Designing these UCAVs that are approaching manned fighter jets in complexity will give PAC experience and build capacity that it is lacking.
PAC is seeking foreign partners for collaboration in the development of the FGFA. Serious discussions are being held with Turkish Aerospace Industries on merging the TAI TFX program
Using Swift Retort as a template, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) will likely carry out the following acquisitions and changes.
The PAF could upgrade its existing JF-17 fleet to acquire fleet-wide ‘first-shot’ and stand-off range strike capabilities in the next five years.
Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) are looking to seal new JF-17 contracts with Argentina and Malaysia.
A recent photo of a JF-17 Block-III prototype (3001) equipped with the PL-10 high-off-boresight (HOBS) air-to-air missile (AAM) shows that weapons integration is underway.
Having appointed its next Chief of Air Staff – Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu – the PAF will be looking ahead to several key programs in the 2020s.
The reveal of the Shahpar-2 and specifications of PAC’s larger UAV show that Pakistan is intent on developing a domestic drone industry.
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) recently revealed a wide range of updates on its projects, including its next-generation fighter aircraft (NGFA) program under Project AZM
Note: This article is a partial re-write of an older Quwa Premium piece – “Pakistan’s Mirages: Specialists Enduring Out of Necessity.” However, the latter half of this article delves into how the PAF used the Mirage III/5 during Swift Retort as well…