Odd to see J10CE there for certain. I can't workout if the aircraft on the right is a J-35AE or a KAAN ? ( ie 2nd from the right ).
PRC military aviation export/sales
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Odd to see J10CE there for certain. I can't workout if the aircraft on the right is a J-35AE or a KAAN ? ( ie 2nd from the right ).
IMO there is a lot of wet-dream posting!
Real are only - AFAIK - those in yellow! ... there is no J-10C, no Su-30, no Kaan and the other Turkish systems are not even close to be
I think the Pakistanis are not even close to fielding a manned LO fighter in the next ~10 years. It looks like they've chosen the J-35AE for earlier induction, lower acquisition and operating costs, and interoperability with Chinese aircraft. From what I've seen, they see the procurement of two squadrons’ worth of Kaan as a post-2035 F-16 + Mirage-ROSE replacement, mainly geared toward high-end strike and air superiority roles.
That said, Kaan is a born and bred heavy-class fighter, in the same league as the J-20, Su-57, and F-22. Inducting and operating it would be demanding (even for Turkey), especially given how sensor-rich it is and how strongly it prioritizes raw performance, unlike the medium-class, mainline workhorse 5th gen philosophy behind the J-35/F-35/KF-21B3. Just upgrading the infrastructure required to operate it would be a significant challenge in itself, considering that Pakistan has never operated a fighter in this class.
OTOH, Kizilelma is officially set to enter service with an F-16-grade GaN FCR this year (the rumor mill also hints at it being really close to induction), and the first operational airframes are already being used to train personnel. As a fighter-adjacent jet, it sits on the expensive side and differs from most CCAs/UADFs unveiled so far, aside from China's Type A and B. Still, it already exists, all of its sensors are already integrated; and it has already demonstrated the ability to conduct limited autonomous-CAP (sky's the limit here). Additionally, it is likely slightly cheaper to procure and operate than a factory-fresh 4.5th gen fighter.
If I remember correctly, Baykar plans to produce 36 Kizilelmas annually in the medium term, with the only current constraint being the supply of Ukrainian AI-322-30F engines, whose modern indigenous replacement is expected to be ready for serial production around 2028-29. Given Baykar’s close ties with Pakistan, including having established a local branch and an assembly plant, and how Pakistani officials have shown interest in the Kizilelma numerous times already, it would not be surprising if Pakistan becomes one of its first foreign operators (they also operate all the Turkish MALE UAV-types except the Aksungur!).
Edit: Oops, didn’t see the Azerbaijani flags there!
Well, aside from even less urgency for a LO fighter, the overall point still stands! (They’re also about to sign a deal for the Hürkus-II turboprop trainer and are already operating the TB-2 and Akinci. Additionally, Baykar also has a local plant there…)
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Yes, the Kaan and Hürjet duo is too far-fetched, given how the Kaan is far above their league and how the Hürjet is unrealistic, considering they’ve already ordered the M346FA and are about to receive the JF-17B3. But they already operate the TB-2 & Akinci, and they already have really close ties with Baykar…
Although it is not yet supersonic and can’t haul as much as an F-16 or perform missions as far away, the Kizilelma is essentially an F-16-sized aircraft that comes with all the bells and whistles of a modern 5th gen aircraft (conformal antennas, GaN FCR, IRST, EOTS, ESM+EW, IWBs), and does so at a relatively lower price.
That's a good thing for countries that can't afford to buy Chinese aircraft quickly, like Egypt for instance, they can use this as a stop gap.
well looks like Serbia is the client of CATIC's SWFCS system..
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Rafale with PL-15E will go hard.
I thought about using this on their Mig-29m, the French are so deluded with their "technology" that they won't let Egypt integrate Chinese weapons on it. And US will pressure France, and the french can use that as an excuse to refuse while shifting the blame to Americans.
China had a Rafale model by some company with a Chinese Air-to-ground missiles, but I don't think China will offer A2A missiles for integration with Rafale, especially PL-15E.
By the way, Egypt couldn't get meteor because ITAR, and they only have MICA A2A missile with ~80km range, I know Egyptians will love to have PL-15E integrated, but they can't.
If they want a serious Air Force, Go big for China, or wait for the inevitable humiliation by western powers in the future....maybe very soon.
On serious note the whole point of US denying J-10C sale to Egypt is because they don’t want them to have credible BVR capabilities, let alone one superior to that of the “Chosen Nation”. They likely will not tolerate PL-15 integration with any fighter aircraft, not even MIG-29.