Wow Dude, you called this sources official and authenticate? Business Recorder??? I am impressed 😀

Business Recorder is a Pakistani Business publication.

No offence, but I would take their word over your “opinion” any day of teh week. “Dude”. 🙂

I could teach you how to do a Google search if you wanted further sources?

Maybe China side export a much inferior PL-12(Aka SD-10)for export which PAF may have rejected. I don’t think is the radar problem but rather the missile problem. Which is why PAF are seeking western radar and BVRAAM.

And if SD-10 has really intergrated on JF-17, it shall have been publicised plus there seems to have no news of PAF purchase of SD-10…

Again, you post without checking any facts. Is it worthile just randomly posting stuff you may THINK is the case?

Cabinet approves purchase of American F-16s: minister

ISLAMABAD (updated on: April 13, 2006, 10:39 PST): The government has approved the purchase of an unspecified number of F-16s fighter jets from the United States, a cabinet minister said on Thursday.

‘The federal cabinet on Wednesday allowed the purchase of F-16 aircraft from the United States,’ Information Minister Sheikh Rashid told AFP.

It also okayed the purchase from China of a batch of FC-10 fighters and some JF-17 thunder jets being jointly built by Pakistan and China, Rashid said.

The amount of jets and the cost of the deals were not disclosed.

President Pervez Musharraf delayed the purchase in November last year following the devastating earthquake which killed more than 73,000 people in its zone of Kashmir and North Western Frontier Province.

Washington approved the sale of the F-16s to key “war on terror” ally Pakistan in March 2005 after blocking it for 15 years to protest the country’s nuclear weapons programme.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2006

ALSO THIS NEWS IN THE PRINT

Pakistan to buy 98 hi-tech aircraft from US and ChinaMUSHTAQ GHUMMAN
ISLAMABAD (April 13 2006): Pakistan will purchase 98 hi-tech aircraft from the United States and China besides missiles and other equipment to improve the capabilities of Pakistan Air Force (PAF).

According to an official document, exclusively obtained by Business Recorder, mixed package of hi-tech aircraft and equipment is being purchased from USA and China are as under:

FC-20 aircraft (36), SD-10 BVR missiles (300), F-16 A/B, ex-Pakistan (26), F-16 C/D (18 with an option for 18 more), BVR, 500(American), targeting pods 18 and joint direct attack munitions (500).
The expenditure on the entire package would be met from PAF share in Armed Forces Development Programme (AFFDP-2019), the document says. The Cabinet, according to the document, has allowed PAF to set up Joint Working Group (JWG) with CATIC for procurement of 36 FC-20 aircraft.

The government would also help PAF in securing long-term credit financing for the FC-20 aircraft from Chinese government, besides allowing PAF to initiate a Letter of Request (LoR) for the F-16 package and equipment through the Defence Ministry.

While elaborating the background, Defence Ministry said that PAF gave a presentation to the President and Prime Minister on the state of present fighter fleet and its various hi-tech aircraft options on March 31, 2006.

At present, PAF’s combat fleet consists of around 350 aircraft. The bulk of its inventory comprises old Mirages and Chinese-origin A-5, FT-6 and F-7 aircraft. With the exception of F-7 PGs, most of these aircraft are more than 20 years old and are scheduled to retire between 2008 and 2015.

Foreseeing this retirement schedule and the known difficulties associated with replacing all old aircraft with western equipment, PAF embarked upon the co-development of JF-17 aircraft. The induction of JF-17 has been planned so as to have a systematic replacement of the retired fleet.

Regarding hi-tech capability, PAF has seriously lagged over the years, mainly due to various geo-political and economic constraints. In order to redress this capability deficit, PAF has very carefully evaluated the hi-tech options against well-defined air staff requirements.

The requirement of multi-role aircraft with effective and modern operational capabilities, supportability, maintainability and other factors were thoroughly evaluated during the trials of available hi-tech options. In this regard, three aircraft namely, Chinese FC-20, USF-16 C/D and Swedish Grippen were evaluated.

While the US F-16 C/D and Swedish Grippen qualified against the PAF requirements, the Chinese FC-20, in its present state, lagged behind due to the lack of advanced avionics systems and weapons. For the future, however, PAF termed it as a good option with very promising growth potential to become one of the leading frontline fighters to face the challenges of the 21st century.

Further, due to the high cost of Grippen, the F-16 weapon system, along with air-to-air BVR missiles was considered to be the most suitable option to immediately address the critical capability deficit that PAF has accumulated vis-à-vis IAF.

The document suggests that the President had directed the Defence Ministry to move a summary for the Cabinet directing the Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs to adopt proactive approach to influence the United States and Chinese Governments for the release of the requisite package.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2006

French JF-17 Deal Could Anger India

Feb 18, 2010

By Michael A. Taverna
Paris

Politics could yet derail French industry aspirations to upgrade Pakistan’s JF-17 fighter aircraft, even as the two sides near conclusion of a deal for the program.

While the project is supported by the administration of French President *Nicolas Sarkozy, reactions in New Delhi and Washington will also influence its fate . The U.S. is concerned about technology leakage to China, and India is already a lucrative market for French industry. Enthusiasm for the JF-17 upgrade could be tempered if there were signals that this might jeopardize business in India.

The Pakistan air force wants to develop a “Westernized” version of its Chinese-made JF-17, fitted with European avionics, fire-control radar and weapons systems. The upgraded aircraft is intended not only for domestic service, but also for export.

A team led by ATE—a Paris-based company specializing in integrating systems and weapons onto military aircraft airframes of different origin—is tipped to develop and market the upgraded version of the JF-17 Thunder. The aircraft was developed by China in cooperation with Pakistan.

Other partners, according to sources close to the deal, include Thales, Sagem and missile-manufacturer MBDA. Among the losing bidders, they say, are Astrac, a Thales-Sagem joint venture also specialized in retrofits, and Finmeccanica. The winning team would not comment on the selection, which has not been officially announced.

Industry executives say the project has strong backing from the French government, which has adopted a more focused and muscular arms trade policy under the Sarkozy administration .

Pakistan has a large fleet of French Mirage III and V fighters which the JF‑17 is supposed to replace. However, the deal must still run a gauntlet of threats before it can become reality, and how long this will take is anybody’s guess.

Cash-strapped Pakistan may have trouble funding the deal, and it could also face pressure from its Chinese partners—who want to supply the aircraft with domestic systems and weapons—and the U.S., which is already supplying F-16s to the Pakistani air force.

But the biggest hurdle, the industry executive suggests, is any Indian pressure regarding the proposed deal.

The upgrade would involve 50 aircraft, plus another 50 on option, that would go into production in 2013, following delivery of the first batch of Pakistani air force JF-17s. The project could be worth up to €1 billion ($1.36 billion), more than double the $500 million that the JF-17 development reputedly cost.

The principal target markets for export are in Central Asia and Africa. Any sale would require case-by-case approval by the French government. Up to 400 JF-17s may ultimately be built.

While the exact makeup of the modernization package is not known, it is thought to include Thales RC400 fire- control radar and the MBDA Mica medium-range family of air-to-air missiles, as well as air-to-surface weaponry.

Paris is insisting on a complete package approach to try to protect against leakage of design secrets to China or other unauthorized users. However, Islamabad is also known to be discussing the separate supply of specific additional items, such as South Africa’s A-Darter short-range imaging infrared-guided air-to-air missile. ATE was previously headquartered in South Africa and most of its 400 employees are still based there.

China’s Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corp. developed the JF-17 with support from the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC). The aircraft first flew in 2003 and has been in small-batch production at Chengdu since 2006. The first JF-17 to undergo final assembly at a purpose-built PAC facility was handed over to the air force in October of last year.

The first 50 aircraft for the Pakistani air force are expected to be delivered by the end of 2012. These aircraft will be fitted with Chinese avionics and radar, as well as radar- and infrared-guided short- and long-range air-to-air missiles and antiship weapons. China’s PL-12 radar-guided beyond-visual-range missile may be part of the package.

This capable missile is now in series production for the Chinese air force and it is not clear why Pakistan would want the Mica, whose range is inferior. Industry officials suggest the Chinese fire-control radar intended for the JF‑17 is unable to exploit the PL-12’s full capability.

Copyright ? 2009 Aviation Week, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

Yes… Replace A-5 is secondary.. JF-17 main purpose is dogfight and BVRAAM.

Without SD-10, might as well get more J-7G,right?

Perhaps you deliberately chose to ignore my first response, or trying to bait?

Eurofighters were meant to be multirole but initially delivered without A2G capability. The point is they were inducted as soon as possible to get Sqaudrons operational in certain roles.

If we go by your logic then RAF should not have inducted Eurofighter?

As I have said, SD-10 can be added later. You cannot do that on a F-7.

PAF are getting a plan much superior in capability. Inducting it quickly with perhaps limited A2A capability.

Will try and find out, cant seem to fidn anymore online. Pakdef.info is always a place to try if you are keen.

Hmmm … I thought no. 26 would receive newly delivered aircrafts ?? … or is this no. 103 from the first production block only shown on display ?

At SDF someone reported, that no. 26 Sqn has so far received ONLY 14 of its aircraft … HAs anyone better information, but as far as I know the last one produced was no. 111 with three (or maybe 4 more) via CAC … so could be no. 112 – 114.

If this is true, then the first unit would be formed only by the first serial models. :confused:

Deino

We simply dont know, but considering Chinese and Pakistani factories have not exactly been idle and building JF-17s for over 6 months know I woukld not be suprised if these are brand new birds. As far as I know the operational evaluation unit at Kamra is still active with the initial birds so would not be srupirised if these are all brand new.

Official confirmation of first operational Thunder squadron

http://www.express.com.pk/images/NP_…00859721-1.gif