Initial order will be anywhere from 150 to 250 and will form the back bone of PAF. It will have BVR capability. With Al-Khalid and Al-Zarrar a success and FC-1 a reality its time we tell uncle sam you don’t call us we will call you. wallah!! time for lil celebration
By YIHONG CHANG JDW Correspondent Paris.
An official from China’s Chengdu Aircraft Industrial Group (CAIG) told Jane’s Defence Weekly during the 17-24 June Paris air show that the organisation has this year made an important breakthrough in its development of the FC-1 (Super-7) fighter.
Up to now, one full-size mock-up has been manufactured. A first prototype is in production, with work on this to be completed in early 2003.
Expected to fly later that year, the aircraft will be equipped with an EL/M-2032 fire-control radar supplied by Israel Aircraft Industries’ Elta business unit, two ship sets of which have been delivered to CAIG for trials, along with four Russian RD-93 turbofan engines.
To improve the FC-1’s flying performance, CAIG has developed a new-generation dual redundant longitudinal fly-by-wire system. For the lateral control system, however, the traditional hydraulic control is still in use. The FC-1 project has received the investment of $150 million, 50% of which Pakistan has provided.
The FC-1 programme has also benefited from consultation work conducted by Russia’s Mikoyan Design Bureau under a $500,000 contract from CAIG.
The choice of radar and fire-control system for the anticipated production of 100 FC-1s has yet to be decided, although the Type - 2032 is thought unlikely to be selected. China has also imported two Phazotron Kopyo multimode search and track systems, possibly also for use on the FC-1 programme. The design will enable the aircraft to integrate weapon systems from different countries, including Chinese-made PL-11 semi-active radar guided and PL-12 (the local designation for the Russian R-77) active radar guided air-to-air missiles.
The FC-1 will also be able to deploy precision-guided ground-attack weapons, including a new Chinese-made laser-guided glide bomb with a range of more than 20km.
The People’s Liberation Army Air Force intends to field a mixed fleet of Su-27SK/Su-30MKK, J-10A (F-10) and FC-1 fighters to meet its varying air combat requirements.
Photograph: China has produced a full-scale mock-up of its FC-1/Super-7 fighter and expects to fly its first prototype of the aircraft in 2003 (Source: via Y Chang).
Volume 036/001
(c) Jane’s Information Group Limited 2001.
For more information please contact Janes:
Abdali,..do you know,..they biggest and the first customer of China is Pakistan.As Isreal gets the latest and new Military equipment from USA,…Sameway Pakistan gets from Chinese.
If you remember,..When China gave F-6 fighter plane to Pakistan,…They gave in Hundreds,…Pakistan perfected more to their needs and made it very successful fighter plane.But since the Chinese technology is getting matured,…and more sophisticated than ever is good news for Pakistan.Uncle SAM is just getting more nervous than ever,..that why Pakistan is relying heavily on China.Though our military has 90 % of their military hardware from WEST,…and USA,..but,..Now the war patterns are changing,…Technological monoply is changing and Emerging SuperPower is not too far from keeping the balance in the world.
BTW,…If you have a friend like UNCLE SAM,..Then you don’t need an enemy,…
Today building a plane that flys is no big deal. Several countries are doing that the trick is in the avoinics and the inteligent firepower. Paks F7 if equipped with US Phoenix missile can blow a SU37 etc.. to mars. The good news is FC-1 is a modern fighter with lookup/down and (BVR) Beyond visual range capability. Thanks to S. Africa it will be equipped with Darter BVR missile with a 60KM range. It means it can track and shoot from a safe distance of 60KM.
Abdali,
Yaar,.I am all for it,…Good news for Pakistan,…because now,..USA can’t blackmail Pakistan anymore.Now they can keep their Military Hardware…I loved to hear this new development.China is more trust worthy than USA in future,…too,…
Nonetheless, It’s a great news in roughly a year or so on the progress of FC-1 project. However, it won’t address Pakistan’s air-defence needs on short-term. The first batch of jet-fighters won’t roll off the assembly lines until atleast year 05-06. In the meantime several questions need to be answered. How Pakistan is going to boost its first line of air defence in case India deploys Air Warning and Controls System (AWACS), which it may acquire from Israel.
The great news is that most of Pakistani jet-fighters will be BVR capable within the next two years. Local assembling of Grifo-7s significanlty bolstered the wide reconnaisance and attack capability of Pakistani jet fighters. Subsequent step defenitely will involve joint mafucturing BVR enabled AAMs( Air-to-Air), such as Denel Darter S or R series. http://www.kentron.co.za/Dynamics/Default.asp?Type=Airtoair
Beside all these short-term improvements, PAF will still have to invest in new fighter aircrafts within two years to check the comabat ratio within 1:3. I think Musharraf said few weeks ago that Pakistan would be really interested buying Su-30s from Russia, however highly unlikely to materialize. In real terms, these could be Mirage 2000s, or Rafale.
ElM/-132 is probably selected to test this system against local variants. There were also questions before if the aircraft would feature a fly-by-wire system which seem to have been answered. I think overall, it will be an integral part of Pakistan Air-force and will play a vital role for the next fifteen years.
[This message has been edited by Abdullah k (edited July 08, 2001).]
SU30s are out of the question coz Russians have a bigger customer, India. So is Euro fighter and Gripen. Any thing with American component is out of the question. American long term policy is to protect India from all except China and you know why. So we are only left with Mirage 2000s and they are too expensive. Our best bet is Chinese fighters with advanced western avionics. Pak and China must co develop AWACS as Israel will sell American Phalcon to the Indians and we do need one.
When you look at projects like Al-Khalid and FC-1 gives you the feeling sanctions are blessing in dsiguise.
I am know i am telling the wrong people BUT you guys do know that china buys alot of military supplies and hardware from israel.
After that they do come to pakistan from china.
Nicely done, as we get the military stuff with out dealing with israel.
[quote]
Originally posted by CM:
**I am know i am telling the wrong people BUT you guys do know that china buys alot of military supplies and hardware from israel.
After that they do come to pakistan from china.
Nicely done, as we get the military stuff with out dealing with israel.
Click on the following link. Its a Russian A50 which India crashed (heheheheeeee)
It is one of the best AWACS out there.
Now they are trying to get an Israeli(US) Phalcon. Basicaly an American radar on Airbus 310. http://fas.org/nuke/guide/russia/airdef/a-50.htm
don’t be fooled by the looks its the electronic brain that counts and its Israeli/American Phalcon system inside the belly of that ugly flying machine.
That is good news BUT Pakistan badly needs to update its airforce in terms of fighter aircraft. It is generally accepted that Chinese technology is currently well below Western and Russian levels.
Since it is unlikely that the USA will sell us any of their decent planes like the F22 or anything else for the foreseeable future we have to shop around. Therefore why not go for Russian Su 35 and Su 37–it is probably the best all purpose fighter in the world at the moment. If not this then any of the Su 27 Flanker series are excellent fighter planes. I mean our best planes at the moment are some old F16s from the early 80s!! And given Russia’s economic woes maybe they wont mind selling to Pakistan even though they sell to India mostly. After all, cash talks and the Russians sell to anyone! If not how about going for the Eurofighter?
Or the Rafale or Mirage 2000? Even those these might be expensive isn’t it better to have 10 state of the art planes instead of 20 feeble ones?
Also Pakistan needs to get some FAE bombs. (Fuel Air Explosives).
Also we need to update our Navy with some Kilo class submarines. These are diesel based and deadly.
But nowadays war is about the air and so Pakistan should concentrate more on fighters, interceptors, bombers etc.
Do you think we can get the Russians to sell some Tu 22s
