Why Pakistan Air Force Confident Enough On JF-17 Thunder Jets

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Thunders' Vigorous Approach: PAF JF-17 Aerobatics at Izmir Air Show, Turkey

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Why Pakistan Air Force Confident Enough On JF-17 Thunder Jets

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Watch How PAC Manufacturing JF-17 Thunder Block 2 Fighter Jets!

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Marrakech Air Show Invites Pakistan to Showcase JF -17 Thunder Fighter Jet

The Marrakech Airshow 2016 has invited Pakistan to showcase its JF-17 thunder fighter jet at the 5th Annual International Exhibition of Aerospace Industries to be held on April 27-30, 2016. Under the patronage of King Mohammed VI, this upcoming Annual International Exhibition of Aerospace Industries in Marrakech will be a valuable opportunity for aerospace giants as well as investors in aeronautics industry to display their newest projects.

“The JF-I7 is a lightweight multi-role combat aircraft manufactured at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) in Kamra, Pakistan. It can be used for aerial reconnaissance, ground attack and aircraft interception,” said a communique by the Pakistan Embassy in Rabat. “The JF-I7 can deploy diverse ordnance including air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles and is equipped with a 23 mm GSh-23-2 twin-barrel autocannon.’It is powered by a Guizhou WS-13 afterburning turbofan engine and has a top speed of Mach 1.6,” the communique concludes.

Moroccan daily newspaper Al Massae said in its December 4 issue that Morocco has expressed interest to buy the JF-I7 for its Air Force. The organizers said this year’s exhibition is part of “Morocco’s strategy to develop its aviation base and strengthen the aviation sector, notably in terms of industrial investment and technology transfer.”

The four-day airshow expects more than 20,000 visitors and more than 200 participants from 20 different countries. “These aircraft manufacturers see Morocco as the gateway to the promising African market for civilian, military aviation and business aviation,” the organizers added.

India Threatening Sri Lanka Not to Buy JF-17 Thunders from Pakistan

Sri Lankan Government is facing mounting pressure from its powerful neighbour India over a defence deal Sri Lanka is to enter into with Pakistan. According to highly placed sources in the diplomatic circles, India has expressed its strong opposition to a deal the SL Government entered into with the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) to purchase 10 JF-17 combat aircraft.

Photo: PAF Wallpapers.com

The deal was entered into apparently when former Air Force Commander Jayalath Weerakkody was serving as the Sri Lankan High Commissioner in Pakistan.

It is a lightweight, single-engine, multi-role combat aircraft developed jointly by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) of China. The JF-17 can be used for aerial reconnaissance, ground attack and aircraft interception. Its designation 'JF-17' by Pakistan is short for 'Joint Fighter-17'

The JF-17 was primarily developed to meet the PAF's requirement for an affordable, modern, multi-role combat aircraft as a replacement for its large fleet of Dassault Mirage III/5 fighters, Nanchang A-5 bombers, and Chengdu F-7 interceptors, with a cost of US$ 500 million, divided equally between China and Pakistan. The aircraft was also intended to have export potential as a cost-effective and competitive alternative to more expensive Western fighters. The development of this aircraft was headed by Yang Wei (aircraft designer), who is considered China's 'ace designer'. Wei also designed the Chengdu J-20.

By 1989, because of economic sanctions by the US, Pakistan had abandoned Project Sabre II, a design study involving US aircraft manufacturer Grumman and China, and had decided to redesign and upgrade the Chengdu F-7. In the same year, China and Grumman started a new design study to develop the Super 7, another redesigned Chengdu F-7. Grumman left the project when sanctions were placed on China following the political fallout from the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. After Grumman left the Chengdu Super 7 project, the Fighter China project was launched in 1991. In 1995, Pakistan and China signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for joint design and development of a new fighter and over the next few years worked out the project details. In June 1995, Mikoyan had joined the project to provide 'design support', this also involved the secondment of several engineers by CAC. (Source-Wikipedia)

According to sources, Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval had personally expressed India's concerns on the deal to President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Doval who telephoned both President Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe had told them outright that New Delhi is against the deal.

He warned that Sri Lanka will have to face serious repercussions if Sri Lanka was to seal the deal with Pakistan.

Sri Lanka on the other hand had offered to purchase three naval ships from India. This, however, was not favoured by India and New Delhi was firm on its stance.

To give in, Sri Lankan Defence Ministry had asked for 10 JF-17 aircraft or a similar craft. India came up with a counter deal where it offered a credit line to SL Government to purchase combat aircraft. The condition is that the government could buy the aircraft from any country other than Pakistan.

Pakistan, as things developed, renewed their offer by stating they would give 10 F-7 combat craft free, if we are going for an outright purchase. Pakistan also plans to announce the deal during Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Shariff's imminent visit to Colombo in January 2016.

However, India - Pakistan relationship will reach a breaking point with Sri Lanka's final decision on the aircraft deal.

Meanwhile, the government seems to have thought of maximizing this situation, as it indicated giving the nod to the Colombo Port City Project.

The EIA was finalized and the investor published the 1,000-page report. However, contrary to normal procedure of making the report available on line for the public to give their views and comments on the project, the Chinese investor had opted to a different path.

Accordingly, those who want to comment on the EIA report will have to buy the report and write their comments manually and hand it over again.

India which was completely against the China Port City project, meanwhile, has loosened its grip on the matter and said they have no issue if the government and the Chinese company agree to certain amendments including the land ownership.

However, this much reluctant approval comes with a condition of Sri Lanka dropping the aircraft deal with Pakistan.

USAF Denies To Acquire More Fourth Generation Fighters

The US Air Force has denied any plans to purchase another tranche of Lockheed Martin F-16 or Boeing F-15 combat jets following reports it could seek bids for up to 72 new aircraft.

According to comments attributed to a senior US Air Combat Command official at an international fighter conference in London last week, the current Lockheed F-35 procurement plan could prove unaffordable, and another fighter wing of F-15s, F-16s or perhaps even F/A-18s is being considered to supplement the current fleet – which will serve into the 2040s as F-35s are delivered.

The air force is seeking 1,763 F-35As through 2038, and in the interim it intends to modernise and upgrade its F-16s and F-15s with new active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars and electronic warfare systems.

Asked to categorically confirm or deny any new fighter purchase, a spokesman for the service’s acquisition office says: “At this time the air force has no plans to acquire 72 new F-15s or F-16s, although the air force is always looking at options to be prepared for a dynamic global security environment.”

In his final press engagement at the Pentagon on 24 November, outgoing air force acquisition chief Bill LaPlante was dismissive of suggestions that another F-15 or F-16 fighter wing is being sought, but he agrees that the F-35 is difficult to afford.

“That story was news to me,” he quipped. “We’re always struggling to get the production rate as high as we can get it on F-35. That’s as true as saying it’s cold outside. It’s always true.”

The conventional take-off and landing A-model costs just shy of $100 million per aircraft, but LaPlante says the F-35 joint programme office and the Lockheed industry team are trying to reduce that to $85 million as the manufacturing process matures.

The service stopped acquiring fourth-generation F-16s and F-15s many years ago to instead focus on developing and procuring stealthy F-22s and F-35s, but both acquisitions were far more expensive and lengthy than originally planned.

The opportunity to purchase more legacy jets, which have been kept in production through foreign military sales, is closing fast, with the Lockheed F-16 and Boeing F-15 and F/A-18 assembly lines potentially closing before the turn of the decade if no more domestic or foreign orders materialise.

The air force has budgeted for 44 F-35s in fiscal year 2016 and 48 in 2017, and is building toward a production cadence of 60 jets per year by 2018 and then 80 beyond 2020.

First JF-17 Export Order Will Boost Fighter's Market

Analysts say confirmation of the first JF-17 Thunder export order could encourage other potential buyers to step forward, but they acknowledge many factors could complicate a deal. Analyst and former Air Force pilot Air Commodore Kaiser Tufail is optimistic that JF-17 will now attract further customers.

Paris Air Show Pakistan's JF 17 Thunder Aircraft To Participate News 2015.

“I am sure that after the deal that has been signed with the hitherto unknown ‘Asian’ country, the aircraft sales will surely get a big boost, and many Asian and African countries might be interested in it,” he said.

The customer in question is believed to be Myanmar, and the head of the country’s Air Force, Gen. Khin Aung Myint, was in Pakistan at the end of May for a four-day visit at the invitation of the Pakistan Air Force. He met senior defense officials and toured various bases and installations, though little more was said about the trip at the time.

Details, such as cost and the number of aircraft involved, are not known, but deliveries are expected to commence in 2017, according to information made available by Air Commodore Khalid Mahmood, head of the Air Force’s sales and marketing effort for the aircraft type. When Defense News asked Mahmood if he thought potential customers would be encouraged by the deal, he was optimistic, but also realistic.

“The first deal will certainly encourage other potential customers to conclude deals with us,” he said.

“However, it is difficult to give a timeline because there are many variables and mostly they depend on the customer countries. Sometimes it seems that the deal is around the corner but because of reasons like political instability in the country or in the neighborhood or for some other reasons, the timelines are pushed.

“So one is never sure unless the contract is inked,” he added.

Pakistan eager to secure first ever-order for the JF-17 at Paris Air Show

PARIS: All eyes will be on the sky at the International Paris Air Show with flying displays by around 40 aircraft each day, including fighter jets such as Pakistan’s new JF-17 Thunder, France’s Rafale, and Ukraine’s Antonov 178.

PAF JF- 17 Aircraft parked at Le Bourget.

Pakistan is eager to secure its first-ever order for the JF-17 at the international event as Canada’s Bombardier is particularly hungry for sales, after its new C Series aircraft struggled through development delays and difficult market conditions.

Airbus has also confirmed it will display its A400M military transport plane for the first time since a fatal crash in Spain last month caused by a massive engine failure.

With air passenger numbers set to double to six billion annually by 2030, the world’s premier air show in Paris will next week focus on green issues even as the aircraft sales war remains centre stage.

The Paris Air Show brings together some 315,000 visitors and 2,260 exhibitors from 47 countries, with much of the attention focused on which big manufacturers, particularly Airbus and Boeing, will land the most orders.

But the event happens to be hosted in the same Le Bourget venue outside Paris that will welcome world leaders later this year as they try to hash out a global deal to curb greenhouse emissions.

So it is little surprise that this year’s air show, running June 15 to 21, will put a special focus on environmental issues and innovations.

Top industry officials, government ministers and environmental experts will meet on June 18 to discuss air travel’s impact on the climate, and there will be a week-long exhibition on the subject called “The Sky of Tomorrow”.

“Building planes that emit less and less CO2 remains a leading challenge for the aeronautic industry,” said Marwan Lahoud, president of GIFAS and one of the event’s organisers.

“The Paris Air Show will be the chance to see the results and innovations achieved by manufacturers direct from the source,” he added.

Attendees will include Nobel peace prize co-laureate Philippe Ciais of France’s Climate and Environmental Sciences Laboratory, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, and a host of top air industry honchos.

The air industry’s contribution to climate change is complex and controversial.

Although planes are thought to be responsible for only around two percent of global greenhouse emissions, some researchers have found that the different types of gases released and their high altitude may have more powerful short-term effects.

The industry’s global mouthpiece, the International Air Transport Association, has set a target of being carbon neutral by 2020 and halving CO2 emissions by 2050, primarily through increased use of cleaner fuels.

But an EU attempt to impose a tax on the most polluting airlines collapsed in 2012 in the face of opposition from Chinese, Indian and American companies.

Despite that, many firms are seeking to cash in on the trend for greener technologies.

Airbus will show off its prototype, all-electric plane, the E-Fan, at next week’s air show.

And EGTS International will demonstrate its “Green Taxiing” system that allows planes to taxi on the ground without the main engines, using a back-up power unit to drive motors on the wheels.

But while many visitors are looking up, industry insiders will have their eyes firmly on the bottom line, watching the all-important competition for sales among the big manufacturers.

The industry needs between 300 and 400 sales next week to keep its production lines ticking over through 2020, said Ben Moores, a senior analyst at IHS Aerospace, Defence and Security.

Airbus chief Fabrice Bregier said 2015 may not break records, but was set to be a good year with “several hundred” orders lined up.

Boeing’s Randy Tinseth said the Seattle-based company had “a lot of things in the pipeline on the mid and long-haul planes.”
Airbus narrowly pipped its US rival at the last show in 2013, registering $39.3 billion in confirmed sales to Boeing’s $38 billion.

That year’s show saw a total of $115 billion in orders for the industry as a whole.

The commercial aviation sector remains buoyant, breaking records last year with 2,888 orders, according to Deloitte Global, a consultancy.

But the defence sector is struggling, it said, led by declines in the United States which has shed 168,000 jobs since 2010.

Paris is a particularly important venue for smaller companies that have fewer chances to show off their wares.

The show opens to the public on June 19 for the final three days.

Qatar agrees to buy 24 Rafale fighter jets from France

Qatar has agreed to buy 24 Dassault Aviation-built Rafale fighter jets in a deal worth 6.3 billion euros ($7.05 billion), the French government said on Thursday, as the Gulf Arab state looks to boost its military firepower amid regional instability.

Officials said the accord also provided for the training of a number of Qatari intelligence officers.

Tensions in the Middle East with conflicts in Yemen, Syria and Libya, as well as fears of Iran's growing influence in the area, have fuelled a desire across Sunni Gulf Arab states to modernise their military hardware.

The contract, the third this year for Dassault after deals to sell fighter jets to Egypt and India, also includes MBDA missiles, and the training of 36 Qatari pilots and 100 technicians by the French army, a French Defence Ministry official said.

"The president spoke to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar, who confirmed his desire to buy 24 Rafale combat planes," President Francois Hollande's office said in a statement.

A French air force Rafale.

Hollande will travel to Doha on May 4 to sign the contract before heading to Saudi Arabia as an honorary guest at a summit of Gulf Arab leaders.

The Rafale sales have lifted French arms exports this year to about 15 billion euros and have been a welcome boost for Dassault, which had been under increasing pressure to sell the plane overseas after years of failures.

Dassault shares were up 2.1 percent at 0912 GMT.

The French government said last year that it would slow the pace at which it takes delivery of Rafale jets to just 26 over the next five years instead of 11 every year.

Dassault is also in talks aimed at supplying 16 of the multi-role combat jets to Malaysia and has resumed discussions over potential fighter sales to another Gulf Arab state, the United Arab Emirates, the official said.

(REUTERS)

IDEAS 2014: Nigeria 'Close To Signing Up' For JF-17

By this sell of "Thunders", it'll significantly help to carrying on the fighter program for the next advanced level. And some of other African-Latin American customers will actively think to grab some squadrons for their airforces also. Heres the main news:

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is close to finalising an order for the purchase of one or two squadrons of the JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft co-produced by Pakistan and China, a senior Pakistani Ministry of Defence official told IHS Jane's on 2 December.

Speaking at the International Defence Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS) 2014 in Karachi, the official said the NAF finalised its recommendation for the purchase of 25-40 JF-17s after NAF chief air marshal Adesola Nunayon Amosu visited Pakistan in October. AM Amosu's engagements in Pakistan included a visit to the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) at Kamra, north of Islamabad, where the JF-17 is manufactured.

So far, the PAC has produced 50 Block 1 JF-17s and began work on another 50 Block 2 variants in late 2013. Pakistan Air Force (PAF) officials have told IHS Jane's that a Block 3 variant is being planned. While the JF-17 has PAF capability plans, it has so far failed to find an export customer.

COMMENT

PAF officials have described the JF-17 Block 3 as a fourth-generation-plus fighter, a term that is used to describe Western aircraft such as Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 60s, the Saab Gripen, Eurofighter Typhoon, and Dassault Rafale, among others.

Western officials have previously said that a first successful export of the JF-17 holds the key for the programme's long-term sustainment. Potential export customers mentioned as likely candidates for the JF-17 have included Egypt, Nigeria, Myanmar, and Venezuela.

Senior PAF officials have promoted the JF-17 as costing much less than comparable fighters produced by Western manufacturers. However, prospective customers are likely to consider established manufacturers ahead of PAC, which is a relative newcomer to the international market.

Bangladesh Air Force must think for replacement for its Heavy Maintenance Fighters

A recent news report on BAF's fighter fleet maintenance cost showed that they (BAF) used big portion of their annual budget for maintaining operationability of its fighters.

 

MiG-29B's of Bangladesh Air Force

Bangladesh Air Force has 8 Mig-29 and 16 F-7BG.
The maintenance cost for 8 Mig-29 over 9 years is bdt 222 crore or $31.71 million

Thus for 8 Mig-29 each year flying and maintenance cost is $3.5 million or 24.5 crore taka. 

 

Two F-7BG's at the runway

In the mean time the maintenance cost for 16 F-7BG is $7.4 Million or 52 crore taka for 4 years. 

Thus making $1.85 million or 13 crore taka.

 

One BAF F-7BG & Two other BAF A-6 Fantan escorts two USMC's F/A-18C Hornets

 

Bangladesh Air Force has a budget of $304 million out of $2.12 billion total defense budget.

And the maintenance cost of Mig-29s is 1.15% of The whole budget of BAF.

First Block 2 JF-17s Under Construction in Pakistan

Production of the first two of 50 Block 2 JF-17s on order by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is now well under way at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, Kamra, with the first expected to fly by the end of the year.

The Block 2 JF-17 has several capability increases over the Block 1s, but the main boost to the PAF as well as to export potential is the installation of an air-to-air refuelling system. One aircraft has been fitted with a refuelling probe, which protrudes from the right side of the fuselage just behind the cockpit, sitting forward of the pilot's position. It is being used for flight trials.

However, this modification will not appear in Block 2 aircraft until midway through the production at the Aircraft Manufacturing Factory (AMF), probably in early 2016, PAF officials said. Coupled with software enhancements, other new features include an upgrade to the avionics system that works around China's Nanjing KLJ-7 radar.

Production of the first two of 50 Block 2 JF-17s on order by the Pakistan Air Force is now well under way at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, Kamra. Source: Alan Warnes 

As a result, the Block 2s can add the Chinese-designed C-802 anti-ship missile and SD-10A beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile to the Block 1s' existing armoury, which includes Mk 82/84 dumb bombs and the PL-5-EII short-range air-to-air missile. All the Block 1s will eventually be upgraded with the Block 2 improvements. 

 

A detail of the refuelling probe on one of the first two Block 2 JF-17s. (Alan Warnes)

 

With an urgent need to export JF-17s, a two-seater will be built in the Block 2 time frame. The PAF had always said that a two-seater is not urgent, but Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt now admits that a dual seater is a necessity. "We realise that it is required, because the air forces interested in buying JF-17 want one," he said.

PAF pilots currently converting to JF-17 are accumulating around 25 hours on a JF-17 simulator operational at Kamra, where one of the two operational squadrons is based. Nearly all the Block 1s have now been delivered to the PAF, which has a current requirement for 150 to replace the ageing F-7P and Mirage III/Vs. 

 

Source: www.janes.com

Russia Sends 6 Fighter Jets to Belarus

MINSK, March 13 – Six Russian Su-27 fighter jets and three military transport planes with ground support personnel arrived Thursday at an airbase in Belarus to boost the airspace defenses of the two countries' Union State, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The ministry said the aircraft from the Western military district have been deployed to the Babruysk airbase in line with a bilateral agreement on the joint protection of the Union State's airspace. 

Su-27 Flanker

The planes will reinforce the four Russian Su-27 Flanker fighter jets already at the nearby Baranovichi airbase.

The Su-27 Flanker is a highly-maneuverable, all-weather fighter jet that could be used in a variety of combat missions, including reconnaissance and the interception of enemy aircraft.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko had said earlier that Belarus would ask Russia to deploy up to 15 combat aircraft on its territory in response to increased NATO military activity along the country’s borders.

NATO has begun military exercises in Poland near the borders with Belarus and Ukraine amid the current political standoff between Russia and the West over the fate of Ukraine’s Crimea region.

The US Air Force has dispatched at least 12 F-16 falcon fighter jets from its airbase in Italy to take part in the exercises, while two NATO AWACS command and control planes have started reconnaissance flights over Poland and Romania in order to help monitor the crisis in Ukraine.

The Belarusian Defense Ministry said earlier on Thursday that further expansion of foreign military activity close to Belarusian borders would “prompt an adequate response.”

In addition to its ally Russia, Belarus borders crisis-hit Ukraine and NATO members Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.

(RIA Novosti)

LCA Tejas: An Indian Fighter – With Foreign Help

India’s Light Combat Aircraft program is meant to boost its aviation industry, but it must also solve a pressing military problem. The IAF’s fighter strength has been declining as the MiG-21s that form the bulk of its fleet are lost in crashes, or retired due to age and wear. Most of India’s other Cold War vintage aircraft face similar problems.

In response, some MiG-21s have been modernized to MiG-21 ‘Bison’ configuration, and other current fighter types are undergoing modernization programs of their own. The IAF’s hope is that they can maintain an adequate force until the multi-billion dollar 126+ plane MMRCA competition delivers replacements, and more SU-30MKIs arrive from HAL. Which still leaves India without an affordable fighter solution. MMRCA can replace some of India’s mid-range fighters, but what about the MiG-21s? The MiG-21 Bison program adds years of life to those airframes, but even so, they’re likely to be gone by 2020.

That’s why India’s own Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) project is so important to the IAF’s future prospects. It’s also why India’s rigid domestic-only policies are gradually being relaxed, in order to field an operational and competitive aircraft. Even with that help, the program’s delays are a growing problem for the IAF. Meanwhile, the west’s near-abandonment of the global lightweight fighter market opens an opportunity, if India can seize it with a compelling and timely product.

SU-30MKI Multi-Role Fighter

Bangladesh Air Force's F-7MB, F-7BG, F-7BGI Fighter Aircraft's Photos