PAF pilots test fly JF-17 ‘Thunder’ in China (MERGED)

Society Military and Strategic Issues
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PAF pilots test fly JF-17 ‘Thunder’ in China

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Air Force test pilots, Squadron Leader Muhammad Ehsanul Haq and Squadron Leader Rashid Habib, flew two sorties of 30 minutes each in the skies of Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan province of China.

The day signifies an important day in the history of aviation in Pakistan. The PAF test pilots flew the newly manufactured single-seat JF-17 “Thunder” prototype-1 aircraft for the first time. During the flight, the pilots evaluated the flight performance of the aircraft in different phases of flight and reported that they were extremely happy with the excellent performance of the aircraft in all phases of its flight.

With these flights, the Pakistani pilots have joined the chosen team of “Thunder” test pilots, which already includes the Chinese test pilots. Therefore, from now on, the PAF pilots will regularly participate in the test-flights of JF-17 aircraft alongside their Chinese counterparts to complete the “flight test and evaluation” phase of JF-17 aircraft.

The JF-17 fighter had made its maiden flight last year, and tests will continue before the aircraft is scheduled for production. “The series production of the fighters is scheduled to commence towards the end of 2006,” PAF spokesman Sarfaraz Khan said.

He said that in the first phase, five prototype fighters would be manufactured, three for flying and two for ground testing, and a small batch of 16 jets would be produced by the end of 2005.

The “flight testing” of new aircraft is a highly complex process, which involves days of planning by a team of pilots and engineers. Special sensors are installed before the flight on the aircraft, which do not only monitor the flight performance of the aircraft and the performance of its various sub-systems during the flight, but they also transmit this data to a ground station.

With the help of this data, the team of “flight test engineers and pilots” sitting in the ground-test-station monitors the flight of the aircraft and carries out a thorough analysis with the help of highly advanced computers, before the next flight. Two of the PAF’s test- engineers are already involved in the complete flight-testing phase of the aircraft.

Test flight of the JF-17 “Thunder” aircraft by the PAF pilots in China also signifies the fraternity of Sino-Pak relations since it is for the first time in the history of Chinese aviation that two foreign pilots have flown a prototype aircraft in that country.

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great news. saw pictures of the 2 hawks (sqn ldrs) in Dawn (hardcopy) today.
PAF :k:

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Cool.. ! Kick ass!

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Exactly..dil khush ho gaya sun kar…

:k:

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How much is Pakistan's share in the development of this fighter jet?

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Islamabad: *
How much is Pakistan's share in the development of this fighter jet?
[/QUOTE]

unlike previous collaborations between china and pakistan, where pakistan's share used to be negligible, in jf-17, we have a 50/50 partnership with china. that signifies that this aircraft would be made more in accordance with our requirements.

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JF-17 To Be Equipped With Advanced BVR Missiles

The air force plans to integrate the Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missiles into the JF-17 Thunder aircraft. Half of the 16 Thunders from the first batch of the supersonic third-generation aircraft are expected to be inducted into the PAF inventory by mid 2006, while the rest would be conscripted by the Chinese air force.

Briefing journalists at the JF-17 Thunder project directorate at Chaklala, Air Vice-Marshal Shahid Lateef shared the progress being made on the project and dilated on the features of the maiden flight of prototype-3 held at Chengdu in China on April 9. It was for the first time that two foreign pilots had flown a prototype aircraft in China. “We have now selected the BVR missiles for integration into the JF-17 Thunder. We made a breakthrough recently by acquiring the technology,” he said. He said the JF-17 would also carry H-2 and H-4 bombs.

About the avionics component of the JF-17, AVM Lateef said the West was reluctant to offer help in this regard. He said an avionics package for the aircraft had been examined and a contract for it would be finalized next month. In reply to a question, AVM Lateef said five radars of Italian make would be used on the prototypes. The information made available to the media said the prototype-1 of the aircraft was for verification of flight performance, prototype-2 for ground and load testing, prototype-3 for verification of light performance, prototype-4 for avionics and weapons integration and qualification and prototype-5 for fatigue testing. Prototype-2 and prototype-5 were only for ground tests, it said.

AVM Lateef said induction of the aircraft would help maintain combat potential, especially at a time when the need to replace the ageing fleet was the top priority and new aircraft were not available from anywhere. “It (JF-17) would replace every aircraft that would retire,” he said. According to the schedule, flight testing of the aircraft would end this year. The small batch production would be followed by serial production. AVM Lateef said 25 PAF officers had been sent to China and the PAF would have enough expertise to duplicate the work in Pakistan when the people trained in China returned. He said a number of countries were interested in buying the aircraft. He said the Chinese air force had ordered the aircraft in big numbers.
Pakistani Defence

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Do Pakistani Pilots train on 'MFI Mushak' and 'T-37' trainer aircrafts to fly F-16s or do they go abroad?

I mean will Pakistan also need better trainer-jets for JF-17s or 'K-8' and other toys will do?

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Will 150 JF-17 Thunder fighters be enough for Pakistan Air Force to defend Pakistan?

Maybe not.

If JF-17 Thunder is that good, why is the Air Force still shopping for other foreign jets?

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Gupistani: *
Will 150 JF-17 Thunder fighters be enough for Pakistan Air Force to defend Pakistan?

Maybe not.

If JF-17 Thunder is that good, why is the Air Force still shopping for other foreign jets?
[/QUOTE]

Its called tactical fulfilment, sort of like going shop to shop looking for a bargain; and secondly@ Dildar Hussain, please read up on the facts before posting.

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Pakistan doesn't know tactics and nor it has any.

Pakistani Warriors have always fought on their own. Acquisition of parts of foreign weapons in events of a war have always let Pakistan down badly.

During the Kargil conflict, the French wouldn't release the Agosta submarine despite it was completed and ready for delivery nor would the South Africans sell any bombs for the Air Force.

Pakistan must admit that's a lonely nation, it can never ever rely on any nation (even China) but God only.

Where were the Chinese during the Kargil conflict in 1999 or during the nuclear stand off in 2002? Were they going to take million of Pakistani refugees or were they threatening India with their own missiles?