Posted on 03/27/2009 4:50:32 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Pakistan marketing its new JF-17 fighter jet, developed with China
LONDON — Pakistan is making the rounds of Arab allies talking about its new fighter-jet.
Officials said Pakistan has briefed such countries as Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Sudan on the new fighter, jointly developed with China. Under an agreement with Beijing, a majority of the JF-17 could be produced and assembled in Pakistan.
"The airplane would reach close to the capabilities of existing U.S. and Russian aircraft, but for about half the price," an official said.
Pakistani Defense Secretary Shahid Siddiq said eight countries have expressed interest in JF-17. So far, no export sales have been announced. In March 2009, Pakistan signed a contract for 42 JF-17s for the air force. The contract with China's state-owned CATIC, called for coproduction of the aircraft, with the expectation that 15 would be manufactured in the first year of the project by the state-owned Pakistan Aeronautical Complex.
Pakistan has sought to become a significant military supplier to Gulf Cooperation Council and Middle East states. So far, Pakistan's leading military clients have been Saudi Arabia and Sudan.
The JF-17 program was launched in 1998 and the design was completed three years later. So far, eight prototypes have been sent to Pakistan for trials.
And while they are hawking their new fighter, they are also going about with a shiny new begging bowl-
Pakistan to Seek $10 Billion From Friendly Nations
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=abY0558vyi.U&refer=asia
Can you imagine how many defective parts are used to build this thing? I suppose they will be in dollar stores soon.
Commies just can’t come up with their own designs. I wonder what other things Obama will copy?
Actually, its not a copy of the F-20, but rather an F-16 that the Pakis “loaned” to the Chinese.
I know a Project Manager for F-22 and F-35 subassemblies. Their parts are machined to tolerances of 0.0001” out of solid titanium and aluminum. The Paki planes will be good targets, but not very challenging.
Actually the FC-1 evolved from an earlier Chinese project to upgrade their Mig-21 with Grumman-the ‘Super-7’. That fell apart after Tiananmen and the Pakis came in during the 90s with a few dollars and an F-16.
http://www.sinodefence.com/airforce/fighter/fc1.asp
By the way the Iranian version of the F-20/F-5 is also called the Thunder.
Probably for the sound it makes when vaporized by an American Missile.
That's good news.
“The Paki planes will be good targets, but not very challenging.”
Just what I was thinking, target practice for us.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they include that as a future option. Besides the FC-1 will be the low-end to the J-10( Pakistan is also buying 36 of those).
Actually, they are quite similar. The Chinese generally don't copy things exactly. They instead take the design and change it in a manner that they can build. You are being fooled by the straighter lines, side inlets and conventional canopy, but it is indeed based on the F-16.
I'll grant you that there is a strong outward resemblance to the F-20, but that is where it stops.
The Iranian aircraft isn't much more than a twin tailed F-5, and probably isn't new construction at all.
The biggest Chinese problem is that they appear to be unable to reverse engineer metallurgy. Thus, their copies of jet engines have much diminished performance. They also have shown an inability to reverse engineer solid propellants.
just what I was thinking, though I doubt it’s as maneuverable.
Penny arcade target practice for the F-22.
The bigger issue will be the quality of the pilots. Islamic societies have not shown much ability in producing good pilots. I think India will have fun with these, as the planes will be just good enough to give the Pak pilots the confidence to think they can come out and play.
I wonder if he knows what Sigma 6 is?
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