Im no expert heck im not even an beginner compared to the people here but there are some points that bug me especially in the SU-30 MKI and JFT debate going on..
The low RCS advantage of JF-17 was being constantly dismissed using the AWACS operating environment point but some how even then some people were considering that SU-30's radar advantage would be there over JFT..not to mention one of the rumored reasons going around of why the chinese rejected the bars radar
"Many claimed that the reason for the rejection was that Chinese discovered the same problem India had during the evaluation of the radar: although the N-011M Bars passive electronically scanned array radar offered longer range and better resistance to jamming, it had problem of accurately and correct identifying targets at long range."
(This was also said by the briefing guy at red flag 08 who said that our AESA's are more precise than the PESA MKI uses)
So my first question is
1.How is the low RCS advantage of thunder negated in an AWACS operating environment and the radar advantage of MKI isn't???
Now coming to the weapons package
lets take the SD-10 BVRAAM for instance,here is a post worth a read
For me SD-10's with the likes of PL-5EII,PL-9C,Raad cruise missile,MAR-1 and C-802A is one hell of a weapons package and is obviously in accordance with what role PAF wants JF-17 to play...
As for the future add AESA radar,IRST,HOBS,HMS,composite airframe,lowered RCS,SD-10B,A darter,more payload,more hard points etc to the mix and you get one hell of a beast in a cost effective manner ....
Then take a look at it maintenance wise,It has got the smallest turn around times in PAF,while the SU-30MKI can fly only 12-15 hours in one month and one hour flying requires at least 32 maintenance hours of work by its ground crew.
Indian airforce interviews
and then you have to understand the nature of PAF is primarily defensive and with the likes of stand off weapons like RAAD it can also carry out offensive missions
But in the conition that IAF is the aggressor than an MKI will have to face a JFT with SAMS coverage,heavy EW environment etc along with force multipliers like AWACS,C4I etc..
so dismissing JFT as no threat at all is the biggest favour our friends from the east can do to us so please continue...