Comment by Riaz Haq on December 3, 2024 at 1:45pm

Retired PAF Air Commodore Kaiser Tufail, a recognized expert blogger on PAF-IAF matchup:


http://pakistanpolitico.com/rafales-impact-on-iafs-air-power-capabi...

Mr. Modi has apparently not yet been briefed by his Air Staff about the JF-17’s upcoming PL-15 BVR missile guided by the new AESA radar, which beats the Rafale’s ramjet-powered Meteor by several tens of kilometers. It is manifest that long range BVR combat will take precedence over close combat in any future conflict, and enemy aircraft will be shot out of the skies while remaining well inside their own territory.

While we are at it, it may be worthwhile to have a cursory line comparison of the Rafale, F-16A and JF-17 in one-on-one visual air combat.

All three aircraft have a ‘clean’ configuration Thrust-to-Weight Ratio of 1:1 and can climb and accelerate equally well. In a turning fight, Aspect Ratio and Wing Loading are critical parameters. The JF-17 and F-16A enjoy better Aspect Ratios of 3.7 each, compared to the Rafale which stands at 2.6. A better Aspect Ratio (square of wing span to wing area) implies better aerodynamic efficiency due to less induced drag during turning. As for Wing Loading, or the weight of the aircraft per unit area, the lesser the better. The Rafale has a slight edge, having 68 lbs/sq ft compared to the JF-17 and F-16A, both of which have Wing Loadings of 77 lbs/sq ft. A lightly loaded wing helps in a tighter turn, though in case of the Rafale, this advantage is overcome by greater induced drag due its lower Aspect Ratio. In sum, all three fighters are at par, more or less, in a turning fight.

Induction of the Rafale in IAF has created considerable media interest, and the impression has been created that with immediate effect, IAF will rule the Indian skies. It must, however, be remembered that it will be at least two years before the Rafale achieves anything close to Full Operational Capability. PAF, on the other hand, has been flying F-16s for 37 years, including hot scenarios during the Afghan War, in local counter-insurgency operations, and the latest Operation ‘Swift Retort,’ downing half a dozen enemy fighters in these operations. The JF-17 has been fully operational for over a decade, and is expected to replace the legacy fighters over the next five years. These combat-proven PAF fighters are fully integrated with the air defence system, and are mutually data-linked, alongside all AEW and ground sensors. Such capabilities are not achieved overnight, and it will be several years before the Rafales can be considered a threat in any real sense.

Any immediate impact of the Rafale on IAF’s air power capabilities is, thus, simply over-hyped. This inference, however, must not be dealt with lightly, as there is a distinct possibility of the Indian Prime Minister using the Rafale for a false-flag operation in a surreptitious manner, to prove his point that, “with the Rafale, the results would have been different,” from those of 27 February 2019.

Comment by Riaz Haq on December 3, 2024 at 1:51pm

Pakistan now has 123 JF-17 combat aircraft in service, with another 35 on order, and also employs 25 as dedicated trainers.

https://www.flightglobal.com/defence/pakistan-displays-jf-17-block-...

Myanmar has so far fielded seven JF-17s, with another nine on order, while Nigeria’s air force has received three. Azerbaijan, meanwhile, recently announced an order – brokered by Pakistan – for a dozen JF-17s, including four two-seat trainers.

Baku’s commitment emerged in late September, when president Ilyam Aliyev toured a PAF aircraft at the Azerbaijan Defence Exhibition. “The jets have already been integrated into the arsenal of Azerbaijan’s air force,” the nation’s defence ministry said.

Comment by Riaz Haq on December 7, 2024 at 9:58am

Russian FSB Hackers Breach Pakistani APT Storm-0156

(Russian) Parasitic advanced persistent threat (APT) Secret Blizzard accessed another APT's infrastructure (Pakistan's), and stole the same kinds of info it targets in South Asian government and military victims.

https://www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/russian-fsb-hackers...

Hackers operating on behalf of Russian state intelligence have breached hackers operating out of Pakistan, latching onto their espionage campaigns to steal information from government, military, and defense targets in Afghanistan and India.

In December 2022, Secret Blizzard (aka Turla) — which the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has tied to Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) — gained access to a server run by another advanced persistent threat (APT), Storm-0156 (aka Transparent Tribe, SideCopy, APT36). It soon expanded into 33 separate command-and-control (C2) nodes operated by Storm-0156 and, in April 2023, breached individual workstations owned by its fellow hackers.

Since then, researchers from Microsoft and Black Lotus Labs say, Secret Blizzard has been able to leech off of Storm-0156's cyberattacks, accessing sensitive information from various Afghani government agencies and Indian military and defense targets.

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Frequent freeloader part I: Secret Blizzard compromising Storm-0156 infrastructure for espionage | Microsoft Security Blog

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2024/12/04/frequent-f...

In this first of a two-part blog series, we discuss how (Russia's) Secret Blizzard has used the infrastructure of the Pakistan-based threat activity cluster we call Storm-0156 — which overlaps with the threat actor known as SideCopy, Transparent Tribe, and APT36 — to install backdoors and collect intelligence on targets of interest in South Asia. Microsoft Threat Intelligence partnered with Black Lotus Labs, the threat intelligence arm of Lumen Technologies, to confirm that Secret Blizzard command-and-control (C2) traffic emanated from Storm-0156 infrastructure, including infrastructure used by Storm-0156 to collate exfiltrated data from campaigns in Afghanistan and India. We thank the Black Lotus Team for recognizing the impact of this threat and collaborating on investigative efforts. In the second blog, Microsoft Threat Intelligence will be detailing how Secret Blizzard has used Amadey bots and the PowerShell backdoor of two other threat actors to deploy the Tavdigbackdoor and then use that foothold to install their KazuarV2 backdoor on target devices in Ukraine.

Comment by Riaz Haq on December 18, 2024 at 8:28pm

Damen delivers second OPV 2600 to Pakistan Navy - Naval News

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2024/12/damen-delivers-second-...

Damen Shipyards Group has delivered the second in a series of two Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) 2600 to the Pakistan Navy.

The OPV project has brought both the Pakistan Navy and Damen to new levels of enhanced cooperation in diverse fields. The delivery of the fourth OPV comes at a time of increasing collaboration as the two parties signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) during the International Defence Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS) in Karachi in November.



The MoU demonstrates Damen’s commitment to supporting the Pakistan Maritime Science and Technology Park (PMSTP), an initiative recently unveiled by the Pakistan Navy. With the creation of a central hub close to the University of Bahria, Karachi, the PMSTP looks to foster collaboration between the authorities, industry and researchers, towards innovation and advancement in maritime technology.

As part of its scope as a PMSTP partner, Damen will be supporting the establishment of a local service centre to provide maintenance and services to Damen vessels operating in the region, such as the Pakistan Navy’s OPVs. Damen will collaborate with local businesses on shipbuilding projects, leveraging the advanced design and engineering capabilities it will develop as a partner in the PMSTP, enabling the joint design and development of new vessels for the Pakistan Navy.


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Two new warships to be inducted into Pakistan fleet on Defense Day 2024

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2569870/pakistan

The construction of PNS Babur started on June 4, 2020, and it was launched on August 15, 2021, while commissioning took place on September 23, 2023.

The Babur-class corvette, also known as the PN MILGEM class, is a class of four heavy corvettes under construction for the Pakistan Navy. This class is a subclass of the Turkish MILGEM project. The corvette class is heavier and larger than the Turkish Ada-class corvette and also equipped with vertical launch systems.

“Four Babur class ships equipped with a vertical launching system are being inducted into the Pakistan Navy,” ISPR said.

“Under the Pak-Turkiye agreement, 2 ships are being built in Istanbul and 2 in Karachi. Three other Babur class ships PNS Badr, Tariq and Khyber are currently in various stages of preparation.”

Babur class ships are capable of fighting above the surface, underwater, and in the air.

“The third Yarmouk-class OPV 2600 for the Pakistan Navy has also been built at Galati Shipyard in Romania,” ISPR said about PNS Hunain built in Romania. “The last two OPVs have a displacement of 2600 tons compared to the first two ships of the Yarmouk class.”

The Yarmook-class corvette is primarily based on the Dutch Damen Group’s Offshore Patrol Vessel 1900.

Yarmouk class ships have the status of Guided Missile Corvettes in the Pakistan Navy. All ships of this class, including PNS Hunain, are suitable for surface and air warfare as well as search and rescue operations.

The 98 meter long PNS Hunain has a speed of around 24 knots and with the help of a vertical launching system can propel surface-to-air missiles.

“Along with the 76 mm main gun, PNS Haneen is also equipped with two 20 mm secondary guns,” ISPR said.

PNS Yamama, the fourth and final vessel of the Yarmouk class, is undergoing completion after its launch in February this year.

Comment by Riaz Haq on December 19, 2024 at 8:09pm

Pakistan's missile program is 'emerging threat', top US official says | Reuters

https://www.reuters.com/world/pakistan-developing-missiles-that-eve...

Pakistan developing long-range missiles that could threaten United States, senior US official says
Pakistan refuses to address why it is developing more powerful rocket engines, senior officials say
US has imposed new sanctions on Pakistan's missile program

Speaking to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, (US Deputy National Security Advisor Jon) Finer said Pakistan has pursued "increasingly sophisticated missile technology, from long-range ballistic missile systems to equipment, that would enable the testing of significantly larger rocket motors."

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"They don't acknowledge our concerns. They tell us we are biased," said the second U.S. official, adding that Pakistani officials have wrongly implied that U.S. sanctions on their missile program are intended "to handicap their ability to defend against India."
Finer included himself among senior U.S. officials who he said repeatedly have raised concerns about the missile program with top Pakistani officials to no avail.
Washington and Islamabad, he noted, had been "long-time partners" on development, counter-terrorism and security.
"That makes us question even more why Pakistan will be motivated to develop a capability that could be used against us.
If those trends continue, Finer said, "Pakistan will have the capability to strike targets well beyond South Asia, including in the United States."
The number of nuclear-armed states with missiles that can reach the U.S. homeland "is very small and they tend to be adversarial," he continued, naming Russia, North Korea and China.
"So, candidly, it's hard for us to see Pakistan's actions as anything other than an emerging threat to the United States," Finer said.
His speech came a day after Washington announced a new round of sanctions related to Pakistan's ballistic missile development program, including for the first time against the state-run defense agency that oversees the program.

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Pakistan denounces US sanctions on its missile program as biased and putting regional peace at risk | AP News

https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-sanctions-ballistic-missiles-sh...
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan on Thursday denounced new U.S. sanctions on the country’s ballistic missile program as “discriminatory” that put the region’s peace and security at risk.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry warned in a statement that the sanctions “have dangerous implications for strategic stability of our region and beyond.” It also cast doubt on U.S. allegations that targeted businesses were involved in weapons proliferation because previous sanctions “were based on mere doubts and suspicion without any evidence whatsoever.”

It also accused the U.S. of “double standards” for waiving licensing requirements for advanced military technology to other countries.

The sanctions freeze any U.S. property belonging to the targeted businesses and bar Americans from doing business with them.

The U.S. State Department said one such sanctioned entity, the Islamabad-based National Development Complex, worked to acquire items for developing Pakistan’s long range ballistic missile program that includes the SHAHEEN series of ballistic missiles

The other sanctioned entities are Akhtar and Sons Private Limited, Affiliates International and Rockside Enterprise.

U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Wednesday on X that the U.S. had “been clear and consistent about our concerns” over such weapons proliferation and that it would “continue to engage constructively with Pakistan on these issues.”

The sanctions were also opposed by the party of Pakistan’s imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Comment by Riaz Haq on December 21, 2024 at 8:24pm

Pravin Sawhney
@PravinSawhney
Since conventional war deterrence is far more important that nuclear deterrence between India & Pakistan, IAF should seriously consider SU-57 aircraft.
PAF has edge over IAF in:
1. Electronic Warfare (it demonstrated this in 2019 Balakot. And since 2021, it has been working on Cognitive AI)
2. Pak CAS, ACM Sidhu announced in Jan that his force was ready to induct fifth generation J-35A (air force version) into service. Reports say PAF to get 40 J-35A. It already has J-10C & JF-17
3. It is fair to assume that J-35A will come with advanced weapons & sensors. With this acquisition PAF will have an advanced stealth fighter, what IAF lacks.
4. India's Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft, I understand, will not be available on time. There are too many issues.
Hope Russia brings SU-57 to Aero-India in Feb 2025 in Bangalore!

https://x.com/PravinSawhney/status/1870668314344657331

Comment by Riaz Haq on January 5, 2025 at 9:22pm

Explainer: Pakistan's military modernisation programme


By Indian Analyst Sidhant Sibal

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
From the Naval domain to the air domain, a rapid programme of modernisation is taking place. Islamabad's natural raison d'être remains India, but also increasingly angry Taliban rulers in Afghanistan, who see Pakistan's air attacks as a violation of sovereignty.

https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/explainer-pakistans-military-mod...

Pakistan's military remains a key component of the country's politics, but even as the economy remains fragile, one thing that is not halted is the country's military modernisation. From the naval domain to the air domain, a rapid programme of modernisation is taking place. Islamabad's natural raison d'être remains India, but also increasingly angry Taliban rulers in Afghanistan, who see Pakistan's air attacks as a violation of sovereignty. Let's understand what kind of modernisation Pakistan is undergoing and its impact on the country:

Naval Domain
Pakistan plans to transform its Navy into a 50-ship force by the next decade, including 20 major warships. This ambitious fleet expansion hinges on partnerships with China, Turkiye, and Romania. Pakistan has initiated the modernisation of its fleet with foreign shipbuilders like Damen Shipyards in Romania for offshore Patrol vessels. The navy is set to acquire advanced Hangor-class submarines from China, MILGEM-class corvettes from Turkiye, and the first-ever indigenous Jinnah-class frigates.

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Air Domain

As reported by Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, Pakistan is reportedly planning to acquire 40 Chinese J-35 stealth fighter jets, which marks a major step in its military aviation capabilities. J35 are fifth-generation stealth fighter jets developed by China's Shenyang Aircraft Corporation. These fighters are intended to replace Pakistan's ageing fleet of American F-16s and French Mirage fighters. While there's no official confirmation from China, the speculation around this deal has been significant.


China Partnership
Pakistan and China have close ties, something that is well known. While India and China ties have seen positive momentum, it does not mean Islamabad and Beijing will forgo military partnership or ties which are "higher than mountains and deeper than oceans". China has provided support for the modernisation of both the Pakistani Air Force and the Naval forces. As Admiral Tripathi noted at the presser, "These ships and submarines are either being made in China or being made with Chinese support." China has obvious interests in making the Pakistan Navy strong given its interest in Gwadar port. The port could connect the western part of China with the Indian Ocean overland Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Pakistan's defence diplomacy
Apart from modernisation, Pakistan has been actively involved in international naval exercises. In February this year, Pakistan will be hosting AMAN-25, the 9th such naval exercise off the coast of Karachi. In 2023, the exercises saw the participation of ships from China, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and the USA. The aim is to project Pakistan's naval strength in the Indian Ocean.


Missile programme and sanctions
Pakistan increasingly plans to modernise and reform its missile programme which has raised eyebrows not only in the region but also in Washington. The United States has imposed multiple rounds of sanctions on entities involved in Pakistan's long-range ballistic missile programme, targeting both Pakistani and Chinese companies. The December 2024 sanctions regime included a Pakistan state-run enterprise, the National Development Complex (NDC) that saw a strong response from Islamabad, which defended its missile program.

Comment by Riaz Haq on January 7, 2025 at 8:13pm

OsintTV 📺
@OsintTV
📍🇮🇳🪖✈️ "We haven't even received the 40 Tejas aircraft till now which were ordered in 2009-2010..." : IAF Chief Air Marshal A.P Singh

🤔

https://x.com/OsintTV/status/1876589545468440822

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Jayant Bhandari
@JayantBhandari5
India has no war strategy. None. None at all. Everything India does is for internal consumption, demagoguery. Of course, bribe collection is the key.

https://x.com/JayantBhandari5/status/1876771520338395552

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Conversation
Zhao DaShuai 东北进修🇨🇳
@zhao_dashuai
The Indian air force still haven't received the Tejas fighters they ordered in 2009.

Tejas is a low-end 4th gen fighter, the world has moved onto 6th gen fighters.

India's war strategy revolves around the 2.5 front war theory.

A thread on the strategic predicament of India.🧵

https://x.com/zhao_dashuai/status/1876651898398453883

Comment by Riaz Haq on January 9, 2025 at 9:31am

After ‘Stealth’ J-35A From China, Pakistan Discusses Acquiring 5th-Gen KAAN Fighters From Turkey: Reports
By Indian Analyst Sakshi Tiwari

https://www.eurasiantimes.com/after-stealth-j-35a-from-china-pakistan/

Pakistan’s appetite for a fifth-generation fighter jet appears to be expanding. Amid reports that the cash-strapped country has decided to purchase China’s newly unveiled J-35A aircraft, it is now reportedly holding discussions with Ankara for collaboration on Turkey’s fifth-generation combat jet, KAAN.

During the recently held eighth Pak-Turk Industrial Expo Joint Working Group meeting in Pakistan, the two sides discussed bilateral defense and industrial cooperation, including the possible export of Turkey’s KAAN fifth-generation fighter jet to the Pakistani Air Force (PAF). According to Turkish reports, the talks were attended by representatives of 32 institutions, including defense giants from both countries.

In addition to exploring the potential export of KAAN to Pakistan, both nations reportedly also discussed the design and co-development of an all-new helicopter.

Pakistan and Turkey are close allies. In 2021, the two states signed a formal agreement to boost defense cooperation by undertaking joint arms manufacturing and have since made concerted efforts to boost engagement and collaboration. The potential deal for KAAN is one of the components of this growing partnership, especially as Turkey seeks customers for its fifth-generation jet and Pakistan harbors ambitions to modernize its air force.

In July 2023, reports and social media posts from Pakistani military bloggers suggested that Pakistan was on the cusp of signing a contract to join the ‘KAAN’ stealth fighter jet project. No agreement to that end has been signed—yet.

The KAAN has come a long way since. Manufactured by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ), KAAN made its first flight in February 2024, catapulting Turkey into the elite group of countries that have indigenously developed a fifth-generation aircraft.

Though envisioned as an air-superiority fighter, some experts believe that the KAAN has evolved into a multi-role fighter, more on the lines of the F-35. This also explains Pakistan’s sustained interest in the aircraft.

While the discussions on KAAN’s export continue to take place, there is a paucity of information about the nature of these talks and whether Islamabad would join the program as a co-developer or purchase the aircraft.

Comment