Comment by Riaz Haq on July 27, 2023 at 7:19pm

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."

Comment by Riaz Haq on August 4, 2023 at 3:01pm

Pakistani defense conglomerate unveils new drone, missiles at IDEF

https://www.defensenews.com/industry/techwatch/2023/08/03/pakistani...



A Pakistani defense conglomerate has unveiled new missiles and a drone during Turkey’s IDEF defense conference.

During the event, which ran July 25-28, Global Industrial and Defence Solutions showed off its Faaz-RF and Faaz-IIR medium-range, air-to-air missiles, as well as the Shahpar III medium-altitude, long-endurance combat drone.


The Faaz missiles and the unmanned system on display were mockups, GIDS chief executive Asad Kamal told Defense News.

The Faaz-RF is an active radar-guided missile, while the Faaz-IIR features an imaging infrared seeker. Both have a range exceeding 100 kilometers (62 miles), can reach a speech of Mach 3.5 and can fly 6,000 feet above sea level, according to GIDS.

The Faaz-RF seeker has a 25-kilometer detection range, and the Faaz-IIR a 40-kilometer range.


The Faaz design appears to have been partly inspired by the Chinese SD-10/PL-12 weapon, which is produced under license by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex. GIDS said its products are locally developed and owns the intellectual property rights.

Shahpar III is a Group 4+ drone able to carry weapons, meaning it weighs more than 1,320 pounds.It has six hardpoints for up to 530 kilograms (1,168 pounds) of disposable stores; a 1,650-kilogram maximum takeoff weight; the option for an internal payload; indigenously developed avionics; anti-icing/deicing system; a 1553 architecture dual-redundant flight control computer; and multiple sensor options, including electro-optical/infrared, synthetic aperture radar, communications intelligence and signals intelligence.

Engine configurations of 140 horsepower and 170 horsepower are available, both with a 300-kilometer line-of-sight and 3,000-kilometer beyond line-of-sight range. However, the 140-horsepower option has a 30,000-foot ceiling when rigged for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions and a 24-hour endurance, and a 28,000-foot ceiling and 17-hour endurance when armed.

The figures for the 170-horsepower variant are 41,000 feet and 40 hours, and 35,000 feet and 35 hours, respectively.

The engines are foreign, but GIDS did not disclose the origin.

Shahpar III will be available for export next year after in-house trials, the organization said.

Comment by Riaz Haq on August 5, 2023 at 10:48am

Ukraine’s drones (USVs) provide a lesson - Taipei Times


https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2023/08/04/200...

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been going on for nearly a year and a half. At the end of last year Ukraine started building the world’s first “naval fleet of drones” to counter Russia’s Black Sea fleet, news reports said. One of Ukraine’s maritime drones — an uncrewed surface vessel (USV) that resembles a speedboat — is 5.5m long and weighs one tonne. It has an operational radius of up to 400km and can operate autonomously for up to 60 hours. It can carry a combat load of up to 200kg and has a maximum speed of 80kph. The USV’s main functions include long-range maritime reconnaissance and coastal surveillance, escorting and supporting Ukraine’s conventional fleet and countering amphibious operations, among others. This Ukrainian-developed USV is believed to be the weapon that badly damaged the Kerch Bridge in Crimea on July 17, effectively blocking Russia’s logistical supply line, and had attacked the Crimean Black Sea port of Sevastopol the previous day.

Taiwan would do well to learn from this experience. To be ready for a war across the Taiwan Strait, the nation should develop a sea-drone fleet that is maneuverable, fast, cheap and effective. In recent years there have been several incidents of Chinese illegally crossing over to Taiwan on simple rubber dinghies. As well as favorable sea conditions and good luck, another reason they managed to reach Taiwanese territory is that a dinghy’s low profile on the sea surface makes it hard to detect using electronic devices. For the same reason, USVs have a “stealth” function. Despite their small size, they can be used to hit ships of the People’s Liberation Army Navy as they try to cross the Taiwan Strait, thus giving Taiwan a chance to win decisively outside its own territory.

Taiwan also needs to develop a system that can launch sea-to-air or sea-to-ground missiles from USVs. If China were to invade Taiwan, the first attack waves would destroy more than half of Taiwan’s military airfields, warships, naval harbors and missile bases, as well as a large number of the military personnel stationed at those sites. In such a scenario, easily concealed sea drones and their operators stationed in bunkers might well play a role in turning the tide of the war.

Comment by Riaz Haq on August 8, 2023 at 5:28pm

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.

Comment by Riaz Haq on November 27, 2023 at 8:15am

Pentagon pushes A.I. research toward lethal autonomous weapons

https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/pentagon-pushes-ai-resear...

There is little dispute among scientists, industry experts and Pentagon officials that the U.S. will within the next few years have fully autonomous lethal weapons. And though officials insist humans will always be in control, experts say advances in data-processing speed and machine-to-machine communications will inevitably relegate people to supervisory roles.

That's especially true if, as expected, lethal weapons are deployed en masse in drone swarms. Many countries are working on them — and neither China, Russia, Iran, India or Pakistan have signed a U.S.-initiated pledge to use military AI responsibly.

It's unclear if the Pentagon is currently formally assessing any fully autonomous lethal weapons system for deployment, as required by a 2012 directive. A Pentagon spokeswoman would not say.

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NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. -- Artificial intelligence employed by the U.S. military has piloted pint-sized surveillance drones in special operations forces' missions and helped Ukraine in its war against Russia. It tracks soldiers' fitness, predicts when Air Force planes need maintenance and helps keep tabs on rivals in space.

Now, the Pentagon is intent on fielding multiple thousands of relatively inexpensive, expendable AI-enabled autonomous vehicles by 2026 to keep pace with China. The ambitious initiative — dubbed Replicator — seeks to "galvanize progress in the too-slow shift of U.S. military innovation to leverage platforms that are small, smart, cheap, and many," Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks said in August.



While its funding is uncertain and details vague, Replicator is expected to accelerate hard decisions on what AI tech is mature and trustworthy enough to deploy - including on weaponized systems.

There is little dispute among scientists, industry experts and Pentagon officials that the U.S. will within the next few years have fully autonomous lethal weapons. And though officials insist humans will always be in control, experts say advances in data-processing speed and machine-to-machine communications will inevitably relegate people to supervisory roles.

That's especially true if, as expected, lethal weapons are deployed en masse in drone swarms. Many countries are working on them — and neither China, Russia, Iran, India or Pakistan have signed a U.S.-initiated pledge to use military AI responsibly.

Comment by Riaz Haq on January 9, 2024 at 10:54am

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.

Comment by Riaz Haq on July 1, 2024 at 10:04pm

Photo Depicts Potential Nuclear Mission for Pakistan’s JF-17 Aircraft


https://fas.org/publication/pakistan-jf17-aircraft-nuclear-potential/


Implications For Pakistan’s Nuclear Forces
Given the lack of publicly available information from the government of Pakistan about its nuclear forces, we must rely on these types of analyses to understand the status of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal. From these observations, it is likely that Pakistan has made significant progress toward equipping its JF-17s with the capability to eventually supplement–and possibly replace–the nuclear strike role of the aging Mirage III/Vs. Additionally, it is evident that Pakistan has redesigned the Ra’ad-II ALCM, but little information has been confirmed about the purpose or capabilities associated with this new design. It is also unclear whether either of the Ra’ad systems has been deployed, but this may only be a question of when rather than if. Once deployed, it remains to be seen if Pakistan will also continue to retain a nuclear gravity bomb capability for its aircraft or transition to stand-off cruise missiles only.

This all takes place in the larger backdrop of an ongoing and deepening nuclear arms competition in the region. Pakistan is reportedly pursuing the capability to deliver multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRVs) with its Ababeel land-based missile, while India is also pursuing MIRV technology for its Agni-P and Agni-5 missiles, and China has deployed MIRVs on a number of its DF-5B ICBMs and DF-41. In addition to the Ra’ad ALCM, Pakistan has also been developing other short-range, lower-yield nuclear-capable systems, such as the NASR (Hatf-9) ballistic missile, that are designed to counter conventional military threats from India below the strategic nuclear level.

These developments, along with heightened tensions in the region, have raised concerns about accelerated arms racing as well as new risks for escalation in a potential conflict between India and Pakistan, especially since India is also increasing the size and improving the capabilities of its nuclear arsenal. This context presents an even greater need for transparency and understanding about the quality and intentions behind states’ nuclear programs to prevent mischaracterization and misunderstanding, as well as to avoid worst-case force buildup reactions.

Comment by Riaz Haq on July 2, 2024 at 8:34am

Pakistan’s JF-17 Gets Nuclear Capability? US Report Says PAF Arms 'Thunder' With RAAD Nuke Missile

by Ritu Sharma

https://www.eurasiantimes.com/pakistans-jf-17-gets-nuclear-capabili...

Pakistan has consistently maintained ambiguity when it comes to its nuclear weapons program.

The JF-17 fighter jet, jointly developed by China and Pakistan, has long been rumored to have been assigned a nuclear mission. A recently released photograph confirms that the fighter jets manufactured in Pakistan have indeed been armed with tactical nuclear missiles.



---------

India’s Air-Launched Nuclear Deterrence
Fighter bombers were India’s first and only nuclear strike force until 2003 when the country deployed its first nuclear-capable ballistic missile. Despite developing land and sea-based nuclear deterrence, aircraft-delivered nuclear weapons are important to India’s nuclear posture.

It is speculated that three or four squadrons of Mirage 2000H and Jaguar IS/IB aircraft have been assigned nuclear strike missions against Pakistan and China.

The Mirage 2000 H fighter bombers are deployed at Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. Mirage-2000 is a French-made fighter jet. France used its Mirages in a nuclear strike role for three decades until its retirement in 2018. The Indian Mirage 2000 H has undergone upgrades to extend its service life.

The IAF also operates five squadrons of the Jaguar (named Shamsher or Sword of Justice). The Jaguar, jointly designed by France and Britain, was nuclear capable when deployed by these countries. It got a Darin III precision-attack and avionics upgrade in 2016.

Observers of Indian nuclear forces have estimated that aircraft with both conventional and nuclear missions conduct operations from the Nal (Bikaner) Air Force Station and the Ambala and Gorakhpur Air Force bases. Satellites, too, are likely to serve both a civil and military role.

However, these two aircraft are getting old. India’s latest acquisition is the 36 Dassault Rafale aircraft from France. The Rafale is also used in nuclear mission roles in the French Air Force, and there have been speculations that the aircraft might be converted to a nuclear role in India as well.

Comment by Riaz Haq on July 15, 2024 at 12:35pm

Kaz
@kozamli
𝐂𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠-𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: 𝐏𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧'𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬.  

A thread 1/n 
This thread sheds some light on the most technologically advanced weapons systems that have been made in Pakistan

https://x.com/kozamli/status/1812571261211472248

----------------

Kaz
@kozamli
·
8h
𝗝𝗙-𝟭𝟳 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶-𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿
Developed jointly by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) of China. This Aircraft is assembled completely in Pakistan with ~60% of the components being made locally aswell.

------------------


Kaz
@kozamli
·
8h
A single engine, light weight, multirole combat aircraft, prioritizing extremely low operational and unit costs. It has tremendous export potential already being exported to Nigera and Myanmar with significant interest from other countries, too (notably Iraq & Azerbaijan).

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Kaz
@kozamli
·
8h
The Block 3 version comes with an AESA radar, a more powerful Klimov RD-93MA engine, a larger and advanced wide-angle Head-Up Display (HUD), electronic countermeasures, an additional hardpoint, and enhanced weapons capability truly making it one of the best jets in its class.

---------------
Kaz
@kozamli
The JF-17 Got its first Air to Air Kill in 2017 against an intruding Iranian drone in Balochistan.

https://www.dawn.com/news/amp/1340703

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𝗛𝗮𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗕𝗧
Tank Haider is a 3rd Generation Plus Tank which has been manufactured through collaboration with NORINCO China and various local industries of Pakistan. The Tank incorporates modern state of the art technologies.

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With a crew of 3, its formidable arsenal includes a 125mm smoothbore gun, capable of firing a diverse array of ammunition such as APFSDS, HE, HEAT, and anti-tank guided missiles. With a total capacity of 38 rounds, the Haider ensures sustained firepower on the battlefield.

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𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗵-𝟮 𝗚𝗠𝗟𝗥𝗦
The Fatah-II is a successor to Fatah-I and a new entry into Pakistan’s conventional strike package. It is distinct from its predecessor because of its long range and enhanced precision. This is widely believed to be Paks response to India's S-400 ADS.

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Kaz
@kozamli
It can effectively engage adversaries’ targets within a 400 km range, with a circular error probable (CEP) of less than 10 meters. According to Pakistani news sources, the enhanced precision results from using a combination of inertial and satellite navigation systems

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Kaz
@kozamli
𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗵𝗽𝗮𝗿-𝗜𝗜 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗜𝗜
Shahpar-II Block II is a medium altitude, long endurance unmanned aircraft with armed capability. It has a modular airframe structural design comprising of advanced composite and metallic hybrid structure with improved aerodynamic design.

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Kaz
@kozamli
Features include autonomous take-off and landing system, a robust autopilot scheme, user friendly and a comprehensive mission planning and management software suite, reliable data links and the capability of integrating various types of EO payloads.

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Kaz
@kozamli
Interestingly, Pakistan became the 4th country in the world (behind the US, Isreal, and the UK) to deploy UCAVs in Combat Ops in 2015.

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Kaz
@kozamli
𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝟯
The Shaheed 3 is a two-stage, solid-fueled medium-range ballistic missile. It is reportedly capable of carrying both nuclear and conventional payloads to a range of 2,750 km, which would make it the longest range missile in Pakistan’s strategic arsenal.


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Kaz
@kozamli
The Shaheen-III, according to its program manager is designed to reach the Indian islands of Andaman and Nicobar so that India cannot use them as "strategic bases" to establish a second strike capability."

Comment by Riaz Haq on July 15, 2024 at 12:36pm

az
@kozamli
Perhaps the most impressive part about this ballistic missile is its speed. According to the Program manager The Shaheen-III, is Mach 18, or 18 𝑻𝑰𝑴𝑬𝑺 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑺𝑷𝑬𝑬𝑫 𝑶𝑭 𝑺𝑶𝑼𝑵𝑫.
This makes it incredibly difficult to defend against.

https://x.com/kozamli/status/1812571450471317922

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Kaz
@kozamli
·
8h
𝗔𝗯𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗠𝗜𝗥𝗩 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲
This is an MIRV surface-to-surface medium-range ballistic missile developed by Pakistan in 2017. It is "aimed at ensuring survivability of Pakistan's ballistic missiles in the growing regional Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) environment".


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Kaz
@kozamli
·
8h
MIRV is a sophisticated technology that was originally developed in the early 1960s to enable a single missile to deliver multiple nu­clear warheads and target multiple areas.
United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, Russia, Pakistan and India have MIRV technology.


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Kaz
@kozamli
A special mentions to the PAC MFI-17 Mushshak, which despite not being as much of a technological marvel as the rest of the aforementioned systems, has seen tremendous export success.
A thread covering that in more detail

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Kaz
@kozamli
MFI-17 Mushshak - An underrated export success story. a 1/n
While Pakistan's defence industries' recent feats like the JF-17 Thunder, Haider MBT, FATAH 2 GMLRS etc, grab headlines, a lesser-known champion quietly conquers the world: the Super Mushshak trainer.

-------

Kaz
@kozamli
This Pakistani aircraft manufactured by PAC is attracting air forces with it's affordability, durability amd other advanced features. Now the Super Mushshak can carry missiles for light attack missions too.

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Kaz
@kozamli
History:
The PAC Super Mushshak evolved from the MFI-17 Mushshak trainer, a license-built Saab Safari. Pakistan's PAC designed the Super Mushshak for improved performance amd with better features. In 1981, Pakistan acquired sole manufacturing rights to the Supporter

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Kaz
@kozamli
With a whopping 10 foreign customers, it can well and truly be called Pakistan's most successful product in the export market. In 2022 Flight International ranked it as the 6th most commonly trainer aircraft used after the T-6, F-16, Hawk, T-38 and L-39.


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Kaz
@kozamli
Foriegn Operators:

Turkish Air Force
Iraq Air Force
Nigerian Air Force
Qatar Emiri Air Force
Azerbaijani Air Force
Royal Air Force of Oman
Zimbabwe Air Force (confirmed)
Royal Saudi Air Force
Islamic Republic of Iran Airforce
Syrian Air Force

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Kaz
@kozamli
Some notable examples 

Turkish Air Force .
The largest (Foriegn) Operator of the MFI-17 Mushshak with 52 units on order.

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Kaz
@kozamli
Islamic Republic of Iran Airforce .
2nd largest (foriegn) operator of the MFI-17 Mushshak with 26 units.

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