If it happens let us hope that this makes us more resilient and self reliant, Inshallah.

All-Green;dear sir
going great,

 

[batmannow]

if we take the diologe, about QUALITY VS QUANTITY, then surlly PAF should , dismiss all its remaning inventry, & just go for the 20 or 30 odd RAPPTORS?
is this theory can be utilized in the , in the modren warfare?
i guss, no! now IF we should check out roughly , the mighty airforces around pakistan's geological neighbrhood?

CHINA? 1500 FIGHTER AIRCRAFTS, + AWACS & OTHER LOGISTICAL STUFF!


2006 CURRENT ESTIMATED INVENTORY PLAAF


People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF)

Aerospatiale SA.316 6
Aerospatiale SA.321 10
Aerospatiale SA.342L 8
Antonov AN-26 12
Antonov AN-30 8
Boeing 767-300ER 1
Boeing 737 10
Boeing 737C3 1
British Aero Trident 1E 6
British Aero Trident 2E 10
Canadair CL-601 5
Changhe Z-11 30 AS-555
Chengdu J-10 12
Chengdu J-7 322 MiG-21
Chengdu J-7II 99
Eurocopter AS332 6
Guizhou JJ-7 50 MiG-21
HAIG K-8J 25
Harbin H-5 150 Il-28
Harbin HJ-5 87 Il-28
Harbin Hz-5 40 Il-28
Harbin Y-11 15
Harbin Y-12 2
Harbin Z-6 30
Harbin Z-9 25 AS365N
Ilyushin KL-2000 2
Ilyushin IL-18 10
Ilyushin IL-76 20
MiG (* see note) MiG-31 24
Mil MI-6 3
Mil MI-8 30
Mil MI-17 24
Mil MI-171 69
Mil MI-171v-5 35
Nanchang CJ-6 1419 MiG-19
Nanchang Q-5 500
Shaanxi Y-8 48 An-12
Shenyang J-6 1000 MiG-19
Shenyang J-7 300 MiG-21
Shenyang J-8/-8II 180
Shenyang JJ-6 150 MiG-19
Shenyang JZ-6 100 MiG-19
Shenyang J-11 67 SU-27SK
Shijiazhuang Y-5 300 An-2
Sikorsky S-70 22
Sukhoi SU-27SK 52
Sukhoi SU-27UBK 40
Sukhoi SU-30 72
Tupolev TU-154M/D 4
Xian H-6 132 Tu-16
Xian Y-7 23 An-24

People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)

Chengdu Z-8 12 SA321
Chengdu J-7 100 MiG-21
Harbin H-5 50 IL-28
Harbin H-6 30 Tu-16
Harbin SH-5 4
Harbin Z-5 6 Mi-4
Harbin Z-9 25 AS365N
Kamov Ka-28 8
Nanchang Q-5 93
Shaanxi Y-8 AEW 2
Shenyang J-5 100 MiG-17
Shenyang J-6 300 MiG-19
Sukhoi SU-30 24
Shijiazhuang Y-5 50 AN-2
Xian H-6 51
Xian Y-7 4 AN-24
Xian JH-7 20




INDIA? 700 FIGHTER AIRCRAFTS, + AWACS & OTHER LOGISTICAL STUFF!

Combat Aircraft
Mirage 2000
MiG-21
MiG-23
MiG-27ML
MiG-29
Jaguar
Su-30MKI

Transport
Illyushin-76/78
Antonov-32
HS.748M
Do-228
Embraer 135BJ

Helicopters

Mil Mi-8
Mil Mi-17
Mi-25/35
Mil Mi-26
HAL Cheetah
HAL Chetak
HAL Dhruv
Trainers
HJT-16 Kiran
HPT-32 Deepak
Hawk Mk.132

IRANIAN Air Force
The US-trained Iranian Imperial Air Force was widely regarded as second only to Israel's in the Middle East — more than a match for Iraq and a serious adversary for even the Soviet Union. At its peak the Imperial Iranian Air Force, that of the Shah, had more than 450 modern combat aircraft, including then state of the art F-14A Tomcat fighters and about 5,000 well-trained pilots. On the eve of the Iranian Revolution in 1979 the Air Force, numbering close to 100,000 personnel, was by far the most advanced of the three Iranian military services and among the most impressive air forces in the developing world. Reliable information on the Air Force after the Revolution was difficult to obtain, but it seemed clear that by 1987 a fairly large number of the existing fleet had been cannibalized for spare parts.

A total of 14 air bases were operational: Ahvaz, Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Chan Bahar, Dezful, Doshan Tapeh (Tehran), Ghaleh Morghi (Tehran), Hamadan, Isfahan, Mashhad, Mehrabad (Tehran), Shiraz, Tabriz and Zahedan. Soviet and Chinese-made aircraft, obtained following the Iranian Revolution were distributed throughout the country to fufill mission roles of ground attack, transport, training and interception. Bandar Abbas, Bushehr, Dezful, Hamadan, Tabriz and Mehrabad became the centers for ground attack squadrons. Shiraz was the home of the interceptor squadron. It also provided training along with, Mehrabad, Doshan Tapeh and Isfahan. Shiraz also housed the transport squadron.

Air Force headquarters was located at Doshan Tapeh Air Base, near Tehran. Iran's largest air base, Mehrabad, outside Tehran, was also the country's major civil airport. Other major operational air bases were at Tabriz, Bandar-e Abbas, Hamadan (Shahroki Air Base), Dezful (Vahdati Air Base), Shiraz, and Bushehr. Since 1980 air bases at Ahvaz, Esfahan (Khatami Air Base), and Bandar Beheshti had also become operational. The Air Force's primary maintenance facility was located at Mehrabad Air Base. The nearby Iran Aircraft Industries, in addition to providing main overhaul backup for the maintenance unit, was active in manufacturing spare parts.

Before the Revolution, the Air Force was organized into 15 squadrons with fighter and fighter-bomber capabilities and a single reconnaissance squadron. In addition, 1 tanker squadron, and 4 medium and 1 light transport squadron provided impressive logistical support. By 1986 desertions and depletions led to a reorganization of the Air Force into 8 squadrons again with fighter and fighter-bomber capabilities and 1 reconnaissance squadron. This reduced force was supported by 2 joint tanker-transport squadrons and 5 light transport squadrons. Some 76 helicopters and 5 surface-to-air missile (SAM) squadrons supplemented this capability.

From its inception, the Air Force also assumed responsibility for air defense. The existing early warning systems, built in the 1950s under the auspices of Central Treaty Organization (CENTO), were upgraded in the 1970s with a modern air defense radar network. To complement the ground radar component and provide a blanket coverage of the Gulf region, the United States also agreed to sell Iran 7 Boeing 707 airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft in late 1977. Following the Revolution, Washington canceled the AWACS sale, claiming that this sensitive equipment might be compromised. Finally, the Air Force's 3 SAM battalions and 8 Improved HAWK battalions were reorganized in the mid-1980s (in a project involving more than 1,800 missiles) into 5 squadrons that also contained Rapiers and Tigercats of British origin. Washington's sale of HAWK spare parts and missiles in 1985 and 1986 may have enhanced this capability.

The Iranian air force never fully recovered from the effects of the 1979 revolution. At the beginning of the war, pilots were in short supply and flying proficiency was markedly lower than before the revolution. U.S. technicians who left Iran during the days preceding the fall of the Shah succeeded in erasing inventory records, ripping avionics packages out of F-14 aircraft, and destroying caches of repair parts at bases around Iran.

The clerics purged a large part of the conventional military structure after the 1979 revolution leaving the military broken and barely able to defend Iran from the initial Iraqi ground invasion in 1980. After Khomeini seized power on 11 February 1979, the revolutionary regime regarded the Air Force as a waste of money that rightfully belonged to the mostazafin (poor oppressed masses). One of the new government's first acts was a purge of the armed forces, particularly the officer corps, which was (probably correctly) thought to be a hotbed of monarchist sentiment. The Air Force, where virtually the entire fighting element — the combat pilots — was composed of officers, was especially hard hit. To make matters worse, Iran's best combat pilots had been trained in the United States and Israel, making them particularly suspect.

The senior command echelon of the IIAF had been decapitated in 1979 and early 1980 by arrests, imprisonments, executions, purges, and forced exiles. A failed coup that originated on Shahrokhi Air Base in Hamadan in June 1980 brought about another sweeping purge. Many IIAF personnel were shot or jailed for suspected or real complicity in the coup attempt, and the purge of personnel whose ultimate loyalty was suspect continued at a faster pace.

The result of these actions was an Iranian air force which faced considerable problems maintaining its planes and combat capabilities. Iran husbanded the few air assets it had for strategic missions at the expense of tactical and operational fires. While suffering from poor maintenance and lack of spare parts, the Iranian Air Force was able to launch a surprising counterattack just days after Iraqi preemptive strikes on Iranian air fields. They also launched a major airlift using Boeing 747, 707, and C-130 aircraft to move conventional forces to the front.

The Iranian Air Force, equipped with Maverick missiles, proved critical during the initial defense by attacking Iraqi ground forces. The Iranian air force operated aggressively at the beginning of the war, providing both close air support and battlefield interdiction in support of Iranian ground forces. An example of this level of support occurred on October 3, 1981 when Iranian planes hit a large Iraqi armor formation massing in central Khuzistan.

Iran also made effective use of attack helicopters. Helicopters were the primary Iranian anti-armor system, and Iran scoured the international arms market for TOW missiles for its helicopter gunships. As the war progressed, Iran increasingly relied on army aviation to support ground operations, while the air force concentrated on strategic countervalue targets.

When the Iran-Iraq War started in 1980, Iran's F-14s, equipped with Phoenix missiles, capable of identifying and destroying six targets simultaneously from a range of 80 kilometers or more, inflicted heavy casualties on the Iraqi air force, which was forced to disperse its aircraft to Jordan and Oman. The capability of the F-14s and F-4s was enhanced by the earlier acquisition of a squadron of Boeing 707 tankers, thereby extending their combat radius to 2,500 kilometers with in-flight refueling.

Iranian F-14 Tomcats were also used like miniature AWACS, reporting Iraqi fighter operations to Iranian air defense commanders with their powerful radars. In response, Iraqi Mirage F-1EQ fighters flew high-speed, low-altitude profiles, well below the Tomcat's radar limits. The F-1EQ would pop up directly beneath the Tomcat's orbit, briefly illuminate the F-14 with its radar, and fire one or two air-to-air missiles at it. Iran lost several Tomcats to these tactics.

Iran began the war with HAWK surface-to-air missile defenses, though these were largely for the defense of fixed military facilities. Iran's doctrine emphasized active air defense using aircraft like the F-14. Iran failed to use its HAWKs effectively during the war, failing even to mount an effective point defense of key oil facilities. This may have been affected by the general disruption in the military establishment following the Shah's fall. There were only a few confirmed Iranian HAWK kills of Iraqi aircraft.

The Iraqi Air Force's first real strategic bombing campaign was the so-called war of the cities, which aimed at breaking civilian morale and disrupting military targets. Iraq's two efforts early in 1985, from 14 March to 7 April 1985 and 25 May to 15 June 1985, were reportedly very effective. Opposition from the Iranian Air Force was negligible to nonexistent, as the Iraqis hit air bases and military and industrial targets all over Iran (in Tabriz, Urmia, Rasht, Bakhteran, Hamadan, Tehran, Isfahan, Dezful, Ahvaz, Kharg, Bushehr, and Shiraz). Even Iraq's lumbering old Tu-16 bombers were getting through, presumably with MiG-25 and Mirage F-1 escorts, as the Iraqis hit targets as far away as Kashan, more than 360 miles from their own bases. According to local residents, conditions in Tehran during the Iraqi bombings were very difficult. Fires blazed out of control as firefighters struggled with low pressure from broken water mains. Tehran’s hospitals overflowed with casualties. The daily toll was reckoned "in the hundreds," and there were frequent emergency radio appeals for blood donors.

By 1987, the Air Force faced a new problem, one of an acute shortage of spare parts and replacement equipment. Perhaps 35 of the 190 Phantoms were serviceable in 1986. One F-4 had been shot down by Saudi F-15s, and two pilots had defected to Iraq with their F-4s in 1984. The number of F-5s dwindled from 166 to perhaps 45, and the F-14 Tomcats from 77 to perhaps 10. The latter were hardest hit because maintenance posed special difficulties after the United States embargo on military sales.

In the "Tanker War", Iran proved unable to protect Kharg Island and its other oil facilities from attack by the Iraqi air force. As a consequence, Iran responded by doing the only thing it could - mining the waters of the Persian Gulf and risking international ire by attacking neutral shipping.

Iran's national will was decisively engaged by Iraqi missile attacks on Tehran and other large Iranian population centers during the "War of the Cities." The Iranian people were demoralized by repeated Iraqi missile attacks on their cities. As an illustration of this, more than one million people fled Tehran during the second "War of the Cities" in 1988.

With the onset of Desert Storm in 1991, reports suggested that more than 350 advanced aircraft were bought or made operational including, Russian Mig-27s, -29s, -31s, Tu-22M3 Backfires, Russian Su-24s, -25s, -27s, Il-76 transports, and French Mirage F-1s. Iran purchased a number of Mig-29s (Mig-29A and Mig-29UB trainers) from what was then the Soviet Union, and aquired a number of others impounded after fleeing Iraq during Desert Storm. Su-24MKs, SU-25Ks, and a number of Il-76 were aquired in the same way.

Iraqi Aircraft
At least 115 combat aircraft flew to Iran from Iraq during Desert Storm, out of the total of 137-149 aircraft flown to Iran or crashed enroute, including military transports and commerical airliners. According to an official Iraqi statement, the combat aircraft included 24 Mirage F-1s, 4 Su-20 Fitters, 40 Su-22 Fitters, 24 Su-24 Fencers, seven Su-25 Frogfoots, nine Mig-23 Floggers, and four Mig-29 Fulcrums. Reports that Saddam Hussein ordered 20 Tu-22 bombers to Iran appeared unfounded. The reported orders in 1992 for Mig-27, -31, Su-22, and Tu-22M aircraft were either in error or failed to come to fruition as those aircraft types did not subsequently appear in Iranian inventory. In this period close to $2 billion was reportedly spent on foreign weapons systems.

In 1993 it was reported that Russia was to provide Iran with spare parts, armaments, and operating manuals for the Iraqi jets that flew to Iran during the Gulf War. In 1993 it was also reported that China had bought an unknown number of these Mig-29s from Iran, in exchange for Chinese missile technology and a nuclear power station. The two countries had reportedly reached agreement on the exchange in late 1992, with Iran having delivered some of the Mig-29s by the end of 1992.

In 1998 Iraq and Iran had high-level meetings to discuss ending their state of war and other matters, including Iraq's request to have its airplanes returned. Iran denied it had used any of the Iraqi fighter planes. If Iran had kept the Iraqi planes grounded for the entire time, they were probably nonfunctional. It was also possible that the Iranians might not have been able to start the engines or operate the hydraulics. Other reports suggested that some Su-24s were added to Iran's existing inventory, some Su-20/22s were in Revolutionary Guard service. The Iraqi Su-25s, Mig-23s and Mirage F-1s were thought by some to be not in service, due to age, low capability (Mig-23s) or too few numbers (Su-25). Other reports suggested that Iran had overhauled Iraq's fleet of 24 Mirage F-1EQ fighters and placed them into service. By 2000 reports emerged suggesting that Iran had in fact not incorporated the Mig-23 or Su-20/22 aircraft (at least into their regular Air Force), but had taken the Iraqi Su-24MK, Su-25K, and Mirage F-1EQ aircraft into inventory.

On 05 August 2007 Lieutenant-General Kamal al-Barzanji, Iraq's air force commander, said he hoped Iran would return some of the Iraqi warplanes that fled to Iran ahead of the Gulf War in 1991. He conceded that many of them were probably beyond repair.

United Arab Emirates Air Force

The UAE Air Force consists of about 1,800 personnel. The most modern aircraft are Mirage 2000s, F-16E/F Fighting Falcons, BAE Hawks and AH-64A Apache helicopters. Flight training is performed at the Al Ain Air Base in the east, near the Omani border. The training squadron is equipped with Grob G115TAs, Pilatus PC-7s and BAE Hawk jet trainers. Helicopter pilots train on AS350B Ecureuil and SA342 Gazelle helicopters.

The Al Dhafra Air Base is also used by United States, french and Italian air force aircraft. The Canadian Forces operate a forward logistics base called Camp Mirage at Minhad Air Force Base; although officially classified, the location of the base has been leaked on several occasions.

368 aircrafts

Fighters
Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon United States Multirole fighter F-16E
F-16F
Total 60
20
80 Only operator of the F-16E/F
Dassault Mirage 2000 France Multirole fighter Mirage 2000-9 68 32 aircraft upgraded
Transports
Lockheed C-130 Hercules United States Transport C-130H
C-130H-30 6
CASA CN-235 Spain Transport CN-235 11
Cessna 208 Grand Caravan United States Utility 208B 7
Airbus A330 MRTT European Union Aerial refueling tanker/transport A330 MRTT 3 Ordered in 2007

Helicopters

Hughes AH-64 Apache United States Attack helicopter AH-64A 30
Boeing CH-47 Chinook United States Transport helicopter CH-47C/D 12 Acquired from Libya
Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma France Transport helicopter SAR 330/IAR 300 6
Eurocopter AS 550 Fennec France Observation helicopter AS 550C3 12
Eurocopter AS 332 Super Puma France Naval helicopter AS 332 2
Bell 214 Huey Plus United States Utility helicopter Bell 214B Huey Plus 4
Augusta-Bell AB-412 Italy Transport helicopter AB-412HP/SP 6
Eurocopter AS 565 Panther France Naval helicopter AS 565SB 16
Eurocopter AS 365 Dauphin France VIP helicopter AS 365N3 1

Trainers

Pilatus PC-7 Turbo Trainer Switzerland Trainer PC-7 30
Grob G 115 Germany Trainer G 115 Acro 12
BAE Hawk United Kingdom Advanced trainer Hawk Mk 61/63/102 46
Aermacchi MB-339 Italy Advanced trainer MB-339A 5
Eurocopter AS 350 Ecureuil France Trainer helicopter AS 350 14

368 aircraft
Fighters

Does not include the 3 Airbus A330 MRTT tanker/transports - these aircraft are on order and have yet to be delivered


Russian Federation

(previously the Soviet Union and Russian Empire)

Role Defeating enemy units, reconnaissance, defence of major military units and facilities
Size 184,600 personnel

2,800 aircraft


Trainer Aircraft

Yakovlev Yak-130 Russia Training Yak-130 0 62 ordered, first aircraft to be commissioned in 2009[19]

Fighter Aircraft

Sukhoi Su-27 USSR Air Superiority Fighter Su-27SM Differs by source 449 (350 active + 52 training), including 5 Su-27SM[20] \ 281, including 18 Su-27SM[21] \ 321[22]
Sukhoi Su-30 USSR Air Superiority Fighter Su-30M 10 Only 10 in service due to budgetary problems[17]
Sukhoi Su-35 Russia Air Superiority Fighter Su-35 / Su-37 12 built, 5 are in active service.
Mikoyan MiG-29 {USSR Multirole Aircraft MiG-29SM Differs by source 380 +150 reserve + 50 training[23] \ 266[22]
Mikoyan MiG-31 USSR Interceptor MiG-31M Differs by source 256 active, ~100 reserve[24] \ 188[22][25]

Bomber Aircraft

Sukhoi Su-24 USSR Tactical Bomber Su-24M 450 400 Frontal Air Force;[26]
Sukhoi Su-25 USSR Attacker Su-25 Su-39 241 231 Frontal Air Force; planned modernization to reach Su-25SM level.
Sukhoi Su-34 Russia Fighter-bomber Su-34 Differs by source - now 10(?) GS.org: 4[22] \ 2 on hand, plus 6 more in 2007[27] \ 2 on hand, plus 7 more in 2007[28] \ 10, 58 to be delivered by 2012[29]
Tupolev Tu-22M USSR Strategic bomber Tu-22M3 174 8 Tu-22M, 161+ 91 reserve/MR[30]
Tupolev Tu-95 USSR Strategic bomber Tu-95MS 64 64 (37th Air Army), planned modernization of 35 to reach Tu-95MSM
Tupolev Tu-160 USSR Strategic bomber Tu-160M 16 16 (37th Air Army), planned modernization to reach Tu-160M

Transport Aircraft

Ilyushin Il-76 USSR Transport IL-76MD 220 Planned modernization to reach Il-76MF-90
Ilyushin Il-112 Russia Light Transport Il-112V 0 18 to be delivered until 2015
Antonov An-12 USSR Transport An-12 Unknown
Antonov An-22 USSR Transport An-22 21[31]
Antonov An-26 USSR Transport An-26 30 9 An-26, 21 An-26B
Antonov An-124 USSR Transport An-124 25 14 says IISS
Command Post
Ilyushin Il-80 Russia Command Post Il-80 4
Tupolev Tu-214 Russia Command Post / VIP Tu-214-100 6(ordered) 1 in final stages and 5 in construction
Aerial refueling
Ilyushin Il-78 USSR Refueling Tanker IL-78 20

Reconnaissance

Sukhoi Su-24 USSR Reconnaissance Su-24MR 100+[26] Frontal Air Force
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 USSR Reconnaissance MiG-25RB 70[26]
Beriev A-50 USSR AWACS-Reconnaissance Beriev A-50 16[32] currently being modernized to A-50M standard

Attack Helicopter

Kamov Ka-50 USSR Attack Helicopter Ka-50 15 [33] Serial production cancelled in favour of Ka-52.[34]
Kamov Ka-52 Russia Attack Helicopter Ka-52 10[35] Special Forces - 12 more to be commissioned by 2015 [36]
Mil Mi-24 USSR Attack helicopter Mi-24 260 240 Air Force - All to be replaced within 2015 by Mi-28s[37]
Mil Mi-28 Russia Attack Helicopter Mi-28 16[38] 300 to be delivered by 2015 [37]
Transport Helicopter
Mil Mi-8 USSR Transport Helicopter Mi-8 195 160 Air Force
Mil Mi-26 USSR Transport Helicopter Mil Mi-26 30 [39]
Kamov Ka-60 Russia Transport Helicopter Ka-60 7[40] 200 ordered


Turkish Air Force

Country Turkey
Size 900+ aircraft

65,000 personnel




TURKISH AIR FORCE
Fighter aircraft

0 F-35A Lightning II (116+18 F-35A ordered[2][3])
0 F-16C/D Block 50+ (30 ordered)[5][6]
215 F-16C/D[25][26][27] Block 30/40/50 (all of them will reach the Block 50+ standard with the CCIP upgrade program.)[28]
195 F-4E 2020 Terminator[29] / F-4E Phantom II [30] / RF-4E Phantom II [31]
55 F-5 2000[32] / NF-5A/B Turkish Stars[33]

Tactical transport aircraft

0 Airbus A400M[34] (+10 ordered)
13 C-130B/E Hercules[35] (with ELINT/SIGINT equipment)
19 C-160T Transall[36]
50 CN 235-100M[37]

VIP transport aircraft

0 Grumman Gulfstream G550 (+2 ordered)
1 Airbus A319-115X[38] (VIP Transport)
3 Grumman Gulfstream-IV[39] (VIP Transport)
2 Cessna 550 Citation II[40] (VIP Transport)
2 Cessna 560 Citation V[41] (VIP Transport)
2 Cessna 650 Citation VII[42] (VIP Transport)
1 Beech King Air 200[43] (Comms)
Tanker aircraft
7 KC-135R-CRAG Stratotanker[44]

Early warning aircraft

4 B-737-700 AEW&C MESA[45] (option for 2 more)
Unmanned aerial vehicles
0 TIHA MALE Attack/Surveillance UAV[46][47][48] (+18 under construction)
10 Heron MALE Attack/Surveillance UAV (1000/3300 km)[49]
0 MQ-9 Reaper (+4 ordered)[50]
1 MQ-1 Predator[51]
6 RQ-7 Shadow 600[52]
3 Aerostar Tactical UAV (200 km)[53][54]
1 Searcher II Surveillance UAV (300 km)[55]
16 I-GNAT ER Surveillance UAV[56]
6 GNAT 750[57]

107 Harpy Attack UAV (500 km)[58]

Trainer aircraft

69 T-38A Talon[59] (received structural upgrade)
61 Cessna T-37B/C[60] (received structural upgrade)
38 Aermacchi SF-260D[61]
26 T-41D Mescalero[62]
0 KAI KT-1 (40 on order to replace T-37s)

Helicopters

20 AS 532UL Cougar Mk1[63] (14 SAR + 6 CSAR)
81 Bell UH-1H Iroquois[64] (SAR/ECM/Utility)

Air-to-air missiles

107 AIM-120C AMRAAM (Under Delivery)
314 AIM-120A/B AMRAAM (176 AIM-120A + 138 AIM-120B)
457 AIM-9X Sidewinder (225[65] + 127[66] + 105[67])
210 AIM-9B Sidewinder
500 AIM-9M Sidewinder
640 AIM-9L/I Sidewinder
310 AIM-9S Sidewinder
750+ AIM-9P3 Sidewinder
367 AIM-7E Sparrow



here are few of PAKISTAN'S nieghbouring countries, if only the quality works in the modren warfare, then why these ,nieghbouring countries has ,a huge quantity of aircrafts in their FORCES?

I GUSS, as airwar doctrine is changing for PAF, PAF needs best Quality with blanced Quantity!

 

[Muradk]

99% UAE trainers are flown by EX-PAF as IPs. So they all know the place so now its called Forward Logistics Base, I see funny thing about it is when ever someone tries to hide something in armed forces they call it Logistics.

 

[A1Kaid]

Quality or Quantity - What's better for PAF?

Please express your views. Thanks

I am glad we and the PAF are in no position to compromise on neither quality or quantity, we are capable of both.


Though as the PAF stands right now I prefer quality and superior technology over obsolete but plenty of technology. It is apart of future modernization plans, and this is the route to victory and this is the route we should pursue.

And the Nation of Pakistan ought to accept nothing less.