how many fighters is pakistan buying ( F-16 C/D & JF-17 & j-10 )

[sky]

hi i wanna to know which fighters is pakistan finally buying & how many. also by when will paf receive them.

[Webmaster]

Earlier F-16 deal reports suggest an initial deal for up to 24 fighters. But reportedly the PAF is seeking a total of 70. Reuters reported this total to be 75 new build aircraft, and also an interest for 11 second-hand examples.

JF-17, Pakistan opened the production line recently, and a requirement for around 150-200 aircraft is suggested. Initial eight to be produced in 2006, full rate production planned for 2008.

J-10, I've seen no reports on the F-10 being offered to Pakistan yet. Also it's long from an export version yet, I believe. Both countries seemed to be more focused on the JF-17 deal right now. But as soon as that is intering PAF service, I am sure they will look at their next acquisition. Although the Block 50/52 F-16s might have taken the J-10s place.

[Goose]

The question is how many can they afford? They can't support two acquisition programs can they?

[Air Marshal]

F-16 C & D For PAF

Pakistan has sought prices for buying as many as 75 new F-16 C/D Falcon fighter aircraft since the Bush administration announced it would resume sales, the head of the Pentagon agency handling the matter said on Wednesday.

Pakistan also has asked about buying 11 used F-16s, said Air Force Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kohler, head of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which runs U.S. government-to-government arms sales.

Many experts had expected Pakistan to seek only about two dozen F-16s, said Richard Aboulafia of Teal Group, a Virginia-based aerospace consultancy.

The numbers cited by Kohler show it wants to make the F-16 a mainstay of its combat aircraft fleet, he said, adding this was "very ambitious in terms of regional strategy and very costly."

The single-engine, multi-role F-16 is built by Maryland-based Lockheed Martin Corp. . The new purchases would flesh out a fleet of about 32 F-16s acquired before Congress cut off sales in 1990 over Pakistan's nuclear program.

Kohler, in an interview with Reuters, said Pakistan had requested F-16 Block 50/52 aircraft, the most modern flown by the United States and the current production standard, similar to exports to Poland, Greece, Chile, Oman and Israel.

Only the United Arab Emirates flies a more advanced variant, Block 60, with improved radar, defenses and range.

Asked about any Pakistani interest in the Block 60 model, Kohler said: "They did not ask for it and I don't think they could afford it." Kohler held arms-sale talks with defense ministry officials in Pakistan and India last month.

"I think when we go back and talk to them about the cost of the new systems my guess is that they will downsize slightly the (request for) new and they may increase slightly the used," he said.

The Bush Administration announced on Mar. 25 that it would resume sales of F-16s to Pakistan after a 16-year break. The about-face was widely seen as a reward for Pakistan's support of the U.S.-led global war on terrorism.

At the same time, the administration said it would let Boeing Co. and Lockheed compete for a potential $9 billion market in India for as many as 126 combat aircraft.

Lockheed is pitching India the same F-16 Block 50/52 and Boeing is offering its dual-engine F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, the most modern combat U.S. aircraft currently in full-rate production.

The F-16 C/D Block 50/52 sells for $40 million to $45 million each, depending on options. Boeing's Super Hornet is expected to cost $50 million to $55 million, based on the U.S. Navy's next production batch, Kohler said.
He said India was seeking to produce domestically the majority of the aircraft it eventually buys. It also apparently had invited bids from Sweden, France and Russia, Kohler said.

For Pakistan, U.S. government officials were still weighing the weapons systems, targeting pods, radars and electronic warfare equipment that would be offered as part of a package.

A deal could perhaps be notified to Congress toward the end of the summer, the first step in a process that could lead to deliveries three years after an agreement is signed, he said.

Jf-17 Thunder For PAF

The first squadron of ultramodern figter planes, JF-17 Thunder, would be inducted in the Pakistan Air Force fleet in the middle of next year.This squadron will consist of six supersonic warplanes being jointly built by Pakistan and China. Engineers and technicians from both the countries have started building five prototype fighter planes. The prototype project is likely to be completed within a couple of months.

A well-placed source has confirmed that the PAF would induct 150 JF-17 fighters in phases. These planes would be equipped with latest avionics, most of which are being jointly developed by the two countries.

Perspective

These would be inducted in the PAF to replace Chinese origin warplanes, A-5 and F-7, which are completing their stated life. It is learnt that the China Air Force would induct more than 500 JF-17 fighter planes during coming years.

The project was conceived during the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif's first regime in the early 90s. The first test flight of the supersonic jet was successfully conducted in September 2003 in China.
It is learnt that the production cost of this medium technology fighter would be significantly less than the international market price of such state-of-the-art planes.

J-10 For PAF

Future Plan of PAF.