http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/867393.cms

Pak to double its defence exports: Jane’s

LONDON: In an effort to meet its burgeoning defence imports, Pakistan plans to double its defence exports in the near future, a leading defence weekly reported Wednesday.

Pakistan’s strategy is to focus on building the Khalid and Zarrar main battle tanks and Mushshak trainer aircraft and earn enough from exporting them to match its defence imports, the Jane’s Defence Weekly said in its latest issue quoting country’s top defence industry officials.

“Our products have started to mature… today there are things that we can offer that can really interest the whole world,” Zahid Anis, Pakistan’s secretary for defence production, told the weekly.

“We are sustaining 100 million dollars now and that’s good considering we’re a new entrant into the market,” Maj Gen Syed Ali Hamid, director general of the Defence Export Promotion Organisation, which co-ordinates the export activities of Pakistan’s defence manufacturers, said.

“But if we sell one or two of the big-ticket items, say one billion dollar over five or six years, then you’re looking at 200 or 300 million dollars a year, which is still just a fraction of the global defence market. But my target is, whatever our import bill is, if we can match our exports to that then I’ll be satisfied,” he said.

Pakistan’s defence exports, currently amounting to about 100 million dollars a year should increase dramatically when the country starts to export Khalids, which could happen in the next couple of years, along with the JF-17 fighter it is developing with China, which could be ready for export by 2008 or 2009, the officials said.

Nice article from http://www.military.com/

also a video of the X-45 (right click save quicktime)http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2002/video/ucav007.mov

WILD WEASEL MISSIONS, MINUS WEASEL: The X-45 UCAV

Nothing beats a weasel for sneaky attacks, and the F-4G “Wild Weasel” certainly lived up to that nickname. Simply put, a “Wild Weasel” is an aircraft that was modified to identify, locate, and destroy radar-controlled surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) and anti-aircraft artillery. The Wild Weasel launches missiles that home in on the defense system’s electromagnetic energy emissions — in other words, if an anti-aircraft radar system is turned on for more than a few seconds, the Wild Weasel can use the radar’s own signal to find and destroy it.

But since the F-4G’s retirement from the Air Force inventory in 1996, the U.S. military has lacked a dedicated, purpose built SAM suppression aircraft — an egregious deficiency the Boeing Company hopes to correct, and then some — with the simple innovation of making such missions safer with a pilot-less plane. Welcome the new Weasel: the X-45 UCAV (Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle), a remotely operated stealthy aircraft that relies on its small size, infinitesimal radar cross section, and non-pilot limited maneuverability to approach, identify, and attack enemy air defenses with precision munitions.

Small and Deadly

By removing the pilot, Boeing has been able to dramatically reduce the overall size of the aircraft; the X-45C production model will weigh only 14,000 pounds and be 4 feet tall. Compare that to the 16-foot high F-4G, which weighs 29,500 pounds. The Weasels may skimp on size, but they’re efficient when it comes to the engine: The X-45A demonstrator is powered by a single Honeywell F124-GA-100 6,300 pound thrust engine, while the X-45B fieldable prototype will be powered by one GE F404-102D 7,000 pound thrust engine.

The X-45 is equipped with two internal weapons bays which can accommodate up to four 250-pound near precision small diameter bombs, each of which is expected to have a CEP (Circular Error Probable) point of impact of between 3 and 8 meters. The UCAV will have a ceiling of 40,000 feet, a cruising speed in the area of 650 miles per hour (Mach .85), a range of 1,300 miles, and a mission endurance of 90 minutes. Landings and takeoffs will be handled like a conventional aircraft, but the airframe, consisting of an aluminum substructure with a composite material skin of graphite epoxy, will incorporate the latest advances in stealth technology (the air intake, for example, follows a radar absorbing serpentine path) to further reduce its already small radar cross section and thermal signature. To facilitate transport in C-5/C-17 aircraft, the wings of the X-45 are removable, and the entire package can be shipped in a special container.

Remote Control

True to the promise of sparing servicemembers from danger, The UCAVs will be operated from mobile units located hundreds of miles from the battlefield. The mobile truck-based units include a mission control station (MCS), support systems and the armed air vehicles. The MCS will have a secure satellite relay and line-of-sight communications link. The UCAV is operated via a remote mission control station (MCS) that provides aircraft feedback and sensor situational awareness of the battlefield environment, allowing the operator to make stress free tactical decisions. The MCS also allows each operator to direct the activities of up to 4 individual UCAV vehicles — in other words, it can plan routes and missions that the UCAVs can perform autonomously. This could potentially be developed to the point that multiple air vehicles will be operated in co-ordinated strike missions.

In support of its SEAD and intelligence gathering operations, the UCAV will be equipped with sensors that will allow it to detect, classify, and attack threat electronic platforms (radars) as well as other previously identified high value targets (especially those located in high air defense activity areas.) In addition, so that it can be incorporated into manned aircraft strike packages, the UCAVs navigational system will have four-dimensional capability (to enable it to transition navigation waypoints at specific altitudes and times.) To reduce overall maintenance costs, since the UCAV need not be flown for the sole purpose of maintaining a pilot’s flying proficiency, the X-45 is designed to be stored for up to 10 years without use or maintenance. With the X-45 undergoing flight-testing and systems integration this year, Boeing hopes to have the production X-45C fielded and mission ready by 2010. A naval variant, designated the X-45CN, is expected to enter the flight testing phase in 2007.

Put it all together, and the X-45 will be a milestone: it will be the first unmanned system specifically designed for combat operations, suitable for a variety of missions, including airborne electronic attack; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; suppression of enemy air defenses; and strikes. Coupled with advanced sensors and precision weapons, the X-45 will add some tantalizing options in executing air campaigns in the future.

Reality Check:

The need to replace the F-4G in Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) missions is very real; when paired with an F-16C (armed with AGM-88 HARM missiles and CBU-87 cluster bombs) the original Flying Weasel was without equal. With the advances made in radar-guided surface to air missiles, SEAD missions are also more dangerous than ever — thus, the creation of a modern unmanned Weasel was logical. Removing the pilot certainly makes the mission safer to perform, but has it made the mission easier to perform? In its current configuration, the UCAV can attack actively emitting threats, or those that have been previously identified and plotted. Since it does not carry the dedicated anti-radiation HARM missile (which, once locked on to a target, could attack that target even if it was not radiating) the UCAV must wait for the target’s location to be plotted and the information loaded into the SDB’s guidance system before it can attack.

The UCAV is only truly effective against discrete or point electronic threats, such as radar guided missiles. Against IR threats, it is much less effective than would be a piloted aircraft (as any pilot will tell you, the first step in avoiding an inbound missile is visually acquiring the missile and then maneuvering against it). Lacking the ability to “look around,” the UCAV will be less responsive to targets of opportunity than would a piloted aircraft. Finally, since it is capable of carrying only 250-pound bombs, it will be of limited effectiveness against dispersed targets, such as AAA (anti-aircraft artillery), or when making “snap” attacks against surprise targets (one advantage to using the CBU-87 cluster bomb in SEAD missions is that given its 200×400 meter “footprint,” close is good enough).

This is not to say that the UCAV concept is without merit; given its small size and expendability, it will be a very useful tool for attacking heavily defended targets. But it is not, and should not be seen as a viable replacement for the hunter-killer F4-G/F-16C package, and until a dedicated EW-SEAD aircraft comes available, there never will be.

— Eric Daniel, Military.com

would be nice to see the pakistanis training with our dutch boys 😀

PLA the pakistani f-16, they have a bvr capable radar but no missiles isnt it so ? didnt they upgrade their F-16 themselves (with help of willing nations ofcourse) ?. i thought this was the case. :confused:

hmmm you are right on that one the SU-35 has +9 g on most of the sites and the su-30 mki around 7 to 8 g’s but on BR indeed it says to be 9g’s. is the MKI structurally enhanced/redisigned a bit to handle higher stresses etc. then the su-27M ??

on this russian site http://www.aeronautics.ru/archive/vvs/ they are saying around 8 g’s.

The su-35 is hower noted for +9 g on fas and that russian site. any info guys ?

its more poverty and dihonoured feelings etc which lead to terroristic acts. There are plenty of muslims living in the rest of the world without the same values as te terrorists

I dont understand one thing though, why is saudia arabia negotiating for the al khalids. Because reading the article it seems they have not much manpower to operate their tanks. So why fill in more ?, isnt it logical to cut back the MBT’s ?

more from gettimmages orsomething etc.

KARACHI, PAKISTAN: Pakistani soldiers of the Special Service Group (SSG) are dropped on a target by a military helicopter during a demonstration of a counter-terrorism operation at an exhibition of defence equipments in Karachi, 14 September 2004. As much as 45 delegations from 35 countries were expected to take part in the exhibition, entitled “Ideas 2004”, the third exhibition of this kind in Pakistan. AFP PHOTO/ Aamir QURESHI (Photo credit should read AAMIR QURESHI/AFP/Getty Images)

KARACHI, PAKISTAN: Pakistani soldiers of the Special Service Group (SSG) are pictured as they take part in a demonstration of a counter-terrorism operation at an exhibition of defence equipments in Karachi, 14 September 2004. As much as 45 delegations from 35 countries were expected to take part in the exhibition, entitled “Ideas 2004”, the third exhibition of this kind in Pakistan. AFP PHOTO/ Aamir QURESHI (Photo credit should read AAMIR QURESHI/AFP/Getty Images)

KARACHI, PAKISTAN: Delegates inspect a model of a submarine on display at Pakistan Navy’s stall during an international defence equipments exhibition, in Karachi, 15 September 2004. As much as 45 delegations from 35 countries were expected to take part in the exhibition, entitled “Ideas 2004”, the third exhibition of this kind in Pakistan. AFP PHOTO/ Aamir QURESHI (Photo credit should read AAMIR QURESHI/AFP/Getty Images)

Some companys i think

http://www.satuma.com.pk/
http://www.idaerospace.com/

some pictures

Jasoos
Range : 150 km radius
Endurance: 3-3.5 hours