Breaking, K-8P qualifies for combat

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

No such thing as trainer craft , if it has MISSILE and heavy weapons it is a Jet fighter

 

[The SC]

The Jf-17 radars that are going to be available with the upgradation to the AESA radars, can be mounted on the K8P's for an efficient air to air role against hellis and drones/UAVs, to battle tanks it will need a lot of armour and it will become much heavier, thus still slower than it is now, so it is a big no, maybe against some isolated amoured battallions is a possibility, it will be too dangerous for it in land attacks even against Taliban or insurgent who use AA guns.. in Yemen one can see that much more sophisticated planes like the F-16s and F-15 were downed by AA guns mostly, because they flew low and in subsonic speeds..So in brief it will be a Helli and armed UAV killer from a safe distance from them, it might also be good in bombing troops with no air cover, roads and bridges just like the Harrier who is subsonic too..

 

[ADIL SHERDIL]

My guess is that its one of the experiment they are trying to combine stuff so it can be a good selling point for this aircraft, Definately help ground troops with with close air cover will be used for COIN opreations

 

[Beny Karachun]

No such thing as trainer craft , if it has MISSILE and heavy weapons it is a Jet fighter

Of course it is, Yak 130 can also carry weapons, the Italian Lavi trainer aircraft can also take weapons.

 

[Windjammer]

Guys,guys, guys, this is what the PAF Air chief said in an interview to AFM last year.

"I began looking at a LIFT, but the difficulty is many like the KAI T-50 and Hongdu L-15, with their afterburners, are like fighters, and will cost around the same as an F-16. We cannot afford that now. We're concentrating on modifying the training so people can safely convert from the F-7P and Mirages to the two new platforms.
Anyway, when we get our dual-seat JF-17s, several of these issues will be resolved!"

So basically i think PAF has resolved the issue of Lead-in fighter trainer (LIFT) by making improvements on the K-8P, with the additional weapon package, it gives PAF all the requirements of a LIFT without the afterburners. An adequate solution until the dual-seat JF-17 becomes available in numbers.

 

[hadeer khalid]

So its like the Americans they want to arm the T-6 Texan aircraft against ISIS.

Well K-8 can still perform ground attack roles..as you dont need air-air capability against terror groups like TTP and ISIS.

 

[OrionHunter]

This will give PAF at least one more squadron for point defence and second line duties.

Suitable for CAPs over VAs.

 

[Shabi1]

K8 does not have a targeting pod . u cant carpet bomb the whole area . radars are necessary . how will u see incoming intruders ?

Its a training jet that can be used in live fire exercises. Its not a platform to go against high tech threats, will be reliant on ground based radar. It will always remain a trainer jet in its primary role, combat capability is just a added plus point decent enough for dropping general purpose bombs, unguided rockets and carrying a gun pod. AAM only good for self defence or taking out helicopters. PAF has to operate in a high threat environment so not suitable for Pakistan but good for several other countries as aircraft like the Super Tucano are in good demand for CAS role.

 

[GiG]

Let me suggest what we can make of it if we want.
It may be hard to think for many PDF member but there is a good possibility of converting K-8 to an autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle its just theory..
1)As we know idea of manned aircraft is obsolete
2)PAF will not be able to acquire unmanned fighter jets from abroad
3)Home grown technology will be needed
4)K-8 will provide ideal platform for this

Probable Improvements:
1)First seat will be romoved for satalite om
2)second seat from K-8 will be removed to place extra fuel tank
3)Terrain hugging radar will be installed on K-8 so it can reach the target like a cruise missile ,drops the payload and return back safely for another mission
4)Mission computer will be improved so K-8 can perform point defense without any human intervention
5)removed ejection seats will free a lot of weight from k-8 so it will be able to carry more ammunition

All this is hypothetical but is achievable in less then 2-3 years for Pakistani Engineers

 

[khanasifm]

with due respect some folks here remind me of please do not make up things

 

[war&peace]

Remember earlier we even armed the FT-5 with AAMs, the K-8 is much more capable platform.

I'm not that old to remember FT-5 But of course I know K-8 is much more capable than the Mig-17 made by China.

 

[Windjammer]

I'm not that old to remember FT-5 But of course I know K-8 is much more capable than the Mig-17 made by China.

I'm sure you are more than four years old as the FT-5 was replaced by none other than K-8 in 2012.

 

[war&peace]

I'm sure you are more than four years old as the FT-5 was replaced by none other than K-8 in 2012.

I really thought those would have been used in 1965 and be retired in late 1980s or early 1990s.
But on K8 by point defence, do you mean we can use it for defending a city's airspace or protecting sensitive installations during a war or emergency ? Though I know they cannot carry a lot of payload but a one or two AAMs can make it good for this purpose especially coupled with a ground RADAR.

 

[ziaulislam]

Guys,guys, guys, this is what the PAF Air chief said in an interview to AFM last year.

"I began looking at a LIFT, but the difficulty is many like the KAI T-50 and Hongdu L-15, with their afterburners, are like fighters, and will cost around the same as an F-16. We cannot afford that now. We're concentrating on modifying the training so people can safely convert from the F-7P and Mirages to the two new platforms.
Anyway, when we get our dual-seat JF-17s, several of these issues will be resolved!"

So basically i think PAF has resolved the issue of Lead-in fighter trainer (LIFT) by making improvements on the K-8P, with the additional weapon package, it gives PAF all the requirements of a LIFT without the afterburners. An adequate solution until the dual-seat JF-17 becomes available in numbers.

it also means that PAF will use JF-17B as a primary fighter conversion aircraft. and early pilots will first convert to thunders

 

[Signalian]

India doesnt have a large attack helicopter force to make this K-8P a helo killer. To counter IAF UAV's, PAF will always send in aircrafts with good radars like JF-17 or F-16 as not to lose its track.
If the idea of AAM on K-8P is to counter a salvo of CM's like Brahmos is made a possibility, then its worth it.