DTN News - MYANMAR DEFENSE NEWS: Myanmar Acquiring License From China To Produce Its Own Xiaolong / JF-17 Fighters

DTN News - MYANMAR DEFENSE NEWS: Myanmar Acquiring License From China To Produce Its Own Xiaolong / JF-17 Fighters

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth 
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 25, 2014: The Government of Myanmar is planning to acquire technologies from China and Pakistan to build JF-17 multirole combat aircraft at its own aircraft factory to boost its Air Force.

If JF-17 production is carried out in Myanmar it may induce an arms race with neighbouring countries who would in turn acquire sufficient air defence capabilities of their own. The Royal Thai Air Force already operates 12 Saab JAS 39C/D Gripen’s whilst the Bangladesh Air Force is planning to acquire combat aircraft from China and Russia.

At present the Myanmar Air Force is composed of 23,000 personnel. It is primarily responsible for the air defence of Myanmar and counter insurgency operations in support of the ground forces.

There are 10 operational air bases in Myanmar where its inventory of up to 32 MiG-29B and MiG-29SE’s are stationed along with 25 older F-7M, 21 Nanchang A-5C and a mix of 16 Chinese and Serbian jet trainers used for ground attack roles besides providing pilot training. The air force is also equipped with 9 Mi-35 attack helicopters over 90 transport and utility helicopters. In recent times it acquired Chinese 11 Sky 02A UAV’s to perform basic surveillance missions. Another 24 has been built in-country as Yellow Cat A2. The fixed wing transportation fleet consists of 4 Shaanxi Y-8, 2 Fokker F-27, 2 ATR-72, 2 Harbin Y-12 and 5 Pilatus PC-6. Maritime surveillance is conducted by 5 unarmed Britten-Norman Islander aircraft transferred by India.

The force is plagued by serviceability issues due to lack of spare parts and trained manpower however introduction of JF-17 would mean that Myanmar Air Force will be investing in such areas to mitigate its short comings.

Author Tony David from Jane’s notes that “In both new fixed-wing and rotary-wing capabilities, regional analysts note that a lack of pilot experience and weaknesses in maintenance and ground-to-air links still limit the operational effectiveness of the [Myanmar Air Force],”

The JF-17 is a light weight single engine multi-role combat aircraft developed jointly by China and Pakistan. It can be armed with a variety of bombs and missiles including PL-5EII, PL-9C and PL-12 AAMs, C-802A anti-ship missiles, general purpose bombs, laser guided munitions and countermeasures on its 7 hard points (four underwing, 2 wingtip, 1 under fuselage). The aircraft’s standard set of armaments are supplemented by a 23 mm GSh-23-2 twin barrel cannon or 30 mm version of the same.

The avionics suite includes DEEC electronic warfare suite, NRIET KLJ-7 multi-mode fire control radar, night vision goggles compatible with glass cockpit, helmet mounted sights (HMS) and externally mounted pods such as KG-300G self-protection radar jamming pod and WMD-7 day/night targeting pod.

A Russian RD-93 powers the JF-17 to a maximum speed of Mach 1.6. The combat radius of the aircraft is 1,352 km, ferry range being 3,482 km and service ceiling 16,920 m. The thrust to weight ratio on the aircraft is 0.95. Its maximum takeoff weight is 12,383 kg.
The standard export price for the JF-17 Block I is $20 million and Block 2 being $25 million.
Pakistan Air Force is the lone operator of the JF-17 with 54 aircraft operational including 6 prototypes.

The JF-17 was offered to the Bangladesh Air Force on numerous occasions but it was declined in favour of more sophisticated multi-role combat aircraft from China and Russia.

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources 
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*Photograph: IPF (International Pool of Friends) + DTN News / otherwise source stated
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Pakistan Forges Ahead With New Fighters, Upgrades

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Pakistan Forges Ahead With New Fighters, Upgrades

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources

by Greg

Waldron - Flight International

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 21, 2011:

Pakistan has inducted its new Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 52+ fighters, while its first two full-strength squadrons of Chengdu/Pakistan Aeronautical Complex JF-17 Thunders are also on the verge of becoming fully operational.

The Pakistan air force inducted 17 F-16 Block 52+ fighters into its 5 Sqn on 11 March, the service says. The final aircraft in the 18-unit deal is still in the USA undergoing testing and will arrive in another month.

Pakistan's new batch of aircraft comprises 12 single-seat C-model versions and six two-seat F-16Ds. The air force says it is also in negotiations with the USA for additional Block 52+ aircraft, with its original deal having contained an option for another 18.

Pakistan's new F-16s are powered by Pratt & Whitney F100-229 engines, with other systems understood to include Northrop Grumman's mechanically scanned APG-68(V)9 radar and ITT's ALQ-211(V)9 advanced integrated defensive electronic warfare suite.

A proposed weapons package outlined by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency in 2006 included 500 Raytheon AIM-120C5 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles and 200 short-range AIM-9M-8/9 Sidewinders, plus 500 Boeing joint direct attack munitions, 1,600 enhanced GBU-12/24 laser-guided bombs and 700 BLU-109 penetrator bombs.

A mid-life upgrade of 34 F-16A/B Block 15 aircraft is also under way, with some being upgraded in Pakistan and some in Turkey. The project is likely to be completed next year, and will see the aircraft equipped with modern sensors and weapons.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's first full-strength squadron of 18 JF-17s is likely to become operational next month, with a second unit of the same strength likely to follow within two months.

At Air Show China in Zhuhai last November, Zeng Wen, vice-president of the China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation (CATIC), said Pakistan had 50 firm orders for the JF-17, but could end up buying 200.

Pakistan will use the JF-17 to replace a number of types, such as the Chengdu F-7, Dassault Mirage III and Mirage 5 and the Nanchang A-5. All A-5s will be decommissioned by early April, says the Pakistan air force.

China and Pakistan jointly developed the JF-17. Pakistan began indigenous assembly in 2009, and could incorporate Western avionics, radars and other systems into the type from 2012.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources

by Greg Waldron - Flight International

*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News

*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News

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DTN News: China and Pakistan Push Chengdu JF-17 Fighter For Export

DTN News: China and Pakistan Push Chengdu JF-17 Fighter For Export

Source: DTN News / Int'l Media By Chris Pocock

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - August 8, 2010: In the same week that the Chengdu JF-17 Thunder combat aircraft made its international debut at the Farnborough airshow, the product of this co-development between China and Pakistan was offered to Indonesia.

The Pakistan Defence Minister signed a defense cooperation agreement with his Indonesian counterpart in Jakarta.

The list of countries that the Sino-Pakistan joint venture is targeting for sales is expanding fast: it reportedly also includes Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Congo, Egypt, Iran, Nigeria, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Turkey, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. At Farnborough, joint-venture partners Catic and PAC described the JF-17 as a multi-role light fighter with an “outstanding performance-to-cost ratio.” The two aircraft on display were ferried to Farnborough but did not fly during the show, and officials were reluctant to allow journalists into the cockpit to view the three multifunction displays plus head-up display, HOTAS (hands on throttle and stick) and other avionics.

The aircraft were shown with PL-5II IR-guided air-to-air missiles on wingtip rails and ferry tanks on the centerline and inner wing stations, leaving the outer wing stations unloaded. Mockups of five Chinese stores were displayed next to the aircraft: a C802A anti-ship missile; an SD-10A active radar-guided air-to-air missile; an LS-6 glide bomb; a WMD-7 targeting pod; and a KG300G electronic warfare pod. Program officials said that a development JF-17 is now flying in China with a Chinese-developed engine, presumably the WS-13 Taishan.

All other JF-17s are powered by the Russian-supplied RD-93 turbofan. On the eve of Farnborough, a Russian newspaper reported the opposition of Sukhoi and MiG director-general Mikhail Pogosian to a further sale of RD-93s to China because the JF-17 is competing with the MiG-29 for export sales.

At the show, however, Russian officials, including Pogosian, played down this concern.

*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com

DTN News: Pakistan Air Force To Complete Induction Of Four Ilyushin Il-78 Aircraft By 2010

DTN News: Pakistan Air Force To Complete Induction Of Four Ilyushin Il-78 Aircraft By 2010

*Source: DTN News / Pakistan Daily By Farooq Hussain

(NSI News Source Info) ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - August 12, 2009: Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman has said that the Pakistan Air Force plans to complete the induction of up to four Ilyushin Il-78 aircraft fitted with a mid-air refueling capability, extending the capacity of its fighter aircraft to patrol areas over the border region by 2010. In an exclusive interview, Rao Qamar said, the refueling capability is an “extremely significant” development. “This is an absolutely new capability we are getting, which we are inducting. We never had this capability in the Pakistan Air Force,” he said. Answering to a question, he said, US-supplied F-16 multirole fighter aircraft can stay for up to four, five, six hours in Pakistan’s northern areas, ranging from the northern Swat valley and its surrounding region. “During this time, if there is any militant attack anywhere in the FATA [Federally Administered Tribal Areas], these aircraft can go there immediately, within minutes, and they can bomb the militants. It will create the right kind of deterrence against the militants”, he said. He said the PAF’s operations in the north have brought significant pressure to bear on Taliban militants, who were on the advance until the recent military campaign in Swat began reversing the tide. “They [Taliban militants] never see us on the ground. The only time they find out that an aircraft has struck is when the bomb explodes on them. It creates a great psychological impact”, he said. Replying to a question, Rao Qamar went on to say, the PAF was focused on enemy air forces. We remained focused on enemy land forces and enemy air forces and, therefore, we were preparing ourselves to fight against organized modern air forces and against modern armies. “We never thought we would be required to fight against militants or be involved in counter-insurgency operations. When we started this [counter-insurgency], we had to learn while on the job. We had to re-orient our thinking, we had to refine our … existing SOPs [standard operating procedures] and we had to develop new SOPs for this kind of warfare. However, we did that very quickly”, he said. The recent operation has led the PAF to identify new areas for development, such as acquiring more precision-guided bombs, enhanced night precision attack capabilities and the capability to monitor communications and track the movement of militants, he said. The PAF’s other, already established, requirements include the development of the JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft, co-produced with China, he said. The PAF plans to eventually induct up to 250 JF-17 fighters, making the aircraft the backbone of its inventory, he said, adding that, the first ’fully made in Pakistan’ JF-17 is expected to be produced by the end of this year at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) in Kamra, north of Islamabad. However, there is still a requirement for a more advanced fighter aircraft, as the PAF prepares to counter the future edge that may be acquired by the IAF once it completes the planned purchase of 126 multirole combat aircraft (MRCAs), he said. “We knew about this requirement of the Indian Air Force for 126 latest-generation fighter aircraft. Yes, it is an alarming development because when they get 126 such capable aircraft, then we also need to have something matching to counter that threat,” ACM Qamar said. Replying to a question, he said, the PAF has finalized the technical proposal for the FC-20 and informed the Chinese of its requirements. “[The technical proposal] is more or less finalized now. There are some changes that are required, which [the Chinese] are making,” he said. The next stage of the contract will involve financial negotiations between China and Pakistan, he said. Air Chief Marshall Qamar believes that, following the signing of a contract, it will take two to two-and-a-half years before the first FC-20 aircraft is received. Rao Qamar Suleman answering to a question said the PAF has also signed a contract for the purchase of four Chinese airborne early warning and control aircraft. The first of these is due to arrive in 2011 and the remaining three will be delivered in 2012.

China: Procceding Full Steam Ahead For Fighter Jets Engine Designs

China: Procceding Full Steam Ahead For Fighter Jets Engine Designs (NSI News Source Info) March 6, 2009: The design growth chart for engines produced by three of China's main propulsion system centres – Liyang Aero-Engine Corporation (LYAC) in Guizhou, Liming Aero-Engine Manufacturing Corporation (LMAC) in Shenyang and Xi'an Aero-Engine Corporation (XAC) – has been obtained by Jane's. The chart shows a clear plan for increasing the thrust and performance of China's major military engine designs, as well as confirming the existence of aircraft programmes currently in development. If the developmental timeline laid out is accurate, Chinese industry is well on its way to weaning itself from its current dependence on Russian industry as a source of engines for its most advanced fighter aircraft. Currently, China depends totally upon Russia for two of its most advanced fighter aircraft that are offered for export. The indigenously developed Chengdu J-10 fighter is powered by the Salyut AL-31FN: a derivative of the Sukhoi Su-27's Saturn/Lyulka AL-31F. The FC-1/JF-17 fighter is fitted with one Chernyshev RD-93 engine: a variant of the Mikoyan MiG-29's Klimov/Isotov RD-33. Both aircraft are on track for use by China's major defence export customer, Pakistan. JF-17s are already being assembled at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and the J-10 is also planned for acquisition, being designated FC-20 in service. The long-term Chinese plan is for the LMAC WS-10A Taihang engine to become the basis for several successively more powerful designs

Pakistan: JF-17X Stealth Fighter

Pakistan: JF-17X Stealth Fighter

(NSI News Source Info) Source; Tempur - January 27, 2009: In what is seen as a counter to India’s effort to jointly develop the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) with Russia’s Sukhoi Aircraft Corp, Pakistan’s Kamra-based Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and China’s Chengdu Aerospace Corp (CAC) last October inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly develop an advanced, stealthy, single-seat and single-engined derivative of the JF-17 Thunder fourth-generation light multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) that is already being co-developed by PAC and CAC.

Consequently, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is expected to induct only 100 JF-17s into service between this year and 2014, and subsequently switch over to the acquisition of another 150 JF-17-derived fifth-generation stealthy MRCAs between 2015 and 2025.

Present plans call for the latter MRCA to be powered by SNECMA Moteurs’ M88-3 twin-shaft bypass turbofan, incorporate a digital glass cockpit and open-architecture avionics suite, and use SELEX Sensors and Airborne Systems’ Vixen 500E X-band multi-mode active phased-array radar, or AESA, an integrated electronic warfare/defensive aids suite being developed by China’s CETC, along with a helmet-mounted sighting-cum-cueing system for which systems from THALES, BAE Systems and Denel Aerospace are being evaluated.

The M88 turbofan for this aircraft will have variable camber inlet guide vanes, while its high-pressure compressor will have a sixth stage, and its exhaust nozzle will be of the ejector type. The turbofan will deliver 50kN (11,250lb) of dry thrust and 75kN (17,000lb) with afterburning. The primary offensive armament to be carried by this aircraft will be two underwing-mounted Hatf-8 (also called ‘Raad’ or ‘thunder’ in Arabic) air-launched cruise missile, which has a range of 350km.

For air combat engagements, the stealthy MRCA will be armed with three types of air-to-air missiles: 60km-range PL-12 beyond visual range missile; 15km-range PL-13 within visual range missile; and PL-14 ramjet-powered 100km-range missile. The latter two have been developed by China in cooperation with South Africa’s Denel Aerospace.

In contrast, the JF-17, which is due to enter service late next year, is a light MRCA that will be eventually replace the PAF’s existing CAC-built F-7P Skybolt and F-7MG light MRCAs...

Pakistan: President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani Briefed On JF-17 Fighter Project

Pakistan: President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani Briefed On JF-17 Fighter Project

(NSI News Source Info) ISLAMABAD - January 15, 2009: President Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani on Wednesday vowed to strengthen the defence of the country. Co-chairing a meeting at President House on the project of the JF-17 Thunder fighter jet, President and the prime minister said the government will equip the armed forces of the country with latest equipment to meet new challenges.

The PAC JF-17 Thunder, also known in China as the Chengdu FC-1 Fierce Dragon, is a single-seat, multi-role fighter aircraft jointly developed by China and Pakistan. The "JF" and "FC" designations stand for "Joint Fighter" and "Fighter China" respectively. The first two aircraft were delivered to the Pakistan Air Force on 12 March 2007. The JF-17/FC-1 is designed to be a cost-effective aircraft which can meet the tactical and strategic needs of air forces of developing countries. On 22 January 2008, Pakistan started serial production of the aircraft at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, Kamra.

The meeting was also attended by Ch. Ahmed Mukhtar, Federal Defence Minister; Shaukat Tareen, Finance Advisor; Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed; and senior officials.

Giving a briefing on the project, the PAF chief said JF-17 Thunder is a light weight all weather, multi-role fighter aircraft, jointly developed by China and Pakistan.

The aircraft has been designed for high performance at low cost. The meeting was informed that the aircraft will have an edge over its contemporary aircraft, particularly Indian light combat aircraft (LCA) in terms of cost, early availability and supportability.