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Now, the PAF must factor in the maintenance of this skin in terms of climate control, durability, facility management, and other factors. It will need to properly scope out the platform’s complexity and plan around it so as to induct and operationalize the fighter. While true for all fighters, a LO NGFA adds a layer of complexity because of its stealth attributes (which becomes both an inherent strength and a drawback).
Even if one concedes that the PAF is convinced of eventually inducting the J-35AE, the intermediary work of preparing for the platform – which will require testing the fighter in Pakistan for an extended period of time (akin to the Pakistan Army Z-10 tests) – has not yet taken place.
Second, the J-35A will likely have teething issues once it enters operational service with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). In other words, the operational maturity is not there and technical issues could require iterative block-based improvements (analogous to the F-35 experience).
Next, the PAF will continue retiring large numbers of legacy fighter aircraft, from the Chengdu F-7PG to the Retrofit of Strike Element (ROSE) Mirage III/5s. Through the 2030s, conversations may also steer to replacing the oldest F-16A/B Block-15 and JF-17 Block-1 aircraft as well, with the former likely reaching the end of its OEM-specified lifespan of 8,000 hours and the latter reaching the end of its original 3,000 hour lifespan. Of course, from the 2030s, LO NGFAs like the J-35AE could become a factor and would likely be the go-to platform for replacing the older multirole fighters.
However, the PAF must also balance the high-cost nature of the J-35AE with its quantitative needs – i.e., a larger number of more affordable fighters will be sought. For the PAF, it’s not solely about maintaining a specific fleet size, but the reality that these previous generation fighters would be needed to feed into LO NGFA-centric operations.
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