I want to ask whats PAF thinking ? how much time they will take to decide to go for another platform like 4 or 4.5 Gen aircrafts ? how much time PAF will take to watch the moves of IAF ? you just cant sit Idle.
just take a look at what will we have after 10 to 12 years :
after 10 to 12 years, we will have most likely 250 (100 with AESA and 150 Non-AESA) JF-17 Thunders only.
F-16 Blk 40/50/C/D will start to retire as Jammer bhayya said in some other thread.
and if we go for the 5th Gen option NOW, thn we will have some 40 to 50 J-31.
so what we will have in our inventory is :
250 Jf-17s
40 or 50 J-31 (probably).
so we are going to miss some 100 or 150, 4.5th Gen aircrafts. i really like the Jf-17 project and i know it will be a potent interceptor/defence fighter. but you just cant pitch JF-17 against with every aircraft of IAF.
as we will going to replace F-16s in 10 to 12 years we have to choose our option NOW.
like Turky is going to replace its F-16s with its TFX project.
thn why PAF isnt thinking about this ?
I have read the news on internet and i have read it somewhere in PDF also few months ago that MoD have told the senate that PAF needs 40 to 50 latest aircrafts, so i am assuming its 4.5th Gen.
after that, its all silence. no words from anywhere. all i hear on PDF is that PAF is on the Wait and Watch mood. becoz India is still have to replace there old jets.
what i want to know that, IAF just started to negotiate with other countries (like Rafales, Gripens etc ), thn whats PAF doing now ?
the options we have in the market for 4.5th Gen aircraft:
Su-35 ( Russia, not gonna happen)
Typhoon ( good option but to much expensive )
J-10s (with AESA) is the only option we have.
i know that PAF is not intrested in J-10s after JF-17s production, but you cant compare the both.
J-10s are superior to Jf-17 in every aspect except AESA factor.
J-10s have 11 Hard points. its bigger and with AESA Radar it will be badder for enemies.
J-31, its still mystery , dont know how much chinese bros are intrested in this project.
but even if we have to go for 5th Gen option thn we have to choose it NOW. i dont understand why PAF is waiting to take decision as if they have some other options are available.
i dont find any other option available for 5TH GEN aircraft for PAF :
F-35 (forget it)
PAK-FA ( russian-indo project)
Turkish TFX ( no offense but its still on drawing board )
J-31 is the only option we have.
india is going to get 36 Rafales for IAF and 50 for navy, and are looking for F-16 Blk 70 or Gripen NG.
forget Rafales or F-16s/Gripen. they also have larger fleet of other aircrafts.
I dont believe that PAF have any financial issues for going for Chinese aircrafts option.
if we start NOW thn we will have some formidable defence in 10 to 12 years :
250 Jf-17s
100 to 150 J-10s
40 to 50 J-31s.
Now this looks doesnt bad for PAF, or does it ?