Not accurate. The avionics upgrade were done without IAF insisting for them.
That’s quite surprising, for years you IAF fanboys have been banging on about how the constant development delays were due to the IAF continuing to ‘revise the ASRs’…and now the ‘upgrades’ of a still in development fighter are solely due to HAL and DODO?
At any rate, the point remains, with most of the key capability inhouse, the refresh/upgrade rate for Indian aircraft and systems is superior to than can be achieved by PAC, unless it invests commensurately.
That’s incorrect. Some of the major systems on the LCA, i.e. the engine and radar, still rely on fundamental foreign components, the US sourced F-404 IN20 engine and Israeli derived radar being just 2 major examples.
Hardly. I am just pointing out that if the Chinese had indeed met the requirements, then there would have been no need to go to France, and now per recent reports, Italy.
I suggest you read the AFM article again, it’s obvious the PAF were more than happy with the Chinese radar/avionics suite when considering the French option. Not sure how reliable the story regarding Italian radar/avionics is. IMO, the most likely upgrade route will be a Chinese derived AESA.
Also, since you will be license assembling most of the key avionics systems, you cannot reverse engineer them to come up with modified local versions since that will constitute an IP violation, that ties you to the OEM supplier.
How can the PAF, and PAC in particular, be ‘license assembling’ systems in which it has a 50% development stake in? Using that logic, it’s like saying the UK and BAE was license assembling the Panavia Tornado or the Eurofighter. The whole point about the JF-17 is that it transfers technology over to Pakistan to allow customisation for PAF requirements, for example, integration of the H-2, H-4, MAR-1 and Raad, and perhaps in the future, other A2A missiles.
Coming to comparisons – my point is fairly simple. The JF-17 still has a ways to go to mature, as you admit, so it is premature to count on it as the BVR workhorse.
Read the AFM article again. The SD-10 will be the primary BVR weapon, with other BVR options still being considered by the PAF. The negative points you incorrectly (or intentionally) keep on reiterating, such as ‘Chinese avionics not being up to scratch, therefore the PAF have to look elsewhere’, have actually been cited as an advantage for the JF-17, i.e. to keep open other options. Again, in the AFM article, the open architecture nature of the JF-17 allows it to be updated easily, I quote;
“The avionics and weapons interface with a modern MIL 1553/1760 databus mission to allow the integration of a glass cockpit but much more importantly, the potential to expand the aircraft’s capabilities in line with a portfolio of Chinese and Western weapons. In addition to the SD-10A A2A missile, the PAF is looking at a Western BVR missile and avionics system which, if integrated, will elevate the JF-17 into a phenomenal air defence platform.”
And…
“While there are hopes that Western avionics will become available and integrated, the beauty of the JF-17 is that it never runs out of options. There is now a phased plan that will increase the level of Pakistani built co-developed Chinese avionics to 80% including assembly of the KLJ-7 radar at PAC Kamra”.
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