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Project Azm: Pakistan to Develop 5th Generation Fighter Plane
Pakistan has announced plans to develop and produce 5th generation fighter plane, according to media reports. It's part of Pakistan Air Force's highly ambitious Project Azm that includes building Kamra Aviation City dedicated to education, research and development and manufacturing of advanced fighter jets, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and weapon systems.
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Pakistan's JF-17 Jet Fighter |
Human Capital:
Development of a new advanced fighter is a wide-ranging effort that will encompass building human capital in a variety of fields including material science, physics, electronics, computer science, computer software, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, avionics, weapons design, etc etc.
Air University:
Pakistan Air Force's Air University, established in 2002 in Islamabad, will add a new campus in Kamra Aviation City. The university already offers bachelor's master's and doctoral degrees in several subjects. Pakistan Air Force Chief Sohail Aman told Quwa Defense News that the campus will “provide the desired impetus for cutting-edge indigenization programs, strengthen the local industry and harness the demands of foreign aviation industry by reducing … imports and promoting joint research and production ventures.”
Defense Exports:
Air forces of about a dozen developing nations are buying and deploying Pakistani made aircrafts. The reasons for their choice of Pakistan manufactured airplanes range from lower cost to ease of acquisition, maintenance and training.
Pakistan started developing defense hardware for imports substitution to reduce external dependence and to save hard currency. Now the country's defense industry is coming of age to lead the way to high value-added manufactured exports.
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Pakistan Super Mushshak Trainer Aircraft |
Nigerian Air Force is the latest to announce purchase of Pakistan made Super Mushshak aircraft after the United States' refusal to sell to Nigeria, according to American periodical Newsweek. Nigerian Air Force chief Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar was quoted by the Nigerian media as saying that "Pakistan has accepted to sell ten trainer airplanes. And that is why the Pakistan Chief of Air Staff is coming for the induction ceremony which is going to take place in Kaduna".
Several other countries are in the process of making decisions to purchase aircraft from Pakistan. A report in Pakistan's Express Tribune newspaper says that Turkey has decided to buy 52 Super Mushshak trainer aircraft. The Tribune also reported that Azerbaijan may buy a couple of dozen JF-17 Thunder fighter jets jointly developed by Pakistan and China.
Along with exporting existing hardware, Pakistan is continuing its efforts to enhance the capabilities with new versions. For example, fighter-jet JF-17’s Block III is expected to open up new opportunities for Pakistani defense exports.
The new JF-17 Block III will be a twin-seat trainer version with advanced Active Electronically-Scanned Array radar and mid-air-refueliling probe. It will use new composite materials to increase its performance, besides addition of other updates in cockpit and weapons’ pods, according to Pakistani media reports.
Pakistan's Defense Industry Collaboration With China, Turkey:
Growing defense collaboration between China and Pakistan irks the West, according to a report in the UK's Financial Times newspaper. The paper specifically cites joint JF-17 Thunder fighter jet, armed drone Burraq and custom AIP-equipped submarines as examples of close cooperation between the two nations.
More recently, Pakistan has also begun to collaborate with Turkey in developing arms. In particular, Pakistan has been mentioned as a prospective partner in the TFX, Turkey’s next-generation fighter effort.
Pakistan's bitter experience with the unreliability of its cold war allies as weapons suppliers has proved to be a blessing in disguise. It has forced Pakistan to move toward self-reliance in production of the weapons it needs to defend itself from foreign and domestic enemies.
It all started back in 1965 when the US and its western allies placed an arms embargo on Pakistan during war with India. The bitterness grew stronger when the US forced France to cancel its contract to supply a breeder reactor to Pakistan in 1974 soon after India conducted its first nuclear test.
Khushab Nuclear Reactor:
Fortunately for Pakistan, the French had already given Pakistanis scientists drawings and specifications before canceling the breeder reactor contract. Work on Khushab reprocessing plant stated in 1974 when Pakistan signed a contract with the French company Saint-Gobain Techniques Nouvelles (SGN). In 1978, under U.S. pressure, France canceled the contract. Pakistan then proceeded to indigenously produce its own nuclear breeder reactors at Khushab. Four such reactors are now operating to produce plutonium for Pakistan's nuclear weapons program. Having done its first nuclear test in 1998, Pakistan now has a large and growing nuclear arsenal it needs to deter any enemy adventurism against it.
Babar Cruise Missile:
Since MTCR (Missile Technology Control Regime) prevented Pakistan from acquiring delivery vehicles from other countries, the country had to develop its own ballistic and cruise missiles to carry nuclear weapons.
The story of Babar Cruise Missile development is particularly interesting. It is believed that Pakistani engineers learned the technology by dismantling and studying a US Tomahawk cruise missile that fell in Pakistani territory when President Bill Clinton fired these missiles to target Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.
JF-17 Thunder Fighter:
The development of JF-17, a modern highly capable and relatively inexpensive fighter jet, is the crowning achievement to-date of the Pakistan-China defense production cooperation. It's being deployed by Pakistan Air Force with Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) on recently rolling out the 16th Block 2 JF-17 aircraft for PAF's 4th squadron. The latest version is capable of launching a variety of nuclear and conventional weapons ranging from smart bombs and air-launched cruise missile Raad to anti-ship missiles.
Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) got its start decades ago by setting up maintenance facilities for advanced fighters like French Mirage and US F-16s and by manufacturing Mushshak and Super Mushshak trainer aircraft. It is now also building JF-17s as well as a variety of drones, including combat UAV Burraq being used in Pakistan's war against militants in Waziristan.
Nuclear-Capable AIP Submarines:
Pakistan is expanding and modernizing its underwater fleet with 8 additional AIP-equipped submarines. Four of these subs will be manufactured in Pakistan. These will reportedly be custom versions of Yuan class diesel-electric subs with additional wider tubes from which cruise missiles can be launched. A key requirement for these submarines is to be stealthy—and the AIP-equipped Yuan class is indeed very quiet. The trick is in the submarine’s air-independent propulsion fuel cells, which provide power under the surface as the diesel engines—used for running on the surface—rest and recharge. Though relatively limited in range, this system is quieter than the nuclear-powered engines on American and Russian submarines, which must constantly circulate engine coolant.
Arms as Pakistan's Cottage Industry
Pakistan has a long history of arms manufacturing as a cottage industry. The dusty little town of Darra Adam Khel, only a half-hour drive from Peshawar, reminds visitors of America's Wild West. The craftsmen of this town are manufacturers and suppliers of small arms to the tribal residents of the nation's Federally Administered Tribal Areas who carry weapons as part of their ancient culture. The skilled craftsmen of FATA make revolvers, automatic pistols, shotguns and AK-47 rifles. Until five years ago, the list also had items such as anti-personnel mines, sub-machine guns, small cannons and even rocket launchers. Pakistani government has forced the tribesmen to stop making heavy assault weapons to try and prevent the Taliban and Al Qaeda from getting access to such weapons.
Pakistan's arms industry has come a long way from making small arms as a cottage industry in the last few decades. The US and Western arms embargoes imposed on Pakistan at critical moments in its history have proved to be a blessing in disguise. In particular, the problems Pakistan faced in the aftermath of Pressler Amendment in 1992 became an opportunity for the country to rely on indigenous development and production of defense equipment.
Pakistan's Military Industrial Complex
The country now boasts a powerful industrial, technological and research base developing and manufacturing for its armed forces a wide variety of small and large weapons ranging from modern fighter jets, battle tanks, armored vehicles, frigates and submarines to armed and unarmed aerial vehicles and high tech firearms and personal grenade launchers for urban combat. Some of these items were on display at IDEAS 2014, the 5-day biennial arms show held November 2014 in Karachi, Pakistan.
Praise by Vice Chief of Indian Army:
General Sarath Chand, the Vice Chief of Indian Army, has been quoted by the Indian media as saying: “I would even go to the extent of saying that Pakistan probably has a better industrial base, as far as defense production is concerned, than our country. In fact they export defense equipment abroad, definitely more than what we are doing.”
Summary:
Pakistan has announced plans to develop and produce 5th generation fighter plane as part of the country's Air Force's highly ambitious Project Azm that includes building Kamra Aviation City dedicated to education, research and development and manufacturing of advanced fighter jets, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and weapon systems. It's a recognition that the country can not be truly independent and have real national security unless it can develop and manufacture the arms it needs to defend itself. Pakistan is just starting to do it but it has a very long way to go. Pakistan is also beginning to export defense hardware to developing nations. Pakistan is recognizing the need to develop significant human capital and build a vibrant economy to make progress on this front.
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Comment by Riaz Haq on July 27, 2023 at 7:20pm
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Pakistani official eyes cooperation with Türkiye on UAVs, advanced fighters
https://www.dailysabah.com/business/defense/pakistani-official-eyes...
Saying that the defense industries of Türkiye and Pakistan have been working together for more than two decades, the Pakistani secretary for defense production added that the two countries will consolidate their work and look ahead to new fields, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and advanced fighters.
Turkish-Pakistani relations have expanded "exponentially" over the last decade, Humayun Aziz told Anadolu Agency (AA).
He stressed that Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC), Pakistani Karachi Shipyard, and Turkish defense firm STM have established ties.
Karachi Shipyard and STM are building Milgem Plus warships in Pakistan, and the two countries will work on submarines as well, he underlined during the 16th International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF) in Istanbul, Türkiye's commercial capital.
He added that new frontiers include unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and advanced fighters, "because we are already progressing a lot in submarine and ship-building."
Türkiye and Pakistan are also cooperating militarily in regard to small arms and other projects, he noted.
Working on new capabilities
On the technological aspect, the two countries have a good understanding and are working on certain advanced designs, Aziz said.
He said, "The defense industry is actively cooperating with us for work on new design capabilities which also includes artificial intelligence and new techniques."
On the current IDEF defense fair, which runs through Friday, Aziz said the event is growing in strength.
"Our relations are continuous, but definitely these exhibitions provide us with an opportunity to assess a lot of products on one platform in one day," he highlighted.
He said many people visited Pakistan's pavilion at the event, adding, "We have some tremendous missile, aircraft, (and) unmanned combat vehicle technology capabilities. So I see a lot of interest from people in things we are presenting."
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After Azerbaijan, will Pakistan also join Turkey’s 5th generation fighter program?
https://breakingdefense.com/2023/08/after-azerbaijan-will-pakistan-...
Collaborating with other countries will accelerate the development process and with reduce the risks on Turkey, experts told Breaking Defense.
By AGNES HELOU
BEIRUT — Just a week after Turkey signed an agreement to add Azerbaijan to its fifth generation fighter jet program, a senior Turkish official suggested that Pakistan, too, could join in.
“Pretty soon, within this month, we will be discussing with our Pakistani counterparts to officially include Pakistan in our national fighter jet program, KAAN,” deputy defense minister Celal Sami Tufekci announced Wednesday.
The agreement with Azerbaijan came last week during the International Defense Industry Fair, or IDEF 2023, held in Istanbul. It was a move that was described by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a “new sign of solidarity between the two countries.”
While the Pakistani government doesn’t appear to have commented publicly about their potential inclusion, and a representative for the Pakistani air force did not immediately respond to Breaking Defense’s request for comment, experts said that working with other countries will accelerate the development process for the ambitious KAAN project and with reduce the risks on Turkey.
“Developing a fifth-generation fighter aircraft is a complex and costly endeavor that requires a wide range of expertise and resources. Collaborating with other countries allows Turkey to pool resources and technological know-how from the participating nations and distribute the financial burden, resulting in a more advanced and capable aircraft,” Mohammed Soliman, director of the Strategic Technologies and Cyber Security Program at the Middle East Institute, said.
Turkey has revealed an ambitious schedule for the fighter, including a first flight scheduled for late December, though experts said it could be a decade or more before the plane is operational.
“We have a period of [10-plus] years ahead of us, and there is no guarantee that this process will end smoothly and on time,” Turkish aerospace and defense expert Cem Dogut told Breaking Defense.
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Pakistan opens National Aerospace Science and Technology Park to induce technological advancement
https://www.arabnews.pk/node/2349931/pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday inaugurated the National Aerospace Science and Technology Park at the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Base Nurkhan in Rawalpindi, his office said, with the premier saying the facility would help induce technological advancement in the South Asian country.
The NASTP would foster research, development and innovation in the fields of aviation, space, cyber and computing to ensure social, economic, technological and scientific dividends for Pakistan and its valuable partners, according to a statement issued by Sharif’s office.
In his address with attendees at the inauguration, the prime minister termed the National Aerospace Science and Technology Park a project of “national and strategic significance” that would reap multi-dimensional benefits for the country.
“[The] NASTP project would induce technological advancement and would make the country more self-reliant by providing a platform for the youth and our future generations,” Sharif said.
“The project is equipped with state-of-the-art design, innovation, research and development centers which would provide ample opportunities for foreign investment in the country.”
He praised the efforts of the Pakistan Air Force and its skilled personnel in achieving of the “milestone” in record time.
“[The] NASTP is a highly promising project that will leverage collective wisdom and would contribute to kick-starting Pakistan’s economy to bring it on a fast track toward progression,” the prime minister added.
The facility, under the patronage and support of Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), will enable the information technology (IT) sector as one of the key domains of the economic revival initiative, according to the statement.
Reeling with an economic crisis, Pakistan set up the SIFC in June to attract foreign investment.
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Turkey said nearly 200 Pakistani engineers and officials are involved in the Turkish Aerospace Kaan fifth-generation fighter project. (Turkish Aerospace)
https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/turkey-to-engage-pak...
The Turkish government has announced that Pakistan may officially join its fifth-generation Turkish Aerospace (TA) Kaan fighter aircraft programme.
In an announcement on 2 August in Karachi, Turkish Deputy Defence Minister Celal Sami Tüfekçi said Ankara and Islamabad would initiate discussions about Pakistan joining the project. “Pretty soon, within this month, we will be discussing with our Pakistani counterparts to officially include Pakistan in our national fighter jet programme (Kaan),” Tüfekçi said.
He also revealed that nearly 200 Pakistani officials and engineers were “already [taking] part in the development of this programme”.
Tüfekçi's announcement follows an early announcement by Turkish officials in February 2022 that Pakistan was a collaborative partner for the development of the fighter aircraft. At the time, the CEO of Turkish Aerospace (TUSAŞ), Temel Kotil, had said the TF-X (Kaan) was a “Turkish-Pakistani fighter programme”.
However, Tüfekçi's recent announcement suggests that Pakistan's involvement is not yet official. Both Pakistan and Turkey seek a fifth-generation fighter aircraft to replace their fourth-generation Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter aircraft.
According to information published by TA, the Kaan is intended to have a maximum speed of Mach 1.8 at 40,000 ft (12,192 m) and a service ceiling of 55,000 ft.
Turkey's interest in making Pakistan an official partner in the project reflects Ankara's ambition to enhance resources and expertise to mature the programme. Pakistan's potential involvement in the Kaan project will almost certainly be supported by the Pakistan Air Force's (PAF's) new National Aerospace Science and Technology Park (NASTP). This facility was established on 4 August at the PAF base at Base Nur Khan near Islamabad.
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Türkiye, Pakistan, S. Arabia agree to enhance defense cooperation | Daily Sabah
https://www.dailysabah.com/business/defense/turkiye-pakistan-s-arab...
At the meeting, where possible collaborations in defense equipment technologies, including research and development, were discussed, Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia agreed to increase trilateral defense cooperation, according to the ISPR, Pakistan military's media wing.
"The three sides reaffirmed the importance of combining the intellectual, technical, financial and human resources of the three friendly nations toward the achievement of shared objectives and attainment of self-sufficiency in the defense domain," it said.
The historical "brotherly relations" among the three countries were also acknowledged, and the need to enhance the pace of collaboration in pursuit of common goals was reiterated.
The statement added that it was decided that the three nations would convene their next meeting during the World Defense Show in Riyadh next month.
The inaugural meeting between the countries was also organized in the Saudi capital, in August 2023.
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Pakistan Air Chief Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu also shared his the vision for NASTP, saying the project become one of the best aerospace, cyber & IT clusters and transform the national landscape with design, R&D and innovation centres for emerging and disruptive technologies to accrue maximum social, economic, security and scientific dividends for the nation.
https://pakobserver.net/army-chief-asim-munir-all-praise-for-nation...
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Pakistan opens National Aerospace Science and Technology Park to induce technological advancement
The facility is aimed at fostering research, development and innovation in the fields of aviation, space and computing
The project is equipped with state-of-the-art centers that will provide ample investment opportunities, PM Sharif says
https://www.arabnews.pk/tags/national-aerospace-science-and-technol...
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J-31 Fighters: How Will Indian Air Force Respond To Pakistan’s Acquisition Of ‘PLAAF Rejected’ Stealth Jets?
By Air Marshal Anil Chopra (Retd) of Indian Air Force
A statement attributed to Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Chief Zaheer Ahmad Babar says that the foundation for acquiring the Shenyang J-31 stealth fighter aircraft has already been laid, and it is all set to become part of the PAF’s fleet in the near future.
It may fly in Pakistan, replacing the F-16. That would mean another dive into the Chinese basket. Pakistan ordered 25 J-10CE Vigorous Dragons, in December 2021, with an option for 11 more.
In March 2022, the first batch of 6 J-10CEs joined the PAF 15 Squadron at the Minhas (Kamra) airbase. PAF has already inducted nearly 150 Sino-Pak JF-17 Thunder aircraft.
As Islamabad intends to begin negotiating the acquisition of J-31, many are asking, where is the money? And what happens to the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) TF Kaan (Turkish Fighter), a fifth-generation aircraft that Pakistan has been thinking of partnering with?
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The J-31 is smaller than the Chengdu J-20. On many counts, the J-31 seems to have features borrowed from the F-22 and F-35 designs.
The stealth features include forward-swept intake ramps with diverterless supersonic inlet (DSI) bumps, a two-piece bubble canopy, contoured weapon bays, and two oblique vertical stabilizers. A significant part of the fuselage is made up of composite materials.
AVIC officials claim the aircraft to be stealthy against L-band and Ku-band radars and would be low-observable against a number of multi-spectrum sensors.
The engines on the prototype aircraft were RD-93, the same as on the JF-17. China later considered an improved variant of Guizhou WS-13 called WS-13E with 100 kN thrust for use on the J-31.
The latest information is that J-31 will have a WS-19 engine, with a maximum thrust of 12 tons, compared to the base WS-13 thrust of 9 tons. The aircraft is planned for super-cruise capability.
The engine nozzles are apparently being redesigned to reduce radar and infrared signatures. The J-31 has two internal weapons bays that can each carry two medium-range missiles, along with two heavy hard points and one light hard point on each wing.
It can carry 8,000 kg of payload, with 2,000 kg internally and 6,000 kg on the six external hard points. But there are issues with its capability to carry a center-line gunnery or jamming pod.
Four PL-21 missiles can fit into the internal weapons bay. The maximum take-off weight of 28,000 kg is a little more than the 25,000 kg planned for India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
Allegation Of Intellectual Property Theft
In April 2009, the Wall Street Journal reported that China had made cyber-attacks to penetrate the database of the Joint Strike Fighter program and acquired terabytes of secret information, and the J-31 had emerged from the stolen knowledge. There are others who believe that the J-31 may be a look-alike, but it is “not a copy but a well done indigenous design.”
Pakistan’s TAI Kaan Participation
In August of 2023, Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Güler made an exciting announcement that Pakistan was potentially on the verge of participating in the Kaan aircraft program, and an agreement is close to being inked.
Güler further said that they had signed an agreement with Azerbaijan, and several other nations, including Pakistan, had expressed interest.
Turkey had said that nearly 200 Pakistani engineers and officials were involved in the Turkish TAI Kaan fifth-generation fighter project. The Turkish government has announced that Pakistan may officially join the fighter aircraft program. The CEO of Turkish Aerospace (TUSAŞ), Temel Kotil, had said the TF-X (Kaan) was a “Turkish-Pakistani fighter program.”
However, Tüfekçi’s recent announcement suggests that Pakistan’s involvement is not yet official. Turkey’s interests stem from its ambition to enhance resources and expertise to mature the program. It would mean support by the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF’s) new National Aerospace Science and Technology Park (NASTP).
NASTP was established in August 2023 at the PAF Nur Khan airbase at Chaklala, near Rawalpindi, Islamabad. Its primary objective is to enhance the nation’s capabilities in the aerospace industry by establishing clusters and innovation hubs throughout the country.
NASTP aims to create an ecosystem that fosters design, research, development, and innovation, including aviation, space, IT, and cyber sectors.
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