This is what i have from the interview which is being refered to here. I don’t think anyone is disatisfied with Chinese package and European option seems to be more geared towards AESA. And ACM also mentions the reason for AESA (which is certainly not the “news of LCA getting AESA on forums” 😀 )

No. You have a good chance of hitting your wingman first. If you are familiar a bit with two plane element tactics, you would know there is a good chance your wingman is going to be within the rear sphere of your plane. Besides, missiles will not launch without authorization from your IFF. In other words, to launch a missile blind is not permitted by the plane’s systems in the first place, which has many checks.

I did exclude wingman from that scenario.

On the second point, if a missile launch cannot be initiated without IFF authorization what other means could be utilized incase of a “rogue aircraft” situation ? Lets say a plane belonging to the same airforce being hijacked or something to that effect.

Thanks Joey, 🙂

One more thing i have been wondering about is HMS. It seems IN is now fully commited to LCA (and perhaps more than IAF :p ). IN chose TopSight E for their Mig-29Ks where as LCA will have Elbit Dash helmet system. The decision for Elbit system could have been an earlier decision by IAF which IN has to contend with now. Any indications that IN will try to converge on the French system and have a common sighting system for their pilots?

Guys anyone know if there are any plans for Python-5 on LCA?
Whats the update on MMR by the way?

No, MCA and PAKFA has different roles to fill in IAF, While MCA will replace and augement Jaguars , PAKFA will augement and then replace some other types.

PAKFA-MKI
MCA-Jaguar-Mig 27
MRCA-Mig 21(part of)-Mig 23
Mig 21-LCA

Regardless whatever of the above speculations, MCA as far as I know is not dependent on PAKFA project.

Joye,
Any idea about the induction time line of these aircrafts?

In my personal opinion any MRCA will be capable enough to replace Jaguar/Mig-27,Mig-23,Mig-21 functions.Operationalizing LCA defintely makes sense given the time already spent on it and the stage it is in right now but it’s hard for me to understand where does MCA fit in which is probably in early stages. IIRC IAF has plans for UCAVs too that will replace A2G platforms in the future. Shouldn’t they be investing more in beyond MRCA plans (UCAVs) than a platform contemporary to MRCA specially when there are no gaps in the roles of platforms?

asaracen can you please tone it down and let go of it? I would really appreciate it.

Just a tidbit here. The Chinese AWE&C system for PAF is being refered to as ZDK-03.

Does anyone know which institutes are part of CETC? I could only find the 9th institue which mainly works with ferrites and their applications.

Crobato,
I think the Y-8 mechanical steering AWE&C plane that we saw in Pakistan is not something being “offered”. It is a test bed. Pakistani president himself has said that Pakistan will create research center for R&D of AWACS. PAF ACM later said they had pointed out improvements in this platform when it first came to Pakistan. So saying PAF is about to induct rotating dome chinese AWACS is not true as of yet.

One more episode is regarding ERIEYE. When AWACS were being evaluated the same hawkeye which Pakistan got for it’s PC-3 were on offer and were rejected because the ERIEYE technology involved advanced Phased array as opposed to old mechanical rotodome.

Now why would they settle for mechanical rotodome and it’s not like it’s coming under US aid like the hawkeye? Lets not forget taht it has not been inducted yet. What will it be and how it will look like when it enters service in PAF we don’t know. Even the ERIEYE will be inducted in late 2009 to 2011 period if i am not wrong. Then Hawkeyes will be there too. Chinese platform will form the basis for AWACs R&D in Pakistan and you can safely assume it will not be before 2015 that it will enter service. Do you realy think by then it will be a mechanical rotodome given we know the pace at which Jf-17 was evolved quite radically?

And PAF is most probably negotiating with France for AESA because thats exactly what PAF ACM said in AFM interview(That they are looking for AESA for JF-17). They are very happy with KLJ-7 and certainly won’t go for any european proposal unless something really good is on offer(crux of what he said in interview).