todays trivia quiz: how old is the newest principal surface combatant in the PN ?
what is the average age of their submarine fleet ?

the average age of PN ships and submarines is alot less than Indian counterpart. just look at number of IN submarines. i cant believe anyone is 20 year younger. 85 of 140 IN ships are ready for retirement.

No, they will be newly built airframes built for South Africa. So they are “extras” added to the 204 that were ordered for Sweden.

I must say that I’m a bit sceptical about the price information in DN that I quoted yesterday. If Gripen really is that cheap, it would be a bit more interesting to buy it, I guess.
I just mentioned it because it’s so rare to see any price tag at all on Gripen…

Regards

this may be the price of JAS-39A. JAS-39C is likely to be more expensive.

ok some thing positive to contribute people to remove misconception.
now this 23,000lbs RD-33 is interesting much more than EF and F-18E.

NTV, Moscow, in Russian 0920 10 Apr 20/BBC Monitoring/(c) BBC
Text of report by Russian NTV on 10 April

[Presenter] Ten years is a long time in military technology development. The MiG-29, the best jet fighter of the 1980s, remained unsurpassed for exactly that period of time. However, its rivals did not remain idle. The Russian fighter began lagging behind in terms of its avionics and weapons. To improve the situation, new modifications of the plane have been created.

In the early 1990s, the world’s leading aircraft corporations were working on a new multifunctional combat plane, which could be effectively used against air as well as ground targets.

The F-16 fighter, the main one produced in the USA, has also become multifunctional.

The [Russian] MiG corporation took up the challenge. The MiG-29 was very well designed, which created huge opportunities for its modernization.

The work was going in two directions. The first one envisaged a limited modernization, that is an upgrade of the weapons without changing the construction of the plane itself. The second was more radical and required changes in the airframe and the creation of a digital control and navigation system.

As a result, two modifications of the fighter appeared: the MiG- 29S with an upgraded radar and an increased flying range, and the MiG-29M. The first was brought into service by the [Russian] air force. The second never went to serial production and exists only as several prototypes.

In spring 1992, [then] President Boris Yeltsin was struck by its combat capabilities during demonstration flights at the Mochulishchi air base in Belarus and promised to give the green light to the promising aircraft model. In fact, nothing has been done.

The MiG-29M has been equipped with a remote control system and the Zhuk [Beetle] multifunctional radar, which allows targets to be tracked within a 100-km range. The radar can monitor 10 and control fire at four air targets simultaneously if self-guided air-to-air missiles are used.

The new weapons system was designed for salvo launching and beam- rider guidance of missiles.

At the same time work on a carrier version of the MiG-29 was in progress, but this promising project was stopped in the early 1990s due to a lack of funds.

Work on the carrier version of the MiG-29, the MiG-29K, resumed a few years later on a contract with a foreign partner.

This is the MiG-29K. The letter “K” stands for “korabelnyy” [ship- based]. It is unique in many aspects. It is equipped with a digital command and control system and can carry up to five additional fuel tanks. It has nine external stores for weapons. Its engines are the most powerful of all those used on MiG-29 modifications. At the moment of landing or take-off from the aircraft carrier each of them can develop thrust of 10.5 tonnes. The thrust of the basic MiG-29 slightly exceeds eight tonnes.

A big batch of those planes will be supplied to the Indian navy soon and attached to the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier, which the Indians have bought from Russia.

After several years of stagnation, when the Russian air force apparently stopped the MiG-29 modernization programme, further development of the aircraft has started again.

In the late 1990s, the MiG corporation began working on a new modification, MiG-29SMT, to meet the standards of a 21st century fighter. Its combat capabilities will be close to those of the MiG- 29M.

An inexperienced person will not see any difference between the MiG-29SMT and the basic model. An aviation expert will notice a probe for mid-air refuelling and a broader range of weapons, first of all, air-to-surface missiles.

But the main things are hidden inside. They are the new radar and the new navigation and guidance system. The cabin has become more comfortable, which allows the pilot to use all the aircraft’s capabilities without a large effort.

[Vladimir Barkovskiy, captioned as deputy general designer of the MiG corporation] The aim of the ongoing modernization is to upgrade the avionics, the radar and the information and control means, as well as the weapons. Making visible changes is not our task. Such changes, if any, must be functional.

[Correspondent] Specialists from the MiG corporation are sure that the MiG-29SMT will become a real multifunctional fighter able to perform any tasks.

The two-seated MiG-29M2 is the latest modification of the MiG- 29. Equipped with an onboard radar, it has become a fully-fledged combat aircraft. Previously, two-seated MiGs had no radars and were used as dual training planes only.

Apart from conducting air combat, piloting a modern fighter implies dealing with a huge amount of information. This is why multifunctional fighters in many countries are more and more often designed as two-seater planes. The pilot steers the plane, while the operator runs the vectoring and control systems. The two-member crew can deliver strikes on ground targets, perform reconnaissance tasks and defend itself from enemy aircraft at the same time.

Professionals who have flown various types of planes highly appreciate the new MiG.

[Mikhail Belyayev, captioned as test pilot 1st rank of the MiG corporation] The MiG-29 is a soldier. I would compare it to a Kalashnikov assault rifle. You have to load it with ammunition, fuel it, and it will fly and fulfil any task.

The MiG-29 took off from the runway for the first time more than 25 years ago, but it still remains the best fighter of its class in the world.

Credit: NTV, Moscow, in Russian 0920 10 Apr 20

and u actually care to involve your self with him, actually all those who argue with him are well..what to say…..as good as he is. Get the point. Adding feul to flame is as lame as starting a flame war.

Surely i started this :rolleyes: . It was Flex297 and Bring it on. who started from price comparisions of F-16 vs MIG-29.

Are you guys actually trying to argue wth the forum oracle?

One wonders what those hi tech PAF jamming systems are exactly, the comedy of errors continues from the same crew.

surely one always wonders when didnot read well.

Islamabad, May 22 (UNI): Pakistan aeronautical experts have successfully upgraded avoinics and other sub-systems of Australian Mirage aircraft that Pakistan Air Force (PAF) had purchased in the late 1990s.

“Our experts at the PAC (Pakistan Aeronautical Complex) have successfully upgraded avionics, fire control, BVR (beyond visual range) and jamming system of more than 40 Australian Mirages the PAF has been flying since late 1990s,” an official source said here on Saturday.

He said the PAC has also rebuilt a number of Mirages out of over 30 such jets, the PAF had purchased from Libya last year.

The credit of giving a new lease of life to the discarded jets goes to our experts, he added.

Pakistan is the second country after France, which rebuilds Mirage aircraft at one of the specially-built facilities in the PAC. The complex has been rebuilding Mirages of not only the PAF, but also the same jets being flown by other friendly countries.

The PAF had procured 40 used Mirages after up-gradation of their avionics system by SAGEM of France under a $ 120 million deal in the late 1990s.

PAF always looks for the best things out there.

Thanks for that laugh. I can always use a good laugh. Obviously the A-5 is the world’s best close air support aircraft because the PAF uses it. And the Mirage III upgraded to ROSE standard can make mincemeat of any Su-30 that dares challenge it?

And old F-16A’s with no BVR capability? They will dominate any Mirage 2000 or MiG-29 foolish enough to oppose them?

Then of course there is the mighty F-7PG with its radar that can see all of about 20 miles ahead. Of course it will still be able to handily defeat the Bison or the Mirage 2000 with little problem. 🙂

Where did write that PAF had best aircraft in the world. I wrote they are looking at the Best aircraft in the world. and surely any R-77 equipped aircraft can do kill against PAF jamming system. :rolleyes:

That is what others are trying to say. YOu cant compare simply based on numbers because other factors are not known.

surely no one can compare unless everything is known but crash rate still show some thing about airforce.

Are you saying that PAF officials lie about their force readiness to suit the requirements? Then what makes you believe that whatever PAF is saying now is credible when you clearly know that they lied in the past.
If what you are saying is true, then every statement emanating from PAF is suspect. And next time I tom tom the “… best BVR in south asia…” statement, I would be careful!

no i didnot say they lie. the just phrase things in such away that intended meaning is different at certain times. so why do u think they did the press conference first regarding JF-17 and than on F-16. they wanted to clarify certain issues. but u have to look deeper into it.