Pakistan's Air Force Faces Modernization Dilemma as Aging Fighters Near Retirement

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is bracing for a major overhaul in the coming years. With nearly 200 of its fighter jets slated for retirement by 2030, the country's air force finds itself at a crossroads between maintaining its capabilities and the urgent need for modernization.

A Ticking Clock​

The PAF's aging fleet of French-designed Mirage-III/5 fighters, a mainstay of the force, are reaching the end of their lifespan. With the manufacturer having long ceased production of spare parts, the continued operation of these jets becomes increasingly difficult.

Plans to acquire used Mirages for parts haven't materialized, further hindering their long-term use. Similarly, Pakistan's Chinese-built F-7PG fighters are also destined for retirement despite having years of service life left.

Looking to China for Solutions​

To replace its retiring fleet, Pakistan is seeking Chinese-built fighters. The PAF has already received J-10CE jets, but there's hope to eventually add the FC-31, a fifth-generation stealth fighter, to the arsenal. However, this path presents its own set of challenges.

The FC-31, while advanced, isn't considered a true fifth-generation aircraft in the same league as the American F-22 or F-35. It lacks the sophisticated stealth and electronics found in those fighters.

Additionally, plans for local production of the FC-31, which might help improve the aircraft's capabilities, are uncertain and the FC-31 itself remains under development.

The Cost of Modernization​

Cost is another major obstacle for the PAF. Advanced fighters like the JF-17 Block-III, an upgraded version of Pakistan's workhorse fighter, come with a substantial price tag. This financial burden has slowed down further orders of this variant. It's expected that the FC-31 would be even more expensive.

The Challenge Ahead​

The Pakistan Air Force needs to strike a delicate balance between cost and capability as it updates its fleet. While China is a vital partner, its current offerings have limitations, and the country may not have the resources to purchase top-of-the-line fighters in large numbers.

How the PAF manages this challenge will shape its ability to effectively defend Pakistan's airspace in the years to come.

 

[Pink Panther]

3 years from the time orders are placed. That’s officially given in writing by Dassault.

so you mean to say that they will we will get them first before other foreign customers like UAE and Indonesia who ordered way before us, is this not unethical.

 

[Akshat]

so you mean to say that they will we will get them first before other foreign customers like UAE and Indonesia who ordered way before us, is this not unethical.

I only care about India and they have told us that they will deliver within 36 months. Doesn’t matter if they hold back even French deliveries for that. We will get them and that’s all that matters to me.

 

[Akshat]

Because they don't make all the individual components, they have to wait for many components some from foreign companies, some from local public and private companies which is what is causing delays and under usage of facilities, unless supply chain is fixed this problem will persist, on top of these delays, more delays are caused by IAF who keeps on asking for more changes and the time it takes to make those changes and agin testing them, this is neverending saga unless MOD or somebody higher up gets involved and fixes this bottleneck.

So this problem isn’t faced by South Lorea. L&T which faced this problem for Zorawar and had to change the engine months before roll out still managed to roll out on time. 10-15% variance is normal but no one in the world gets any of these issues but HAL? Wow.

 

[Pink Panther]

So this problem isn’t faced by South Lorea. L&T which faced this problem for Zorawar and had to change the engine months before roll out still managed to roll out on time. 10-15% variance is normal but no one in the world gets any of these issues but HAL? Wow.

it is easy to switch the supplier for one component engine, but in fighter jets it is not easy.

 

[Akshat]

it is easy to switch the supplier for one component engine, but in fighter jets it is not easy.

So why are Korean planes not delayed?

 

[kumar]

Actually PAF is much better placed than IAF to mitigate the impact of retiring platforms such as Mirage IIIx. They already have over 100 JF-17 and while some may claim they are rudimentary and basic, the thing is they have them in numbers. That itself compensates for their basic capabilities. Any wayu the Block III is fairly competent fighter and older aircraft of Block I and Block II configuration are slated to be upgraded to Block III standard eventually. As such while retiring fighters will invariably impact operational capability, it wont be as severe as IAF, which does not even have full compliment of baseline LCA MK1 fighters. With deliveries of MK1A, now officially delayed, IAF is looking down the barrel and has backs against the wall when mitigating the shortfall.

I wont even bother discussing about Tejas MK2, AMCA MK1 and MK2 as they are nothing more than a figment of HAL/ADA/ DRDO imagination with the program limited to just engineering drawings.

Yes, pakis are better placed than Bharat. Thanks.

 

[kumar]

I know how Pakis will get fighters for thier airforce, which usually involves begging. But declaring Fc31 a capable fighter by the article is ridiculous. It is still in development and somehow chin!se products by default are capable and to be feared. LOL.

 

[Garuda]

Glad to know people are not being optimistic . But if we successfully develop Cats Warrior and achieve 24 jet's per year by 2025 , than i don't think we need to worry . Tejas are already capable enough for jet's like J 10c with it's Astra mk2&3 and Uttam . 2-3 more squadrons of Rafale would have been perfect but now we don't have other option except pressurizing development of Tejas mk2 and TEDBF . If TATA is interested than Rafale M can be very important as TEDBF will take time and so will LCA mk2 . I think China will just use Pakistani air bases if need arises but we can chill for now and celebrate this at least , common that's all you and me can do :]

 

[ABHIJIT APSINGIKAR]

Yes, pakis are better placed than Bharat. Thanks.

The truth is bitter but needs to be acknowledged all the same. The process of problem solving starts with acknowledging the existence of issue and accepting that its indeed a problem. We are not going to sort anything if we blissfully shut our eyes and bury our heads in sand like an ostrich.

 

[Pramkumar]

Pak must opt for India’s Tejas

 

[Anurag]

So why are Korean planes not delayed?

They just throw money at it!! And leave the hurdles of long bureaucracy aside

 

[Akshat]

They just throw money at it!! And leave the hurdles of long bureaucracy aside

No corruption scandal has been proven with South Koreans so far. And bureaucracy is just as bad. They are trying to give a loan to Poland but laws don’t allow it and they are trying to change the law but see how long it is taking. Only true difference is that we have DPSUs and they have private companies.

 

[Anurag]

No corruption scandal has been proven with South Koreans so far. And bureaucracy is just as bad. They are trying to give a loan to Poland but laws don’t allow it and they are trying to change the law but see how long it is taking. Only true difference is that we have DPSUs and they have private companies.

Is it only corruption really? I highly doubt that...
Money matters the most(Dpsu less spending time consuming and overall exceeding cost much more than desired but gov backed so facing no issues at all).
Comparison between the South Korean & India is baseless they spend almost 3 times more money on a platform that is 4.5 gen and slowly upgrade it to the 5th gen!! While we say we want the development speed like them but we are not able to spend like them!! Just my assumption surely other factors are also their!!

 

[Shafted mohammed]

PAF is going the way like PIA and soon would have very few planes as old reliable planes gone and new planes either fallen or junked. The Chinese stuff has zero reliability.

 

[kumar]

The truth is bitter but needs to be acknowledged all the same. The process of problem solving starts with acknowledging the existence of issue and accepting that its indeed a problem. We are not going to sort anything if we blissfully shut our eyes and bury our heads in sand like an ostrich.

Use ur head for a change. How many years will u be deriding India and parroting what others say.
Must have really hurt u the first time. Lol.🤣 😂 🤣 .

 

[Official]

I still feel that we neednt jump on the 5th gen fighter bandwagon. Most of the countries that have developed them are still further refining and developing them. We have a capable 4th gen fighter 'Tejas'. 4th gen fighters are here to stay atleast for the next 20 years. Not every country has a 5th gen fighter in thier arsenal. It will take the world 20 years to replace thier 4th gen fighters with 5th gen till that time AMCA would be a much more refined fighter.

 

[Mithu Roy]

Today buying jets is like buying mercedes. how can beggers purchase toys. Earlier their economy was better than ours they had gas to burn and were economically better.now they have become like our bihar and therefore won't afford anything pricy

 

[Anant]

Pak must opt for India’s Tejas

And why exactly would we sell the Tejas to them? No, let them keep banking on their Chinese Junk Fighter 17.

 

[Anant]

Glad to know people are not being optimistic . But if we successfully develop Cats Warrior and achieve 24 jet's per year by 2025 , than i don't think we need to worry . Tejas are already capable enough for jet's like J 10c with it's Astra mk2&3 and Uttam . 2-3 more squadrons of Rafale would have been perfect but now we don't have other option except pressurizing development of Tejas mk2 and TEDBF . If TATA is interested than Rafale M can be very important as TEDBF will take time and so will LCA mk2 . I think China will just use Pakistani air bases if need arises but we can chill for now and celebrate this at least , common that's all you and me can do :]

You are way too optimistic. CATS Warrior is atleast 2-3 years (and maybe even 5) away. Moreover, we physically cannot get to 24 Tejas jets by 2025, since the Nashik line won't be operational until 2026-27. Even if we did have that line operational today, we wouldn't be able to get anywhere near 24 jets a year due to multiple supply chain bottlenecks.

Oh, and by the way, the Astra Mk 2 is about to start full testing, while the Astra Mk 3 is still some time away.

Finally, MRFA is a necessity not from a technological perspective but from a quantitative perspective. We cannot build jets fast enough to reach the required strength of the Air Force (42 squadrons) until the early to mid 2040s at the least, unless we decided to (on paper) scrap that target and order far more, thereby justifying increasing expenses to massively scale up capacity. MRFA is needed to bolster up the number of squadrons.

 

[ABHIJIT APSINGIKAR]

Use ur head for a change. How many years will u be deriding India and parroting what others say.
Must have really hurt u the first time. Lol.🤣 😂 🤣 .

That's the thing I am using my head while u ain't. It's not about deriding India, but accepting faults to start rectification.

You do realise that time and again IAF edge was compromised by a heady mix of poor procurement policy and tardy DRDO, HAL combine that ceased advantage of aewc abd bvr missiles to PAF despite being first to induct in service?

Do u realise that they are producing 25 JF-17 per year since 2015-17? Now they may not be spectacular, but with over 120 airframes already in service it's volume compensates for perceived lack of capability. This production can be scaled to 30 airframes in short order.

When was the last time HAL delivered the full compliment of airframes during delivery? When was last time HAL delivered even half of the 25 airframes? I rest my case, we have a serious problem with highly bereaucratic and ineffective PSU who just keep failing persistently to deliver even agreed upon production volumes as stipulated by contract.

Besides underestimating an enemy is a recipie for disaster. You need to acknowledge enemy strengths and plan accordingly to counter and neutralize them rather than squealing about someones comments deciding our country.

Truth is Pakistan despite being a dump pf an economy has been fairly competent in driving their defense modernization programs. They foresaw the prospect of losing inventory due to phase outs and decommissioning and have planned for it bybalredy placing a large order for JF-17 BLKIII and J-10. Yes in interim the loss of some.squadrons would have an impact, but it wont be as severe as deliveries of PAC JF-17 BLK III have already commenced and J-10 are about to come by end of year. We on other hand are still waiting for contracted LCA MK1A, the first batch of which should have already been delivered as per contract signed in 2021.