JF-17/FC-1 Fighter Aircraft thread
- Thread starter johnqh
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The fanmade Block 3/4 photo in Pinterest actually had me interested for years. But i guess Block 3 will not differ much externally compared to Block 2.
I don't know why people were expecting the Block III to suddenly come out looking like a Raptor/F-35 hybrid... I just want AESAs + PL-15s + engine upgrade, that's good enough for me. I've got 2/3rd of my wishlist so far, just waiting for official confirmation of the last missing piece.
You know what? i wished for a good Aesa (Ind forum will be a neutered air cooled aesa, so no substantial improvement). More composite uses across the airframe thus significantly increase airframe lifespan. Modern glasscockpit with HMS. Modern avionics and EW suite. A good modern, reliable FADEC engines with wet thrust around 100kn. That'll be super sweet. I know my description sounds like Gripen E but i think that's the light fighter benchmark right now.
I like the Gripen NG, but the AESA+PL-15 combo would put the Block III ahead of it in BVR. I think that's the capability the Block III squadrons need the most, as they will likely rebuild the existing air-superiority squadrons in the PAF, and will be going up against Rafales. The engine upgrade also helps. Everything else is bonus.
Im fine if Block 3 is on par with Gripen E.
Block 3 with AESA radar & 4xPL-15 loadout + data fusion processing from ZDK-03 AWACS > Gripen E
Sadly aerial warfare of today isnt Mig Alley or Six day wars anymore. EW pods and sensory packages play a major role in today's aerial warfare. AWACS (may) allow aircraft to engage in passive mode using LOAL mode. Today's aircraft almost always carries EW pod and some has towed decoys and such. Has PL15 been tested in a heavy interference environment? Against a formidable foe with good EW capability?
The PL-15 has an AESA seeker (reportedly), which makes it highly resistant to ECM. An AESA seeker also means that the bandit might not even get an RWR warning when this Fox 3 goes pitbull... And all of this is on-top of its range, which is greater than the Meteor... This is a missile that worries even the US, it's beyond anything in NATO's arsenal currently.
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People associate AWACs to a big fat radar, often disregarding the data fusion processing it plays. While AWACs may have larger scanning range, they're aided by fighters AESA radars to scan targets from multiple perspectives, feeding that data back via datalink for data fusion processing in order to paint a bigger more accurate picture - there's only so much EW and jamming pods can do to limit that.
What he said