Darth Vader
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Armaghan | TX Desk
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is the air warfare branch of Pakistan's armed forces consisting of 400+ combat aircrafts which comprise of F-16s, F-7P/PGs, Mirage III/Vs and JF-17 Thunders. The backbone of the PAF is the strong fleet of 63 F-16s with 45 of them being A/B models and the rest Block 52+ C/D variants.
The first batch of F-16 jets was received back in 1983 under the Peace Gate I and further under the Peace Gate II until 1987 when Peace Gate III & IV were placed under embargo over the controversy of Pakistans suspected nuclear weapon capability.
F-16 A/Bs were extensively used during the Soviet-Afghan war, for Air Defence Alert (ADA) and Combat Air Patrol (CAP) during the Kargil War of '98 and also during the high-alert days after the Mumbai attacks (2008). With all the workload and stress of flying over the years, these jets were in dire need of an upgrade. On the 28th of June 2006, the Pakistani government requested for a possible sale of 60 F-16A/B Mid-Life Update (MLU) modifications and Falcon Star Structural Service Life Enhancement kits consisting of :
1. APG-68(V)9 with Synthetic aperture radars
2. Joint Helmet Mounted Cuing System JHMCS
3. AN/APX-113 Advanced Identify Friend or Foe Systems
4. AN/ALE-47 Advanced Countermeasures Dispenser Systems
5. Have Quick I/II Radios
6. Link-16 Multifunctional Information Distribution System-Low Volume Terminal
7. SNIPER (formerly known as AN/AAQ-33 PANTERA) targeting pods
8. Advanced Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation Units; MDE included in the MLU modification and structural upgrade kits
9. 21 ALQ-131 Block II Electronic Countermeasures Pods without the Digital Radio Frequency
10. Memory (DRFM) or ALQ-184 Electronic Countermeasures Pods without DRFM;
11. 60 ALQ-213 Electronic Warfare Management Systems
12. 1 Unit Level Trainer and
13. 10 APG-68(V)9 spare radar sets
The whole cost of MLU package along with training equipment and technical assistance is worth $1.3 billion. After the upgrade, the F-16s will be designated as F-16AM/BM. Two of the F-16s were upgraded in USA at Fort Worth, Texas in the Lockheed Martin headquarters and the rest will be upgraded by TAI in Turkey with 3 F-16s already upgraded and handed back to the PAF during a ceremony at Ankara TAI headquarters. TAI will also provide classroom and on-the-job training to 72 technicians of the Pakistan Air Force. Upon completion of their training, the technicians will directly participate in the ongoing modernization activities at TAI.
MLU F-16s will stay at Shahbaz Air Base in Jacobabad which also houses the PAF F-16 Block 52+ fleet. These upgraded F-16s will remain stationed there for pilot conversion training; on completion, they will be assigned back to their respected squadrons and bases i.e. 9th and 11th. At the moment there are 5 MLU F-16s housed at Shahbaz AB which are as following :
1. F-16BM Serial no. 82603
2. F-16AM Serial no. 84713
3. F-16AM Serial no. 84718
4. F-16BM Serial no. 84608
5. F-16BM Serial no. 90617
Upgrading the F-16 fleet will surely add to the PAFs Beyond Visual Range (BVR) capability as MLU F-16s can fire AIM-120 AMRAAMs and are capable of seeking out their target on the ground with advance Sniper pods, not to forget that they also add a lot of study material to a pilots curriculum!
Picture from the ceremony at TAI (Ankara) where the upgraded F-16 was handed back to the PAF.
PAF F-16BM Serial no. 82603 at Lajes AB after the MLU.
PAF F-16AM Serial no. 84713 heading back to Pakistan after the upgrade.
PAF F-16A Serial no. 84713 en route Texas before MLU.
APG-68(V)9 radar for F-16 MLUs.
Group picture with USAF officials after an upgraded F-16 returned from Fort Worth, Texas.
Advanced Sniper Pod is operational with MLU F-16s.
Picture from the ceremony at TAI (Ankara) where an upgraded F-16 was handed back to the PAF.
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is the air warfare branch of Pakistan's armed forces consisting of 400+ combat aircrafts which comprise of F-16s, F-7P/PGs, Mirage III/Vs and JF-17 Thunders. The backbone of the PAF is the strong fleet of 63 F-16s with 45 of them being A/B models and the rest Block 52+ C/D variants.
The first batch of F-16 jets was received back in 1983 under the Peace Gate I and further under the Peace Gate II until 1987 when Peace Gate III & IV were placed under embargo over the controversy of Pakistans suspected nuclear weapon capability.
F-16 A/Bs were extensively used during the Soviet-Afghan war, for Air Defence Alert (ADA) and Combat Air Patrol (CAP) during the Kargil War of '98 and also during the high-alert days after the Mumbai attacks (2008). With all the workload and stress of flying over the years, these jets were in dire need of an upgrade. On the 28th of June 2006, the Pakistani government requested for a possible sale of 60 F-16A/B Mid-Life Update (MLU) modifications and Falcon Star Structural Service Life Enhancement kits consisting of :
1. APG-68(V)9 with Synthetic aperture radars
2. Joint Helmet Mounted Cuing System JHMCS
3. AN/APX-113 Advanced Identify Friend or Foe Systems
4. AN/ALE-47 Advanced Countermeasures Dispenser Systems
5. Have Quick I/II Radios
6. Link-16 Multifunctional Information Distribution System-Low Volume Terminal
7. SNIPER (formerly known as AN/AAQ-33 PANTERA) targeting pods
8. Advanced Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation Units; MDE included in the MLU modification and structural upgrade kits
9. 21 ALQ-131 Block II Electronic Countermeasures Pods without the Digital Radio Frequency
10. Memory (DRFM) or ALQ-184 Electronic Countermeasures Pods without DRFM;
11. 60 ALQ-213 Electronic Warfare Management Systems
12. 1 Unit Level Trainer and
13. 10 APG-68(V)9 spare radar sets
The whole cost of MLU package along with training equipment and technical assistance is worth $1.3 billion. After the upgrade, the F-16s will be designated as F-16AM/BM. Two of the F-16s were upgraded in USA at Fort Worth, Texas in the Lockheed Martin headquarters and the rest will be upgraded by TAI in Turkey with 3 F-16s already upgraded and handed back to the PAF during a ceremony at Ankara TAI headquarters. TAI will also provide classroom and on-the-job training to 72 technicians of the Pakistan Air Force. Upon completion of their training, the technicians will directly participate in the ongoing modernization activities at TAI.
MLU F-16s will stay at Shahbaz Air Base in Jacobabad which also houses the PAF F-16 Block 52+ fleet. These upgraded F-16s will remain stationed there for pilot conversion training; on completion, they will be assigned back to their respected squadrons and bases i.e. 9th and 11th. At the moment there are 5 MLU F-16s housed at Shahbaz AB which are as following :
1. F-16BM Serial no. 82603
2. F-16AM Serial no. 84713
3. F-16AM Serial no. 84718
4. F-16BM Serial no. 84608
5. F-16BM Serial no. 90617
Upgrading the F-16 fleet will surely add to the PAFs Beyond Visual Range (BVR) capability as MLU F-16s can fire AIM-120 AMRAAMs and are capable of seeking out their target on the ground with advance Sniper pods, not to forget that they also add a lot of study material to a pilots curriculum!
Picture from the ceremony at TAI (Ankara) where the upgraded F-16 was handed back to the PAF.
PAF F-16BM Serial no. 82603 at Lajes AB after the MLU.
PAF F-16AM Serial no. 84713 heading back to Pakistan after the upgrade.
PAF F-16A Serial no. 84713 en route Texas before MLU.
APG-68(V)9 radar for F-16 MLUs.
Group picture with USAF officials after an upgraded F-16 returned from Fort Worth, Texas.
Advanced Sniper Pod is operational with MLU F-16s.
Picture from the ceremony at TAI (Ankara) where an upgraded F-16 was handed back to the PAF.
but Sweeto, this looks more informational then strictly analytical !
