True but B3 should be flying right now
By 2020 it will be generations behind
They did great work for B1 and B2 , built 50 units paused in 2014 then break neck speed for next 50 x B2 in just 3 years end of 2017 50th B2 was delivered
Since 2017 for B3 nothing but delays
Ok B3 has substantial upgrades but even that is limited to systems not airframe
Even B2 had IFR so technically also had airframe changes
Maybe you can argue JF17B also came along but still delay isn’t justified
PAC is sitting looking at shiney B2 aircraft while our neighbours is amassing it’s forces
PAC needs to get moving
Also I am sure Pakistan leadership is also at fault for not making head of PAC lay out a proper plan and timeline
In my opinion, had our country not gone through two successive, corrupt governments and almost two decades of WoT at our door step. Our economy would've been challenging the top ten in the world. And had our economy grown, then Pakistan Air Force would've run Thunder program along with J-10B or C acquisition simultaneously. For me, inducting AESA J-10s in Pakistan Air Force would've given them a leg up in terms of tech a heck of a lot earlier. Even the F-16 acquisitions would've continued, albeit at a more cautious rate and numbers.
But such luxuries aren't afforded to those who have to battle on all fronts at once. Unless the economy isn't fixed, we would not be able to leap forward. To fix the economy, we have to annihilate corruption from taking root and the only way to do that is by remaining resolved with a full proof plan. I don't believe Block-llls were delayed for no reason. Whichever the reason, I hope that it was worth it. Block-llls are not the answer to thwarting the in nuisance on the eastern front. Pakistan has to weigh in its options carefully.
At present, the trajectory is on a stable path. We need to be pushing with all we got, on all fronts. Not just Thunder program, but a whole lot of other programs as well. Being in Pakistan, I can tell you that it is pivotal for us to establish a stable economy, more than anyone can imagine. The success of CPEC is integral to Pakistan leaping forward as an economic power. As the analogy goes, "
an aircraft is nothing without its engine, so to a country is nothing without its economy" and that can only be accomplished when Pakistanis take a leaf out of our Chinese friends book ... unite (as one nation), resolve (introduce new policies), purge (root our corruption) and surge ahead (build new economic partnerships, while consolidating existing ones).