No, that's simply a slightly modified image of the prototype prior to its maiden flight.
Pakistan Military News, Reports, Data, etc.
- Thread starter A.Man
- Start date
No, that's simply a slightly modified image of the prototype prior to its maiden flight.
Why only 4 ridiculous deal ?Pakistan considers expanding Mi-35 contract with Russia: Military Official
* According to a high-ranking military official in Pakistan, Islamabad is considering the expanding of the contract on the delivery of the Mil Mi-35 helicopters from Russia.
KARACHI: Pakistan is considering the expanding of the contract on the delivery of the Mil Mi-35 helicopters from Russia, a high-ranking military official in Pakistan told Sputnik.
The Mi-35 is a modern multipurpose attack helicopter, equipped with the latest navigation and avionics technology, capable of operating in high temperatures and in mountainous terrain. It can also be used for medical and transportation purposes. Moscow and Islamabad concluded a contract on the delivery of 4 such helicopters in August 2015.
Pakistan may consider purchase of different types of Russia’s military equipment including its advanced S-400 air defense systems, a high-ranking military official in Pakistan said.
The S-400 Triumf is Russia’s next-generation air defense system, carrying three different types of missiles capable of destroying aerial targets at a short-to-extremely-long range. The weapon is capable of tracking and destroying all existing aerial targets, including ballistics and cruise missiles. By now, the contract on systems’ delivery has been finalized only with China. Islamabad has no plans to purchase Russia’s Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets at the moment, a high-ranking military official stated.
The Su-35 is a 4++ generation aircraft employing technologies of the fifth generation, designed by the Sukhoi Aviation Holding Company, which belongs to the United Aircraft Corporation. The fighter jet (NATO reporting name Flanker-E) is an upgraded version of the Su-27 multirole fighter. It was first introduced to a foreign audience at the 2013 Paris Air Show.
In September 2016, Shahab Qadir Khan, deputy director of export promotion services in the Pakistani Defense Export Promotion Organization, told Sputnik that Pakistan was negotiating a deal on Su-35 and Su-37 jets with Russia.
TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
Hind Helicopters can be used for any number of mission types but they make a lot of trade offs. where I think they are at there best is with Special operations mission sets where they can deploy small teams and back them up. If done as such then small numbers makes a lot of sense.
timepass
Brigadier
DENEL GROUP WORKING TO REPLENISH LONG-TERM ORDER PIPELINE
The Denel Dynamics A-Darter, a 5th-generation within visual range air-to-air missile. Photo credit: Denel Dynamics
reports that Denel Group SOC CEO Odwa Mhlwana admitted that the company’s dwindling order book “is a cause for concern,” but affirmed that efforts were underway to replenish its forthcoming orders in the short-term.
Mhlwana outlined that Denel has opportunities valued at ZAR 40 billion ($3.10 billion U.S.), of which half or more can be brought to fruition and translated into firm orders in the near-term. Denel aims to maintain an order book of at least ZAR 30 billion ($2.3 billion).
The Middle East is Denel’s largest export market, constituting 24% of the company’s overall sales. This is followed by Asia Pacific, Europe and Africa at 13%, 12% and 9%, respectively. South Africa is Denel’s largest single client, constituting 37% of all sales.
To mitigate cost, Denel is internally reorganizing its various subsidiaries. It merged Denel Aerostructures and Denel Aviation to create Denel Aeronautics. Mhlwana claimed this resulted in cost savings. Denel will also work to accrue cost savings from its suppliers.
The company is struggling to maintain healthy liquidity. This is a result of current export orders, notably that of Malaysia, conditioning payment to Denel upon the delivery of the system. Denel may change the terms of its contracts to better support its operating expenses.
According to Denel, it earned ZAR 8.057 billion in revenue with a net-profit of ZAR 333 million in 2016-2017. Both indicators are lower than 2015-2016 where revenue and net-profit stood at ZAR 8.228 billion and ZAR395 million, respectively.
Notes & Comments:
Since 2010, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been Denel’s leading customer in the Middle East. Denel Dynamics and Denel Vehicle Systems (DVS) are maintaining large-scale programs in the country.
In 2010, the UAE placed a $173 million for Denel Dynamics’ Umbani precision-guided bomb (PGB) kit for the Mirage 2000-5/-9. The Umbani PGB not only provides general purpose bombs (GPB) with semi-active laser-homing seekers, but also provides stand-off range extension options in-excess of 100 km (an ‘Extend Range’ variant of the Tariq/Umkhonto can reach 200 km).
Denel has been supplying the Umbani (renamed ‘Tariq’) in partnership with UAE-based Emirates Defence Industries Company (EDIC), with whom Denel maintains a jointly-owned subsidiary in Tawazun Dynamics. In 2014-2015, the UAE issued a $38.4 million in 2014 follow-on order for the Tariq PGB.
In 2015, DVS signed a $63.6 million contract with EDIC’s to co-produce the N35 mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicle for the UAE. As per Defence Web, DVS is in talks with a Middle East customer for a follow-on order worth five times the original deal. It is not clear if this is the UAE.
Denel has been seeking additional large markets, among them Pakistan. Denel Land Systems had sent its T5-52 155 mm 52-calibre self-propelled wheeled howitzer to Pakistan for tests, where it claims the T5-52 had performed well. The T5-52 was also at Pakistan’s biennial defence exhibition IDEAS, which was held in Karachi in November 2016. In 2015, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) listed the Denel Dynamics A-Darter as a high off-boresight (HOBS) air-to-air missile (AAM) option for the forthcoming .
It is not known where Denel stands in terms of landing Pakistani contracts, but in March 2017, South Africa and Pakistan a bilateral for enhancing defence ties. The MoU’s language was comprehensive, including arms trade, wherein it called for acquisition, cooperation in research and development, transfer-of-technology, co-production and joint-ventures.
With apparent regulatory backing, Pakistan should be able to engage. Granted, fiscal capacity is limited, but much less so with South Africa (and the South African Rand) than the U.S. Dollar, Euro or Pound. Co-production can also enable Pakistan to spend a sizable portion of an acquisition domestically. Seeing its approach with the UAE, it seems Denel is amenable to such an avenue.
Seeing the scale of Pakistan’s arms procurement, which can involve arming the JF-17 multi-role fighter, modernizing artillery, arming naval vessels, acquiring light armoured vehicles and even equipping infantry with new small arms, Denel could have a sustainable long-term market in Pakistan. Longer term points of access could include supply or technical support work for , under which PAC is developing a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) drone and will pursue a 5th-generation fighter (the MoU enhanced collaboration between PAC and Denel Aeronautics).
[1] Denel Group SOC Annual Report. 2014-2015. p122
[2] Denel Group SOC Annual Report. 2015-2016. p90
[3] Alan Warnes. “JF-17 Thunder: Pakistan’s multi-role fighter.” Note: a special publication released by the Pakistan Air Force during the Paris Air Show of 2015.
The Denel Dynamics A-Darter, a 5th-generation within visual range air-to-air missile. Photo credit: Denel Dynamics
reports that Denel Group SOC CEO Odwa Mhlwana admitted that the company’s dwindling order book “is a cause for concern,” but affirmed that efforts were underway to replenish its forthcoming orders in the short-term.
Mhlwana outlined that Denel has opportunities valued at ZAR 40 billion ($3.10 billion U.S.), of which half or more can be brought to fruition and translated into firm orders in the near-term. Denel aims to maintain an order book of at least ZAR 30 billion ($2.3 billion).
The Middle East is Denel’s largest export market, constituting 24% of the company’s overall sales. This is followed by Asia Pacific, Europe and Africa at 13%, 12% and 9%, respectively. South Africa is Denel’s largest single client, constituting 37% of all sales.
To mitigate cost, Denel is internally reorganizing its various subsidiaries. It merged Denel Aerostructures and Denel Aviation to create Denel Aeronautics. Mhlwana claimed this resulted in cost savings. Denel will also work to accrue cost savings from its suppliers.
The company is struggling to maintain healthy liquidity. This is a result of current export orders, notably that of Malaysia, conditioning payment to Denel upon the delivery of the system. Denel may change the terms of its contracts to better support its operating expenses.
According to Denel, it earned ZAR 8.057 billion in revenue with a net-profit of ZAR 333 million in 2016-2017. Both indicators are lower than 2015-2016 where revenue and net-profit stood at ZAR 8.228 billion and ZAR395 million, respectively.
Notes & Comments:
Since 2010, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been Denel’s leading customer in the Middle East. Denel Dynamics and Denel Vehicle Systems (DVS) are maintaining large-scale programs in the country.
In 2010, the UAE placed a $173 million for Denel Dynamics’ Umbani precision-guided bomb (PGB) kit for the Mirage 2000-5/-9. The Umbani PGB not only provides general purpose bombs (GPB) with semi-active laser-homing seekers, but also provides stand-off range extension options in-excess of 100 km (an ‘Extend Range’ variant of the Tariq/Umkhonto can reach 200 km).
Denel has been supplying the Umbani (renamed ‘Tariq’) in partnership with UAE-based Emirates Defence Industries Company (EDIC), with whom Denel maintains a jointly-owned subsidiary in Tawazun Dynamics. In 2014-2015, the UAE issued a $38.4 million in 2014 follow-on order for the Tariq PGB.
In 2015, DVS signed a $63.6 million contract with EDIC’s to co-produce the N35 mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicle for the UAE. As per Defence Web, DVS is in talks with a Middle East customer for a follow-on order worth five times the original deal. It is not clear if this is the UAE.
Denel has been seeking additional large markets, among them Pakistan. Denel Land Systems had sent its T5-52 155 mm 52-calibre self-propelled wheeled howitzer to Pakistan for tests, where it claims the T5-52 had performed well. The T5-52 was also at Pakistan’s biennial defence exhibition IDEAS, which was held in Karachi in November 2016. In 2015, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) listed the Denel Dynamics A-Darter as a high off-boresight (HOBS) air-to-air missile (AAM) option for the forthcoming .
It is not known where Denel stands in terms of landing Pakistani contracts, but in March 2017, South Africa and Pakistan a bilateral for enhancing defence ties. The MoU’s language was comprehensive, including arms trade, wherein it called for acquisition, cooperation in research and development, transfer-of-technology, co-production and joint-ventures.
With apparent regulatory backing, Pakistan should be able to engage. Granted, fiscal capacity is limited, but much less so with South Africa (and the South African Rand) than the U.S. Dollar, Euro or Pound. Co-production can also enable Pakistan to spend a sizable portion of an acquisition domestically. Seeing its approach with the UAE, it seems Denel is amenable to such an avenue.
Seeing the scale of Pakistan’s arms procurement, which can involve arming the JF-17 multi-role fighter, modernizing artillery, arming naval vessels, acquiring light armoured vehicles and even equipping infantry with new small arms, Denel could have a sustainable long-term market in Pakistan. Longer term points of access could include supply or technical support work for , under which PAC is developing a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) drone and will pursue a 5th-generation fighter (the MoU enhanced collaboration between PAC and Denel Aeronautics).
[1] Denel Group SOC Annual Report. 2014-2015. p122
[2] Denel Group SOC Annual Report. 2015-2016. p90
[3] Alan Warnes. “JF-17 Thunder: Pakistan’s multi-role fighter.” Note: a special publication released by the Pakistan Air Force during the Paris Air Show of 2015.
timepass
Brigadier
PAKISTAN AND CHINA COMMENCE SHAHEEN VI JOINT AIR-EXERCISE
On September 7, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) began their bilateral air exercise – Shaheen VI – China. The annually-held exercise, which will conclude on September 27, involves as many as .
Pakistan’s state-owned Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) that the PLAAF contingent for Shaheen VI includes the Shenyang J-11 (i.e. license-built Chinese Su-27 Flanker), Xian JH-7/JH-7A strike aircraft, and KJ-200 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft. A PLAAF spokesperson told APP that Chinese ground forces and air defence units are also participating. Photos of the exercise, published by , show that the Shenyang J-8II interceptor is also participating with the PLAAF.
The PAF appears to be participating with the JF-17 Thunder, which is jointly produced by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) and Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC), CAIG F-7P and the Karakoram Eagle ZDK03-based AEW&C.
Pakistan and China rotate the responsibility of hosting the Shaheen exercise, with Shaheen V being held in Pakistan in 2016. That year, the PAF also participated in and in Turkey and the U.S., respectively. The PAF also conducted its force-wide exercise, , in 2016.
Besides benchmarking operational practices and performance with partnering air forces, exercises of this nature also enable the PAF to engage in dissimilar air combat training (DACT). Of particular interest would be the Shenyang J-11, which is a Flanker variant like the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Su-30MKI.
During Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s visit to the PAF’s No. 9 Squadron (“Griffins”), the PAF had announced (via ) a multi-national exercise in October. This will be Pakistan’s largest air exercise and it will involve personnel from 19 air forces. In addition, the PAF’s will be hosting bilateral and multilateral training exercises on a regular basis.
On September 7, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) began their bilateral air exercise – Shaheen VI – China. The annually-held exercise, which will conclude on September 27, involves as many as .
Pakistan’s state-owned Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) that the PLAAF contingent for Shaheen VI includes the Shenyang J-11 (i.e. license-built Chinese Su-27 Flanker), Xian JH-7/JH-7A strike aircraft, and KJ-200 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft. A PLAAF spokesperson told APP that Chinese ground forces and air defence units are also participating. Photos of the exercise, published by , show that the Shenyang J-8II interceptor is also participating with the PLAAF.
The PAF appears to be participating with the JF-17 Thunder, which is jointly produced by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) and Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC), CAIG F-7P and the Karakoram Eagle ZDK03-based AEW&C.
Pakistan and China rotate the responsibility of hosting the Shaheen exercise, with Shaheen V being held in Pakistan in 2016. That year, the PAF also participated in and in Turkey and the U.S., respectively. The PAF also conducted its force-wide exercise, , in 2016.
Besides benchmarking operational practices and performance with partnering air forces, exercises of this nature also enable the PAF to engage in dissimilar air combat training (DACT). Of particular interest would be the Shenyang J-11, which is a Flanker variant like the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Su-30MKI.
During Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s visit to the PAF’s No. 9 Squadron (“Griffins”), the PAF had announced (via ) a multi-national exercise in October. This will be Pakistan’s largest air exercise and it will involve personnel from 19 air forces. In addition, the PAF’s will be hosting bilateral and multilateral training exercises on a regular basis.
timepass
Brigadier
HIT PROGRESSING WITH AL KHALID-I MAIN BATTLE TANK PRODUCTION..
Pakistan Army al Khalid main battle tanks.
Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) revealed that it was progressing with the manufacturing of al Khalid-I main battle tanks (MBT) for the Pakistan Army. In footage from the Pakistani news broadcaster PAK News, which had televised a show on HIT in commemoration of Defence Day, the state-owned armour manufacturing company was building the 22nd al Khalid-I MBT.
Photo source: PAK News
HIT also confirmed that it is capable of rolling out 50-60 al Khalid-I MBTs per year and, in turn, save the public exchequer $2.5 to 3 million U.S. in cost in comparison to a comparable import. This was achieved by domestically sourcing a substantial portion of the al Khalid-series, such as – among others – its armour, electronics and 125 mm main gun. Potential subsystems for future tanks or other armoured vehicles, such as an electro-optical sensor, are undergoing tests at HIT’s Advanced Research, Development & Information Centre (ARDIC).
The al Khalid-I is an iterative upgrade of the al Khalid. According to HIT’s , the al Khalid-I is equipped with a head mirror stabilized gunner-sight with a wide field-of-view (WFOV) of 10° and narrow FOV (NFOV) of 6° compared. It has a magnification capability of 6x to 10x.
The WFOV of the preceding gunner-sight/periscope was 20°. HIT did not outline if the al Khalid-I’s gunner-sight encompassed qualitative improvements, such as reduction in distortion. Moreover, HIT did not differentiate the FOV specifications of the sight’s thermal imaging and direct view (or CCD camera).
At IDEAS 2016, HIT 200 6TD-2 1,200 hp diesel engines from Ukraine. In February, Ukroboronprom and Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence Production (MoDP) signed a for tank collaboration. The MoU reportedly included co-production of tank engines. Ukrainian engines are an integral aspect to Pakistan’s armoured vehicles production efforts.
The al Khalid and al Zarrar (a remanufacturing and significant upgrade of the Chinese T-59) were envisaged to form the mainstay of the Pakistan Army’s Armour Corps. In 2015, HIT the Pakistani Senate’s Standing Committee on Defence Production that it had produced 310 al Khalid MBTs. It appears that HIT’s focus has returned to mass producing the al Khalid series, most notably with 200 al Khalid-I on order and continuing development of the significantly improved .
Pakistan Army al Khalid main battle tanks.
Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) revealed that it was progressing with the manufacturing of al Khalid-I main battle tanks (MBT) for the Pakistan Army. In footage from the Pakistani news broadcaster PAK News, which had televised a show on HIT in commemoration of Defence Day, the state-owned armour manufacturing company was building the 22nd al Khalid-I MBT.
Photo source: PAK News
HIT also confirmed that it is capable of rolling out 50-60 al Khalid-I MBTs per year and, in turn, save the public exchequer $2.5 to 3 million U.S. in cost in comparison to a comparable import. This was achieved by domestically sourcing a substantial portion of the al Khalid-series, such as – among others – its armour, electronics and 125 mm main gun. Potential subsystems for future tanks or other armoured vehicles, such as an electro-optical sensor, are undergoing tests at HIT’s Advanced Research, Development & Information Centre (ARDIC).
The al Khalid-I is an iterative upgrade of the al Khalid. According to HIT’s , the al Khalid-I is equipped with a head mirror stabilized gunner-sight with a wide field-of-view (WFOV) of 10° and narrow FOV (NFOV) of 6° compared. It has a magnification capability of 6x to 10x.
The WFOV of the preceding gunner-sight/periscope was 20°. HIT did not outline if the al Khalid-I’s gunner-sight encompassed qualitative improvements, such as reduction in distortion. Moreover, HIT did not differentiate the FOV specifications of the sight’s thermal imaging and direct view (or CCD camera).
At IDEAS 2016, HIT 200 6TD-2 1,200 hp diesel engines from Ukraine. In February, Ukroboronprom and Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence Production (MoDP) signed a for tank collaboration. The MoU reportedly included co-production of tank engines. Ukrainian engines are an integral aspect to Pakistan’s armoured vehicles production efforts.
The al Khalid and al Zarrar (a remanufacturing and significant upgrade of the Chinese T-59) were envisaged to form the mainstay of the Pakistan Army’s Armour Corps. In 2015, HIT the Pakistani Senate’s Standing Committee on Defence Production that it had produced 310 al Khalid MBTs. It appears that HIT’s focus has returned to mass producing the al Khalid series, most notably with 200 al Khalid-I on order and continuing development of the significantly improved .
timepass
Brigadier
PAKISTAN AIR FORCE OFFICIALS OUTLINE ERIEYE AEW&C RECOVERY PROCESS
In an interview with the state-owned television broadcaster PTV, several of the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) leading engineering officers outlined the process the PAF undertook to repair two damaged Saab 2000-based Erieye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft.
The interview included Air Commodore Rizwan Riaz (a PhD in Aerodynamics and specializes in structural repair and certification), Air Commodore Shakeel Safdar (a PhD in Structural Design and Repair) and Wing Commander Muhammad Rafiq, who presided the implementation of the Erieye AEW&C repair program.
Pakistan ordered four Erieye AEW&C from the Swedish defence giant Saab in 2006. It had intended to acquire six, but some program funding had to be diverted to support recovery and reconstruction efforts in Kashmir following the 2005 Kashmir Earthquake, resulting in the order being trimmed to four. These were complemented by four China Electronics Technology Group Corporation ZDK03, which were locally designated “Karakorum Eagle.”
In August 2012, nine Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) assailants had infiltrated and attacked PAF Minhas in Kamra with the apparent aim of attacking the Erieye AEW&C. The result of the attack left one Erieye as a complete write-off and two others damaged. The fourth Erieye AEW&C was not present at the base. In effect, the attack had left the PAF with only one of its four originally ordered Erieye AEW&C aircraft.
The PAF – along with Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) – took the lead in trying to resurrect the two damaged Erieye AEW&C. It succeeded in recovering the two aircraft, with the first returning in 2015 and the second in 2016. In October 2016, the Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Defence PAC for its role in the recovery process. In May 2017, the PAF told that it ordered three additional Erieye AEW&C from Saab, with the first due in December 2017.
The Pakistan Ministry of Defence Production’s (MoDP) yearbook for 2015-2016 registered the “recovery” of a “fourth AEW&C system” at a cost of $130.39 million U.S. In May 2016, Saab an order for its AEW&C division worth $132 million U.S. It appears that this unit is the first of the three new aircraft, which would eventually bring the PAF’s Erieye fleet to its originally (pre-2005) force of six aircraft.
Source: PTV
Recalling the condition of the two damaged Erieye AEW&C, Air Commodore Riaz stated, “The aircraft were very badly damaged. There was fire damage to the top of the aircraft, there were bullet holes.” Riaz added, “When we first looked at the aircraft, they looked like complete write-offs, as the company [Saab] said.”
Air Commodore Safdar added that not only was the airframe damaged, but “there was significant damage to wiring and significant damage to systems.” Safdar outlined that Saab’s assessment was not based on just visual inspection, but from its own damage assessment, stating, “[Saab] said that the extent of damage is so huge, the magnitude of damage is so vast, it would be very difficult to repair these aircraft.”
The PAF entrusted Safdar to carry out its own damage assessment of the two aircraft. Upon the study’s completion, Air Commodore Safdar had presented the results to Saab, after which Saab recategorized the aircraft as being repairable and supported the PAF’s proposed repair scheme. Safdar noted, “However, once we discussed with them and we gave our proposals of the whole plan which we made … they were … very open minded.” The PAF raised two teams: a structure repair team and a systems recovery team. The structure repair team, also comprising of PAF engineers, provided a theoretical model for the repair work, which was then implemented by an engineering team led by Wing Commander Muhammad Rafiq.
Source: PTV
Air Commodore Riaz’s aerodynamics and certification team was responsible for ensuring that the repair work was in accordance to international standards. Riaz noted that besides being able to certify the repair work on the Erieye AEW&C, the initiative allowed the PAF to gain “the capability of being able to certify any military aircraft, another capability we gained out of this incident.” In fact, Riaz added that although Saab had permitted the PAF to recover the aircraft, the company did not intend to endorse the aircraft or repair work. However, upon assessing the PAF’s design work, implementation process and certification requirements, Saab “accepted [the two aircraft] back into their registry, in a way putting their stamp of approval.” To achieve this feat the PAF both embraced existing international standards and, where none were in place for tasks, define original ones to assess and certify the repair work.
Besides in-house repair planning and implementation work, some components were also sourced locally. Air Commodore Safdar stated that the new wiring was made at PAC’s Aircraft Rebuild Factory. PAC also carried out repair and testing of several the Erieye’s components. The trio noted that it was an integrated effort, one drawing upon the PAF and PAC. Wing Commander Rafiq stated that the implementation phase was difficult, but on the back of the effort the PAF and PAC had undergone significant capacity building. Air Commodore Safdar stated, “The capability which we have achieved during this recovery … was beyond expectations … [PAC’s factories] achieved things which were beyond their original capacity.”
Upon completion of the repair work, the PAF CAS Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Sohail Aman flew on the very first test-sortie of the newly repaired aircraft. The first aircraft was repaired in two years, while the second was completed in one year following the first. Air Commodore Safdar stated that the cost of repairing the two aircraft was 5% of the original value, echoing an by ACM Sohail Aman (when he said the cost of repairing the aircraft was $25 million U.S.) Safdar reiterated that Saab’s endorsement was a significant step, stating, “…the execution, if that is not done right, the aircraft flight safety and aircraft life is in serious jeopardy.” Safdar lauded Wing Commander Rafiq’s role in this regard.
Source: PTV
The initiative also demonstrated to Air Headquarters (AHQ) that the PAF’s engineering capacity was being underutilized and that it could be steered towards assuming greater responsibility in complex areas, such as design. According to Air Commodore Riaz, “The [CAS] decided to set-up the first multi-disciplinary design centre in Kamra, the first of its kind in Pakistan, which has now been operating for about two years.” Riaz also touched upon the inauguration of , which will serve the central role in the design and development of a 5th-generation fighter for the PAF.
Notes & Comments:
It appears that PAC accrued a significant enough understanding of the Saab 2000 and material capacity to serve as a depot-level maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) site. Footage of the repaired Erieye show that significant portions of the airframe had to be replaced and, in turn, tested. With the PAF , D-level MRO at PAC would be natural seeing that the Saab 2000 is a long-term factor.
This would also be PAC’s first foray into civilian and commuter-transport platforms. In due time, PAC will also be with a Damage Tolerance Analysis and Structural Health Management System acquired from Critical Materials S.A. in Portugal. This will help the PAF and PAC to closely monitor airframe health and improve maintenance processes to ensure higher availability and to preserve airframe life. However, it is not known if PAC will venture into civil aircraft manufacturing. While the Kamra Aviation City , the intent may be to spur private investment in aircraft manufacturing.
In an interview with the state-owned television broadcaster PTV, several of the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) leading engineering officers outlined the process the PAF undertook to repair two damaged Saab 2000-based Erieye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft.
The interview included Air Commodore Rizwan Riaz (a PhD in Aerodynamics and specializes in structural repair and certification), Air Commodore Shakeel Safdar (a PhD in Structural Design and Repair) and Wing Commander Muhammad Rafiq, who presided the implementation of the Erieye AEW&C repair program.
Pakistan ordered four Erieye AEW&C from the Swedish defence giant Saab in 2006. It had intended to acquire six, but some program funding had to be diverted to support recovery and reconstruction efforts in Kashmir following the 2005 Kashmir Earthquake, resulting in the order being trimmed to four. These were complemented by four China Electronics Technology Group Corporation ZDK03, which were locally designated “Karakorum Eagle.”
In August 2012, nine Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) assailants had infiltrated and attacked PAF Minhas in Kamra with the apparent aim of attacking the Erieye AEW&C. The result of the attack left one Erieye as a complete write-off and two others damaged. The fourth Erieye AEW&C was not present at the base. In effect, the attack had left the PAF with only one of its four originally ordered Erieye AEW&C aircraft.
The PAF – along with Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) – took the lead in trying to resurrect the two damaged Erieye AEW&C. It succeeded in recovering the two aircraft, with the first returning in 2015 and the second in 2016. In October 2016, the Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Defence PAC for its role in the recovery process. In May 2017, the PAF told that it ordered three additional Erieye AEW&C from Saab, with the first due in December 2017.
The Pakistan Ministry of Defence Production’s (MoDP) yearbook for 2015-2016 registered the “recovery” of a “fourth AEW&C system” at a cost of $130.39 million U.S. In May 2016, Saab an order for its AEW&C division worth $132 million U.S. It appears that this unit is the first of the three new aircraft, which would eventually bring the PAF’s Erieye fleet to its originally (pre-2005) force of six aircraft.
Source: PTV
Recalling the condition of the two damaged Erieye AEW&C, Air Commodore Riaz stated, “The aircraft were very badly damaged. There was fire damage to the top of the aircraft, there were bullet holes.” Riaz added, “When we first looked at the aircraft, they looked like complete write-offs, as the company [Saab] said.”
Air Commodore Safdar added that not only was the airframe damaged, but “there was significant damage to wiring and significant damage to systems.” Safdar outlined that Saab’s assessment was not based on just visual inspection, but from its own damage assessment, stating, “[Saab] said that the extent of damage is so huge, the magnitude of damage is so vast, it would be very difficult to repair these aircraft.”
The PAF entrusted Safdar to carry out its own damage assessment of the two aircraft. Upon the study’s completion, Air Commodore Safdar had presented the results to Saab, after which Saab recategorized the aircraft as being repairable and supported the PAF’s proposed repair scheme. Safdar noted, “However, once we discussed with them and we gave our proposals of the whole plan which we made … they were … very open minded.” The PAF raised two teams: a structure repair team and a systems recovery team. The structure repair team, also comprising of PAF engineers, provided a theoretical model for the repair work, which was then implemented by an engineering team led by Wing Commander Muhammad Rafiq.
Source: PTV
Air Commodore Riaz’s aerodynamics and certification team was responsible for ensuring that the repair work was in accordance to international standards. Riaz noted that besides being able to certify the repair work on the Erieye AEW&C, the initiative allowed the PAF to gain “the capability of being able to certify any military aircraft, another capability we gained out of this incident.” In fact, Riaz added that although Saab had permitted the PAF to recover the aircraft, the company did not intend to endorse the aircraft or repair work. However, upon assessing the PAF’s design work, implementation process and certification requirements, Saab “accepted [the two aircraft] back into their registry, in a way putting their stamp of approval.” To achieve this feat the PAF both embraced existing international standards and, where none were in place for tasks, define original ones to assess and certify the repair work.
Besides in-house repair planning and implementation work, some components were also sourced locally. Air Commodore Safdar stated that the new wiring was made at PAC’s Aircraft Rebuild Factory. PAC also carried out repair and testing of several the Erieye’s components. The trio noted that it was an integrated effort, one drawing upon the PAF and PAC. Wing Commander Rafiq stated that the implementation phase was difficult, but on the back of the effort the PAF and PAC had undergone significant capacity building. Air Commodore Safdar stated, “The capability which we have achieved during this recovery … was beyond expectations … [PAC’s factories] achieved things which were beyond their original capacity.”
Upon completion of the repair work, the PAF CAS Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Sohail Aman flew on the very first test-sortie of the newly repaired aircraft. The first aircraft was repaired in two years, while the second was completed in one year following the first. Air Commodore Safdar stated that the cost of repairing the two aircraft was 5% of the original value, echoing an by ACM Sohail Aman (when he said the cost of repairing the aircraft was $25 million U.S.) Safdar reiterated that Saab’s endorsement was a significant step, stating, “…the execution, if that is not done right, the aircraft flight safety and aircraft life is in serious jeopardy.” Safdar lauded Wing Commander Rafiq’s role in this regard.
Source: PTV
The initiative also demonstrated to Air Headquarters (AHQ) that the PAF’s engineering capacity was being underutilized and that it could be steered towards assuming greater responsibility in complex areas, such as design. According to Air Commodore Riaz, “The [CAS] decided to set-up the first multi-disciplinary design centre in Kamra, the first of its kind in Pakistan, which has now been operating for about two years.” Riaz also touched upon the inauguration of , which will serve the central role in the design and development of a 5th-generation fighter for the PAF.
Notes & Comments:
It appears that PAC accrued a significant enough understanding of the Saab 2000 and material capacity to serve as a depot-level maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) site. Footage of the repaired Erieye show that significant portions of the airframe had to be replaced and, in turn, tested. With the PAF , D-level MRO at PAC would be natural seeing that the Saab 2000 is a long-term factor.
This would also be PAC’s first foray into civilian and commuter-transport platforms. In due time, PAC will also be with a Damage Tolerance Analysis and Structural Health Management System acquired from Critical Materials S.A. in Portugal. This will help the PAF and PAC to closely monitor airframe health and improve maintenance processes to ensure higher availability and to preserve airframe life. However, it is not known if PAC will venture into civil aircraft manufacturing. While the Kamra Aviation City , the intent may be to spur private investment in aircraft manufacturing.
PAKISTAN AIR FORCE OFFICIALS OUTLINE ERIEYE AEW&C RECOVERY PROCESS
In an interview with the state-owned television broadcaster PTV, several of the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) leading engineering officers outlined the process the PAF undertook to repair two damaged Saab 2000-based Erieye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft.
The interview included Air Commodore Rizwan Riaz (a PhD in Aerodynamics and specializes in structural repair and certification), Air Commodore Shakeel Safdar (a PhD in Structural Design and Repair) and Wing Commander Muhammad Rafiq, who presided the implementation of the Erieye AEW&C repair program.
Pakistan ordered four Erieye AEW&C from the Swedish defence giant Saab in 2006. It had intended to acquire six, but some program funding had to be diverted to support recovery and reconstruction efforts in Kashmir following the 2005 Kashmir Earthquake, resulting in the order being trimmed to four. These were complemented by four China Electronics Technology Group Corporation ZDK03, which were locally designated “Karakorum Eagle.”
In August 2012, nine Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) assailants had infiltrated and attacked PAF Minhas in Kamra with the apparent aim of attacking the Erieye AEW&C. The result of the attack left one Erieye as a complete write-off and two others damaged. The fourth Erieye AEW&C was not present at the base. In effect, the attack had left the PAF with only one of its four originally ordered Erieye AEW&C aircraft.
The PAF – along with Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) – took the lead in trying to resurrect the two damaged Erieye AEW&C. It succeeded in recovering the two aircraft, with the first returning in 2015 and the second in 2016. In October 2016, the Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Defence PAC for its role in the recovery process. In May 2017, the PAF told that it ordered three additional Erieye AEW&C from Saab, with the first due in December 2017.
The Pakistan Ministry of Defence Production’s (MoDP) yearbook for 2015-2016 registered the “recovery” of a “fourth AEW&C system” at a cost of $130.39 million U.S. In May 2016, Saab an order for its AEW&C division worth $132 million U.S. It appears that this unit is the first of the three new aircraft, which would eventually bring the PAF’s Erieye fleet to its originally (pre-2005) force of six aircraft.
Source: PTV
Recalling the condition of the two damaged Erieye AEW&C, Air Commodore Riaz stated, “The aircraft were very badly damaged. There was fire damage to the top of the aircraft, there were bullet holes.” Riaz added, “When we first looked at the aircraft, they looked like complete write-offs, as the company [Saab] said.”
2 times Taliban to Minhas 1 Saab 2000 new damaged and two P-3C Orion surveillance aircraft were destroyed to Karachi-Mehran !
Dizasta1
Senior Member
There are a multitude of positives that have occurred due to the unfortunate terrorist attacks on PNS Mehran - Karachi and AFB Minhas - Kamra. An admirable accomplishment of the men and women of Pakistan Aeronautical Complex. Well done
