PAF F-16 Avionics, Weapon System & MLU Package notified to Congress

I may mention to the moderators that although I shall discuss some aspects of Indian weaponry vis-a-vis the proposed assorted weaponry with the sale of Block 52 F-16 to Pakistan, the discussion shall be technical.

The advantage gained by the PAF in terms of weaponry by this purchase is JDAM bunker-busting bombs only. The BLU-109 and GBU bombs can be used to target hardened shelters or underground targets.

The article is right in mentioning that this sale to Pakistan does not alter the status of the balance of conventional weapons in South Asia.
The following is a list of A2A weaponry used by IAF aircraft, which includes A2G bombs and A2G missiles :



Thus, the only weapon that is lacking in the inventory of the IAF is the bunker-busting bomb such as JDAMs.
As for the rest of the weaponry recieved by Pakistan, IAF has equivalent weapons in greater quantity/quality or both, such as supersonic anti-radar missiles, or supersonic Anti-ship missiles.

My point is that the balance is altered because the PAF now has some capability to defend itself. Right now very few PAF planes (if any) are BVR capable plus there are no known BVR missiles in PAF inventory. Now, with Block 52+ aircraft coming, the IAF will have a much harder time going against the PAF.

F-16A/B's are not cleared for JDAM, I wonder what kind of MLU package fixes that.

eecsmaster said:

F-16A/B's are not cleared for JDAM, I wonder what kind of MLU package fixes that.

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There is a simple reasoin behind it. F-16 Block 15 A/B have been much better in Air to Air combat than Blk 50/52+ C/D. They can perform better air superiority job than ground attack, it is therefore PAF is upgrading them more advance Air-to-Air avionics & weapon systems. For the same reason PAF is going to buy used Bl 15 A/B & not used C/D models.

JDAMs would be on C/D model to perform multirole & ground attack activities.

SABRE said:

There is a simple reasoin behind it. F-16 Block 15 A/B have been much better in Air to Air combat than Blk 50/52+ C/D. They can perform better air superiority job than ground attack, it is therefore PAF is upgrading them more advance Air-to-Air avionics & weapon systems. For the same reason PAF is going to buy used Bl 15 A/B & not used C/D models.

JDAMs would be on C/D model to perform multirole & ground attack activities.

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I don't know this for sure, but I really doubt a/b is better in A2A than blk 50. Yes, it has better maneuverability than blk 50, but there are other factors. I could use some expert help here, but I would think later F-16s had bigger nose size, probably used stealthy techniques like the gold tainted canopy. Once block 15 is added with all the electronics upgrade, it will become heavier, so it might not have the same maneuverability as before.

Even older F-16 A/Bs had gold tinted canopies tp(nato Falcons).
And yes the block 15 is generally accepted by Viper pilots as being the best variant for the air-air role speciffically for close in knife fights. However block 15s of the PAF have also for a long time been BVR capable(not armed).

umairdt said:

Even older F-16 A/Bs had gold tinted canopies tp(nato Falcons).
And yes the block 15 is generally accepted by Viper pilots as being the best variant for the air-air role speciffically for close in knife fights. However block 15s of the PAF have also for a long time been BVR capable(not armed).

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interesting, but I would think that the newer block 50 airframes is probably using better RAM coating and such. As for block 15 being the best WVR variant, I don't think I disputed that. F-16 got progressively less maneuverable with the newer blocks. But with the MLU upgrade, I would think more electronics would be added into F-16, so the aircraft would become heavier and less maneuverable.

not to mention that A/Bs have less thrust in their engines.

Actually only the IPE engines used in the 50/52+ and block 60s either P&W F-100 or GE F-110 produce more thrust than normal F-100 or F-110 engines used in the A/B/C/D versions. All these engines had a max of 25,000 lbs afterburning thrust, I'm forgeting the dry thrust rating. Therefore the above member's post is as far as I know my Falcons wrong.

you may want to check up at f-16.net
It really depends on whether the F-16 is C or D. If it's C, then it uses the much higher thrusted Ge F-110. If it's D, then it uses the underpowered but more reliable F-100. A/B both uses F-100. It was pretty much selected originally, because it uses the same engine as F-15. So yes, A/B are considered underpowered.