I think it was the EW performance of the JF17s that basically made all the IAF aircraft, including their vaunted MKIs, blind and deaf that was the main deciding factor.
I think before that the PAF always had some doubts in the back of their minds about how well Chinese weapons’ paper specs would translate into real world results. Hence they were hedging their bets retaining F16s as well as JF17s despite all the political limitations the Americans put on their F16s.
Those doubts were erased by the performance of the JF17s, and now that the PAF knows that Chinese hardware can deliver against top enemy opponents, they were finally willing to bite the bullet and get the J10.
The Indian Rafales would have also been a factor, as would the PL15 (if it’s even part of the deal). But I think the real world performance of the JF17s was the key factor.
Well this isn't accurate but you could be right.
As far as we know, JF-17 blocks I and II do not feature any strong EW. I think at most, they can be fitted with EW pods but more for self defence than proper EW like Y-8, Y-9 special mission aircraft that do focus on EW and something like J-16D.
PAF used AWACS/AEWC like ZDK-03 and Erieye so both Chinese and European AEWC.
For EW attacks the PAF used No.24 Blinders squadron modified Falcon 20 aircraft with various electronic attack capabilities fitted out. These are very old EW aircraft but dedicated ones.
F-16s stayed back. JF-17 escorted strike package carried by Mirages and JF-17 may have acted in the role of some limited EW attack if they were equipped with pods. The JF-17s have such slight available power it makes little sense for them to be equipped with any serious EW to have pulled off a spoofing and jamming of IAF radars and comms.
Much of the details are kept hidden for good reason. PAF do not want to educate the IAF too much as to allow IAF to begin eroding PAF electronic advantages. IAF however did still react by purchasing Rafales and now trying to update all their MRAAMs away from baseline R-77.
I don't believe Blinders were used in any forward positions or have the range to impose significant affect on the IAF from well within Pakistan. Yet the JF-17s escorted Mirages basically around where India proper begins, WELL ahead of Blinders and F-16s and maybe even hundred + kilometers ahead of any AEWC.
So those JF-17s pushing forwards would have relied only on themselves. Maybe the IAF was just so unprepared and did not expect the PAF that if they were up in the air, the strike package and JF-17s would have been met sooner and no such jamming would have happened. Perhaps the Indians were just no shows when the strike was dropped but in the ensuing air combat when the Indians had Mirages, Su-30s, and Migs, they were blinded and jammed. Maybe that was the work of the PAF EW aircraft and maybe it was JF-17 or a combination but it sure can't be said to be certainly the work of JF-17.
