I don’t think the 04 was a drastic new fighter. DSI was part of the idea before the 01. The started as conventional as possible. Even those vertical wings on the main wing were to gradually go towards the newer design. You just cannot throw new concept in it without knowing whether it can have it from the basic design. Otherwise why don’t they add DSI on the F16? Now if they really want to improve it they have to alter a lot more. Look at the FC20. They totally have to start from the scratch. Not the case with JF17! It was part of it and the added these options during development.

Whether it has all the flights and tests. Well, I think that is the case. Why else would it already be offered to others? Would Egypt go for it and probably even inhouse production without fully tested? The reason Pakistan started a full test cycle is that they have to do under their environment, verify whether it is according to their specifications (some parts were altered) and they write english documentations for export purpose. After all they do not want to give away like Indian Druv but sell it as a real tested and verified fighterjet.

Somehow we have to try to understand that Abhi has no real intentions to accept our replies. One side LCA is super and on the other side his questions about JF17 remains. What is the value of replying? Look, he writes down to take LCA-2 for MRCA… How can you compare these two products? Do you actually think that LCA-2 (which is on the drawing board and LCA is still not realy accepted or used in intresting numbers) will be tough competition against Gripen NG, F16B70, Rafale, Ef2000 or F18E/F? I doubt that it can be taken serious. And rejecting PAKFA for what? F22? F35? Or maybe something like LCA-Super? I seriously have my second thoughts of his age.

Very very nice pics. Great developments.

So they changed the shape of the intake? Looks now suddenly very small.

– Or Indian try to produce a fighter that is fully far superior the JF-17 in all parameters.

My friend Kopyo, I doubt that we can make correlation between JF17 and LCA if we hardly know any data. Telling that a delta is far superior in every field compared to conventional design is strange. Every design has its advantages and disadvantages. Otherwise we would have Mirage2000 beating in every field the F16. Since that is not the case we can skip your theory.

Vikasrehman, as per news reports the first 2 jets delivered to Pakistan were definitely prototypes, and these were inducted in the PAF along with the remaining 8 jets. Of the remaining 8, there is wide speculation that 2 or 3 were from the PT series and the remainder were production variants.

As regards not granting any IoC or FoC, NO air force ever flies jets that are not certified IoC and FoC. And it is an important event, given that even a “secretive” PLAAF declared publicly when the J-10 was granted a certain FoC-like certification, back in early 2007. Since PAF has not reported anything about IoC or FoC vis-a-vis the JF-17, it clearly points to the lack of any expertise of testing. It is simply being flown around just like that !

As regards the absolute number of flight tests, in this interview, ADA chief stresses that the absolute number of flying hours or tests is not important. It is the testing parameters that matters. So, just because JF-17 clocked 2000 flights in just 4 years, does not mean that it is fully tested.

So, even if the JF-17 has some 650 more test-flights than Tejas (many could be from the earlier PT-01 to Pt-03), they have to be tested meticulously. Even J-10 got the early-2007 certification after 10 years of being inducted. That’s why it is hard to believe that JF-17 finished all it’s tests in 4 years flat.

We can ask the ACM of PAF whether it is certified or not? Maybe you should write him that 2000 flights in just 4 years doesn’t not say anything and starting an operational squadron at the moment is wrong. Just like the production of 15-24 planes a year should not be started before you say so. 😉

I am seriously worried about putting Indian forms at work to produce 125 MRCA’s. With all the efforts they already have to do it will push them to another level. Good for development but bad for projectcontrol for the time being. I do not trust the Hawk deal after what happened to Hal.

[B]
if not today, then tomorrow it will be. Just like all other covert & clandestine Chinese missile transfers in the past (Babar, M-11, HJ-8, C-102 anti-ship cruise missiles)

I do not think you have anything to prove this. I think it is degrading remark towards China and Pakistan.

I do not see the IFR equipment on the mirages.