The centerpiece of the JF-17 Block 3, the upcoming (and most extensive) development of the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) backbone fighter aircraft, will be its active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar.
With the PAF Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Mujahid Anwar Khan, expressing hope for inducting the Block 3 in March 2020[1], the PAF is expected to decide on a radar by the end of 2019.
The leading candidates are the Nanjing Research Institute of Electronics Technology (NRIET) KLJ-7A, Leihua Electronic Technology Research Institute (LETRI) LKF601E, and Leonardo Grifo-E. Though the PAF is largely expected to select a Chinese AESA radar, the Grifo-E is, reportedly, still a factor.
The Grifo-E’s continuing inclusion in the mix is interesting because Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) had reportedly stated that it did not expect the PAF to select a Western AESA radar. AVIC’s rationale was that neither party would share its respective source-codes.[2]
If this is still the case, then the PAF’s reported interest in the Grifo-E would imply that it is interested in a Western air-to-air and air-to-surface munitions suite. If not, then the Grifo-E would suggest that the PAF has an alternative route, perhaps a third-party (i.e., non-European and non-Chinese) source.
Background on the Leonardo Grifo-E
The Grifo-E uses an undisclosed number of gallium nitride (GaN)-based transmit/receive modules (TRM). Compared to older gallium arsenide (GaA)-based TRMs, GaN-based TRMs are more energy efficient, and can offer better performance/output as well as a longer lifecycle.
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