Pakistan Re-equips Squadron With AEW&C Planes

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan's Air Force (PAF) Thursday stood up its unit of Chinese Karakorum Eagle AEW&C aircraft in a ceremony attended by the head of the PAF, Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafiq Butt, and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Though the exact location of the ceremony was not given, it is believed to have been held at PAF Base Masroor in Karachi as the prime minister was known to have been in the city that day.
Brian Cloughley, an analyst and former Australian defense attache to Islamabad, said AEW&C "is very good news for the PAF – and for Pakistan" because it "will dramatically improve early warning capabilities which up until now have been comparatively rudimentary."
The ZDK-03 Karakorum Eagle is a dish-based AEW&C system mounted on a Shaanxi Y-8F600 aircraft. Though never confirmed, it has been speculated that the dish houses an AESA antenna.
Four were ordered in 2008 with the first delivered in 2010.
Air Commodore Syed Muhammad Ali, a spokesman for the Air Force, confirmed all Karakorum Eagle aircraft on order have now been delivered, but could not say if more would be ordered from China.
The aircraft join No.4 Squadron, which was first established in 1959 with Bristol Freighter transports and Grumman HU-16 Albatross amphibians. The amphibians were used for maritime reconnaissance, search and rescue, and casualty evacuation alongside Sikorsky H-19D helicopters. The HU-16s were retired in 1968 and the H-19Ds in 1969.
The unit was then "number-plated" until officially re-equipped with the Karakorum Eagle.
The four Karakorum Eagle AEW&C aircraft join the surviving three Saab Erieye AEW&C aircraft ordered in 2005 and delivered from 2009. One of the four Erieye aircraft was destroyed in a terrorist attack on Kamra Air Base in August 2012.
That the Air Force operates two types of AEW&C aircraft for the same mission has been much commented on.
Analyst Usman Shabbir of the Pakistan Military Consortium think tank says the Karakorum Eagle's mission is "[b]asically the same job as Erieye but based in southern sector.
"To cover all the length of Pakistan we needed additional AEW&C aircraft and ZDK-03 was the answer due to political and financial considerations," he said.
Former Air Commodore Kaiser Tufail says the PAF was not keen on their purchase.
"The [Karakorum] Eagle was purchased rather reluctantly, under pressure of [then President] Gen. Musharraf, as a political expedient [Chinese appeasement], and not because of any reasons of technical superiority," he said. "It would have been more cost effective to manage a single type than these two vastly different ones."
Though he now believes attitudes have changed.
"Having said that, the performance of the Eagle has turned out to be surprisingly good, which takes some sting out of the initial criticism," he said.
Tufail says an absence of news of the fourth aircraft being delivered may mean it is undergoing installation of Link 16 datalink equipment to enable it to communicate with all of the PAF's aircraft, particularly its F-16s, and not just the JF-17 Thunders.
To date the Erieye AEW&C aircraft have been able to communicate with the Western aircraft in service such as the F-16, and the Karakorum Eagle with the Chinese aircraft such as the Sino-Pak JF-17, and perhaps the F-7PG.
Cloughley does not think this has changed.
"It's unlikely that the systems will complement those of the US, but cooperation with China is more important for Pakistan," he said.
PAF officials have previously told Defense News that this was impractical and would change.
Though perhaps not as technologically advanced as the Swedish Erieye, according to Haris Khan of the Pakistan Military Consortium think tank, the two types of AEW&C aircraft have worked very well together with the installation of Link 16 compatible equipment throughout the PAF's aircraft fleet.
Combined, they have effectively covered the country and much of Pakistan's maritime area of interest.

Some Stunning HD Photos of "Boeing P-8 Poseidon" Maritime Patrol & Anti-Submarine Warfare Aircraft (All Types)

1st Boeing P-8I Maritie Patrol Aircraft Arrives In India

Indian Navy to receive 2 more P-8Is by end of 2013  

SEATTLE, May 15, 2013 – The first Boeing [NYSE: BA] P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft arrived today, on schedule, at India Naval Station Rajali. The P-8I is one of eight aircraft Boeing is building for India as part of a contract awarded in 2009.   

“Boeing is proud to deliver this advanced aircraft to meet the Indian Navy’s unique maritime patrol requirements,” said Chris Chadwick, president of Boeing Military Aircraft. “The P-8I team, which includes our customer and Indian suppliers, has done a fantastic job working together, and we’re on track to deliver the next two P-8I aircraft later this year."

Based on the Boeing Next-Generation 737 commercial airplane, the P-8I is the Indian Navy variant of the P-8A Poseidon that Boeing is developing for the U.S. Navy. The P-8I incorporates not only India-unique design features, but also India-built subsystems that are tailored to the country’s maritime patrol requirements.

Boeing P-8A Poseidon_Long-range Anti-submarine Aarfare, Anti-surface Warfare, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Aircraft

The P-8A Poseidon is a long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft. It possesses an advanced mission system that ensures maximum interoperability in the future battle space. Capable of broad-area maritime, and littoral operations, the P-8A will influence how the U.S. Navy's maritime patrol and reconnaissance forces train, operate and deploy.

Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide

The P-8A Poseidon is a true multi-mission platform. On board P-8A, all sensors contribute to a single fused tactical situation display, which is then shared over both military standard and internet protocol data links, allowing for seamless delivery of information amongst U.S. and coalition forces. As an armed platform, P-8A independently closes the kill chain, while simultaneously providing data to everyone on the network.

In-line Production

The P-8A is the latest military derivative aircraft to benefit from a culture of technical innovation and the One Boeing approach to manufacturing. The P-8A is a derivative of the highly successful and reliable Next-Generation 737. The P-8A has the fuselage of a 737-800 and the wings of a 737-900. Modifications to the baseline commercial aircraft are incorporated into the aircraft in-line. In the past, commercial aircraft were sent to modification centers where they were taken apart and rebuilt to meet military specifications. The P-8A is Boeing's first military derivative aircraft to incorporate structural modifications to the aircraft as it moves through the commercial line.

Customers

Boeing's team is developing the P-8A Poseidon for the U.S. Navy, which plans to purchase 117 aircraft. As part of the flight test program, the Navy will have three P-8As at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., in 2010. Initial operational capability is scheduled for 2013. In January 2009 Boeing was selected to provide eight P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft to the Indian navy. India is the first international customer for the P-8. Boeing believes there are numerous other opportunities for international sales to countries currently operating P-3s or similar maritime patrol aircraft. Interest has been expressed by many countries including Australia and Italy.

The Poseidon Industry Team

The P-8A is being developed by a Boeing-led team that consists of CFM International, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, GE Aviation and Spirit AeroSystems.

An industry leader in large-scale systems integration, Boeing provides unrivaled expertise in customizing military and commercial products for maritime forces. Boeing is completing final assembly of the P-8A in Renton, Wash., taking advantage of the proven efficiencies, manufacturing processes and performance of the existing Next-Generation 737 production system.

CFM International supplies the CFM56-7 engine that powers the P-8A.

Northrop Grumman provides the directional infrared countermeasures system and the electronic support measures system.

Raytheon provides the upgraded AN/APY-10 maritime surveillance radar and signals intelligence solutions.

GE Aviation supplies flight-management and stores-management systems.

Spirit AeroSystems builds the 737 aircraft's fuselage and airframe tail sections and struts.

Milestones

• Since the System Development and Demonstration contract was awarded to Boeing in 2004, the P-8A Poseidon program has been a model acquisition program.
• First flight -- 2009
• First flight test aircraft to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, MD. -- 2010

Australia to Buy More P-8 Poseidon

Boeing Maritime Jet Gains Favor in Australia, Paring Drone Need
Australia plans to buy more Boeing Co. (BA:US) P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol jets than initially projected to replace planes dating from the 1970s, reducing its requirement for drones built by Northrop Grumman Corp. (NOC:US)
Funding for the purchase will be sought next year, with talks under way about the exact mix of P-8s and MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft, the head of the Royal Australian Air Force, Air Marshal Geoff Brown, said in an interview in London.
Australia currently uses 18 Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT:US) AP-3C Orions upgraded a decade ago to hunt submarines, monitor ship traffic and aid in rescue missions, with some planes also deployed in combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. While it had planned to acquire eight aircraft and seven drones, the number of P-8s could now reach into double figures, Brown said.
“We are making an argument that a larger number of P-8s would be better,” he said. “I am not looking for more dollars, I am just looking at where we spend the money.”
While the P-8 -- a Boeing 737 airliner modified to carry gear that can detect submerged submarines, drop torpedoes and fire weapons -- is more capable than the AP-3C, wider global demands mean a substantial fleet is required, Brown said.
The shift in thinking toward P-8s, currently operated by the U.S. Navy and Indian air force, doesn’t mean drones such as the Triton, a version of the U.S. Air Force’s Global Hawk that’s also used by the U.S. Navy -- are out of favor, he said.
“I’m still a great supporter of unmanned air systems,” Brown said, adding that the Triton, while lacking weapons, would be able to monitor far greater areas than an aircraft.
JSF ‘Confidence’
Brown said he also expects the RAAF to examine requirements for smaller drones once operations in Afghanistan cease, to be purchased outright or under a fee-for-service arrangement.
Australia deploys Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. Heron unmanned aircraft in that role and may replace them with larger Heron-TPs, also built by the Tel Aviv company, or Reaper drones from San Diego-based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.
Among other impending orders is one for Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, of which Australia has bought 14 of 72 it plans to take with the aim of reaching operational status by 2020, two years before Boeing Co. F/A-18 Hornets are retired.
The country has acquired 24 newer F/A-18E/F Super Hornets as a gap filler, while planning to add 12 EA-18G Growlers -- a version of the same aircraft used for electronic warfare.
Additional Super Hornet purchases are unlikely given “increasing confidence” in the F-35 schedule, Brown said.
The initial JSFs will establish three combat squadrons and a training unit, and Australia retains a long-term objective of fielding 100 of the planes, with an order decision likely after 2020 when the Super Hornets will need retiring or upgrading.
Brown said that while he’s a backer of the F-35, he’s frustrated by delays in arming the plane with an anti-ship weapon, regarded as central to Australian requirements.
“A maritime strike missile is an important weapon for us,” he said. “If there was any part of the program I have been disappointed with it has been the slowness to address the maritime strike weapon.”

(BusinessWeek)

Chinese AWACS & Bearer Aircraft