JF-17 Block II, A Final Thunder & The FC-20

Pakistan and China have recently concluded a final agreement for the manufacture of a second batch of JF-17s. According to well-vetted sources from Pakdef (Eagle Hannan), these 50 jets are the final form of the JF-17s. The aircraft will be manufactured at Kamra, Pakistan, but will be flown to China for additional work. This work is said to relate to a new generation of avionics and sensor suite.

The Block II JF-17 is believed to have AESA radars similar to those observed on the J-10B. The integrated avionics, sensors and EW suite is entirely Chinese and is believed to be at the level of Europes best planes. The AESA radar is a slightly smaller version of the one being utilized for the J-10B. The radar is highly sophisticated and its installation is beyond the present capacity at PAC Kamra and will thus require the aircraft to take a trip to Nanjing, China.

The Block II will be the standard version to be used in the PAF with the older Block Is to be retired after the end of production for the first 150 aircraft. This suggests that the structural changes needed to convert the Block Is to Block II standard are significant, suggesting considerable changes to the revised edition. The following are believed to be some of the key changes:

China To Deliver 50 JF-17 Fighters To Pakistan

China has agreed to expedite the delivery of 50 fighter jets to Pakistan, a Pakistani government minister confirmed on Friday, as Islamabad tries to deepen ties with Beijing as an alternative to increasingly fragile relations with the United States.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has been holding talks with Chinese leaders during a visit that comes as ties with the U.S. have faltered after the killing of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan this month.

Pakistan’s Defense Minister Ahmad Mukhtar told media that his country was aiming to receive “50 aircraft in six months” from China at between $20 million and $25 million per aircraft.

The Wall Street Journal originally quoted an unnamed high-ranking Pakistani Air Force spokesman, in Beijing with Gilani, as saying the jointly developed JF-17 jets would be in addition to another batch of the same aircraft that is currently being assembled in Pakistan.

China To Supply 50 JF-17 Thunders To Pakistan On Urgent Basis

Pakistani Local news station GEO has just broad-casted (that China will supply 50 JF-17 Thunder multi-role fighters to Pakistan on urgent basis.

JF-17 Fighter Aircraft Program Continues to Grow

Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Yousaf Raza Gilani extended the government’s complete support of the JF-17 Thunder aircraft program. PM said this project has proven to be a great positive in the Pak-China relationship.

“This is the project that can become a true flagship of the historic cooperation and strengthen the relationship between our two countries”. These were the words of Gilani as he addressed a gathering of Chinese and Pakistani technicians during his visitation to the JF-17 manufacturing facility at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex.

He also expressed his satisfaction and pride of the successful progress of the JF-17 program and the fact that it is constantly completing milestones. The JF-17 project is definitely one of the biggest joint project going on between Pakistan and its strategic partner – China. Both governments expect that such cooperation will strengthen their time-tested relationship. Gilani said that every Pakistani is cherishing the help which China provides to the JF-17 program and a couple of other project. PM believes this project will write another glorious chapter in the history of the cooperation between the two countries.

Gilani wasn’t the only official visiting the factory, other names there were General Khalid Shameem Wynne, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman, Chief of the Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force were also visitors of the factory. They had the opportunity to witness the amazing progress which the JF=17 aircraft manufacturing program has achieved.

The JF-17 project is one of the most ambitious Pakistani programs and it has successfully complete many milestones. Thanks to this program, Pakistan can now proudly stand amongst the group of countries which manufacture modern combat aircraft.

The JF-17 is one of the most cost-effective, multi-role combat aircraft and it is specifically designed to meet the needs of the Pakistan Air Force.

The first batch is expected to be of 50 JF-17 Thunder aircraft which are to be equipped with the Chinese radar and SD-10 Beyond Visual Range Missile. Later batches are expected to be equipped with a more advanced radar.

The JF-17 military program is not the only program Pakistan-China cooperate on, other programs include F-22p Frigate and ZDK-03, which consists of Chinese AESA radar mounted on the Y-8F600 platform.

JF-17 a Sign of Pak-China Friendship...Now Using Pakistani Indigenous Computer Systems

  

Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday extended full support for the continuity of JF-17 Thunder aircraft programme, and said the project would prove as a flagship of Pak-China friendship.“This project can truly become as a flagship of our historic cooperation and strengthen our time-tested partnership,” the Prime Minister said while addressing a gathering of Pakistani and Chinese technicians during his visit to the JF-17 production facility at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex here. Gilani lauded the pace of JF-17 Thunder programme which had moved into a serial production stage in a record time. 

He also acknowledged the role of Chinese experts for imparting technical know-how to the Pakistani technicians for the transfer of technology.

“The support provided by our Chinese friends in this, and in so many other common projects between Pakistan and China is greatly cherished by every Pakistani,” he said.

 
The Prime Minister termed the project a reflection of deeper bond between the two governments and the people.
“The success of the project would add another glorious chapter in our long history of cooperation,” he said.
Gilani went around different sections of the facility and expressed satisfaction that the project milestones were being accomplished in an efficient and timely manner.

He said Pakistan Airforce with a initiative like JF-17 program was not only rendering valuable services for strengthening the national defence but also providing a valuable opportunity to the youth.
“It is an opportunity involving a more constructive and positive approach to life that offers education, livelihood and training and leading to a better life,” he said.
Gilani exhorted all the personnel associated with the project to commit all “faculties of body and soul” for its success.
He expressed hope that with Allah’s blessing and commitment, many more laurels shall come in shape of timely completion of projects.
Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Rao Suleman Qamar said with the support of the government, twenty two JF-17 aircrafts had been inducted into the 26th squadron of the PAF, while eight others were in various stages of tests and trials. He said the aircraft, whose production began on 13 June 2009 and the first made-in-Pakistan rolled out on 23rd Nov 2009, has successfully made its presence felt at the air shows at Farnborough, UK and Zhuhai, China. He said the aircraft also participated in the Highmark and the Azm-e-nau exercises.
He said a number of air forces around the world were eyeing the new entrant into the arena with keen interest.

The Air Chief presented to the Prime Minister a gift of a statue of an Air Force pilot - a symbol of determination to succeed despite all odds. Earlier the Prime Minister was apprised that Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) Kamra was now providing three major computer systems for the JF-17 aircraft. 

These include Weapon Mission Management Computer, Electro-Mechanical Management Computer and Light Warning Computer.
The PAC was currently producing three aircraft a month and with a larger facility will be able to increase production and enable Pakistan earn a handsome foreign exchange.
Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Khalid Shamim Wyne, Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, Health Minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin and Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Sheikh also accompanied the Prime Minister.

Pakistan To Build Radar For JF-17 Thunder Fighter Jet

The chief of staff of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has told Jane's that Pakistan has built its first facility to manufacture radars for fighter aircraft.

Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman said the indigenously produced radar, built with China's assistance at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC), in Kamra, north of Islamabad, would equip the JF-17 'Thunder' fighter aircraft jointly produced by the two countries.

"This is a major step forward. This will be the first such [radar manufacturing] facility in Pakistan," ACM Suleman said in an interview on 21 December at PAF headquarters in Islamabad. He confirmed that the radar would be fitted on the JF-17, which, along with US-supplied F-16 Fighting Falcons, is set to be the PAF's front-line combat aircraft.

Previous reports suggest that the radar to be manufactured will be the Chinese-built CETC/NRIET KLJ-7 radar set.

At the 2010 Farnborough Air Show, at which two JF-17s made their debut in the West, Jane's reported that the KLJ-7 had received full marks from the JF-17's designers at PAC.

A PAC programme officer told Jane's : "I have flown with this radar and with other models that we have looked at fitting to this aircraft, such as the Thales RC400, and the Chinese radar is every bit as capable as its contemporary analogs."

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JF-17 Information From Zuhai air show And PakDef

The poster on Pakdef known as Eagle Hannan is a Pakistani engineer who works in Nanjing, China.He speaks both Urdu and Chinese fluently. He is a serious militaryaviation enthusiast. The city he comes from in China, Nanjing, is alsothe home of two of the J-10 pilots from the PLAAF that participated inthe Zhuhai Air Show, 2010. He stayed at the same hotel as the PAFpilots and had many conversations with them as well as the PLAAFpilots. . Hannan attended all three public holidays and spent all threedays with pilots and senior officers. Hannan has managed to collect alarge amount of information and media and these have been cleared bysenior personnel from the PAF for public release.

What follows is a summary of Eagle Hannan's posts from Pakdef.

Hannan describes the aerobatics display of the JF-17 as brilliant. TheJF-17 flew twice every day of the air show. He notes that the weatherconditions were very bad and hard to take videos in. He said that theJ-10s did not perform particularly well. Hannan comments that in 14minutes of display there was a single performance of 360 and threehalf-hearted loops. He observes that the rest of the displays by theJ-10 were formation flights. He notes that one of the Sherdil pilotscomments about the J-10 pilots in Punjabi that the old men of Chinacannot fly their own planes. 

In comparison, the JF-17s did much better. Hannan describes the Chinesecrowd as going “wild” with the Thunder’s repeated tight turns, withouta single one off-target from the venue.

In his conversations with the PAF, he has found out the following:

1. JF-17s will not have CFTs (Conformal Fuel Tanks).

2. The present batch of JF-17s has certain non-Chinese subsystems.

3. Air to Air missile tests for both WVR and BVR are complete.

4. PAF is impressed with the performance of SD-10s and confirms that the missile is comparable to the AMRAAM-Cs.

5. An improved SD-10s, designated here as SD-10Bs withimproved range, seeker, new motor and better seeker has been tested inChina on the FC-1. These missiles are marginally lighter than the firstgeneration and are in the same standard as the best Western BVR AAMs. 

The weight of the SD-10Bs still remains slightly greater than theAMRAAM Cs but this is not an issue anymore because the performance isequal or superior. The missiles displayed in Zhuhai were not the newgeneration SD-10Bs but the earlier model. PAF order for the SD-10Bs will be fulfilled before PLAAF. Previousmodels will be upgraded to the new SD-10B standard. [Author’s note:this may suggest that PAF have provided critical input for the SD-10Bs]

6. PAF will standardize to this SD-10Bs. First 50 will have PL-9Cs as standard WVR missiles.

7. A new radar will possibly be used in the Block II JF-17sand the first block will be upgraded. These are likely to be AESAradars with a swash-plate, similar to the Gripen NG. 

8. JF-17 radars are designed to be fully multirole.

9. Various new guided munitions are being tested in China. Theseinclude SDBs (Small Diameter Bombs) ideal for the light fighter class.

10. PAF’s second squadron of JF-17s is almost ready and flight trials are earmarked for early next year.

11. China is confirmed (yet again and without any doubt whatsoever) tobuy the FC-1s. Consequently, production is being expanded in Pakistan’sproduction facilities, Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC), to meet thedemand. These facilities are located in Kamra.

12. Close cooperation on the J-10B is taking place. The level ofcooperation has been significantly expanded since 2009. The size of thecooperation is described as literally a small city-like facility toaccommodate PAF and Pakistani civilian engineers. Hannan confirmed thatcivilian engineers from PAC are also part of the cooperation in China.

13. The J-10B will have Chinese radar and western subsystems will allow it to be integrated with Erieye and Chinese AWACS.This is not an assumption and Eagle Hannan, who is a telecom engineerhimself, confirms that this is not a technical problem and reconfirmsfrom PAF. There is no problem as long as the protocol messages andhandshake procedures are known. He found out that PAF has a solution interms of the middleware.

14. The middleware will not only be via a C4I but also directcommunication middleware. Some of these are being developed in-houseand some are being imported.

15. Whether JF-17s can data link with Erieye has not been confirmed dueto diplomatic/political reasons. However, Hannan notes that from hisdiscussions, it is implicitly obvious that they definitely can.


16. IFR (In-Flight Refueling) will be installed in later batches. These will be fixed IFRs and not retractable. [Author’snote: radar signature and aerodynamics penalty paid for simplicity ofconstruction, cost and maintenance]. The JF-17s were designed from theground-up to have IFRs installed.

17. Next block of JF-17s will have IRST (Infra-Red Search & Track) similar to those installed on the J-10B.

18. Pakistani ALCM Raad and H2/H4 ASM will be integrated andwas a major reason why Pakistan has chosen to go with Chinese radarsfor Block 2 JF-17s.

19. Advanced composites have been tested for use on the Block2 JF-17s. Present JF-17s also use some composites. J-10B/FC-20 isdesigned from inception from new advanced composites. FC-20s in PAFservice will form the top tier in the PAF (above the F-16 Block 52+).

20. PAF denied any collaboration in Chinese 5th generation fighterprogram as this is a capability they are not familiar with. PAF seniorofficials stated that:


We cannot help develop a capability we don’t know. Like we don’t knowwhat kind of sensor suite is in F-22 other than what we find fromopen-source. Such capability/requirement generation is not Air Forcejob but such technology information is brought in by other means[Hannan notes: espionage or intelligence I think this is what hemeant]. We all know F-22 is stealth but what else it can do is what wedon’t know. JF-17s are developed because we knew what we wanted from a4th generation fighter as we already had an experience with capability,either by existing systems or by our collaboration with other airforces. Even US Air force only comes to know new capabilities when it’spresented to it. Chinese on the other hand, have the means to bringsuch information and develop on such information and PAF does not.We'll see what they bring up.

JF-17 For Export

Pakistan to arm JF-17 with Chinese missiles

Pakistan has confirmed it will buy Chinese missiles and flightsystems to equip its 250 JF-17 Thunder jet fighters as it seeks todeepen military cooperation with Beijing, state media said Thursday.

 

Rao Qamar Suleman, Air Chief Marshal of the Pakistan Air Force, toldthe Global Times newspaper Chinese radar systems and SD-10 mid-rangehoming missiles would be used on the fighters co-developed by the twonations.

“PAF has no plans to install Western devices and weapons on theaircraft for the time being,” the newspaper quoted Suleman as saying.

Pakistan may also buy up to four Chinese surface-to-air missiles, asit seeks stronger cooperation with China to help upgrade its armedforces, Suleman told the China Daily in a separate interview.

He made the remarks on the sidelines of the annual Zhuhai Air Show now under way in southern China.

Chinese defence experts played down the comments, saying anycooperation did not target any country and did not compare with dealsadopted during a visit to India this month by US President BarackObama, the China Daily said.

Pakistan had initially planned on arming its JF-17 fighters withmissiles made by French firm Thales SA in a deal reportedly worth 1.2billion euros (1.6 billion dollars).

But French officials confirmed to AFP in April the deal had been puton hold without explanation. The French daily Le Monde reported that itwas cancelled to avoid damaging relations with Pakistan’s nuclear rivalIndia.

China is a strong ally of Pakistan and Islamabad draws heavily on Beijing for its defence and infrastructure needs.

Pakistan’s air force has a fleet of Chinese aircraft, includingF-7PGs and A-5s, but also US-built F-16s and French Mirages. Themedium-tech JF-17 or Thunder jets, manufactured jointly with China, area recent addition.

Pakistan may also buy up to four Chinese surface-to-air missiles HQ-18, as itseeks stronger cooperation with China to help upgrade its armed forces,Mr Suleman told the China Daily in a separate interview.

Russia To Sell Additional RD-93 Jet Engines To China

Russia's state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport is preparing acontract for the delivery of additional RD-93 jet engines to China, asenior official from the company said on Tuesday.

Beijing concluded a $238-mln contract with Moscow in 2005 for suppliesof a 100 RD-93 engines with options for another 400 to equip its FC-1Fierce Dragon fighter jets, jointly developed with Pakistan.

"We are holding new talks with the China National Aero-TechnologyImport & Export Corporation [CATIC] on another option foradditional 100 RD-93 engines," Deputy General Director ofRosoboronexport Alexander Mikheyev said at the Airshow China 2010,which is being held on November 16-21 in Zhuhai.

"We hope that this contract will be signed," Mikheyev added.

The RD-93 engines is a variant of the RD-33 engine developed to power the MiG-29 fighter jet.

The RD-93 was developed by Russia's Klimov design bureau specificallyfor the FC-1 fighter, known in Pakistan as the JF-17 Thunder.

Pakistani JF-17 THUNDER--- Chinese FC-1 Pics Part-2

 

Pakistani JF-17 THUNDER--- Chinese FC-1 Pics

JF-17 Thunder Exports Estimated at 5 billion

 Pakistani fighter Catic JF-17 Thunder has been demonstrated at an airshow in Farnborough.
It has attracted the interest of a number of countries including Azerbaijan.
JF-17 Thunder fighter was initially developed by Chinese engineersfor the needs of the Pakistani army. First fighters JF-17 Thunder(Chinese FC-1 Saolun) were supplied to the Pakistani armed forces in2007.
Now the project is entering a new level and the Chinese-Pakistani producers are searching ways to the international market.

Among potential customers who demonstrated interest to theinnovation are Azerbaijan, Iran, Egypt, Turkey, Venezuela and a numberof other countries.
Earlier, the press spread information about an agreement withAzerbaijan regarding the purchase of at least 24 JF-17 fightersestimated at about $17m each, which envisions the volumes of supply atabout $500,000,000.

The JF-17 fighter is 14 m in length, the wing span is 8.5 m and it is equipped with RD-93 engine and china is developing a new engine WS-13 with 100KN thurst with it.
The capacity of the plane is 3720 kg, the battle radius at thefighter version is 1200 km, maximal flight range is 3000 km. It can beequipped with different types of air-air and air-land rockets, as wellas air bombs.

China and Pakistan Push Chengdu JF-17 Fighter for Export

In the same week that the Chengdu JF-17 Thunder combat aircraft made itsinternational debut at the Farnborough airshow, the product of thisco-development between China and Pakistan was offered to Indonesia.The Pakistan Defence Minister signed a defense cooperation agreementwith his Indonesian counterpart in Jakarta.

The list of countries that the Sino-Pakistan joint venture is targeting for sales is expanding fast: it reportedly alsoincludes Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Congo, Egypt, Iran, Nigeria, thePhilippines, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Turkey, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.

At Farnborough, joint-venture partners Catic and PAC described the JF-17 as a multi-role light fighter with an “outstanding performance-to-cost ratio.” The two aircraft on display were ferried to Farnborough but did not fly during the show, and officials were reluctant to allow journalists into the cockpit toview the three multifunction displays plus head-up display, HOTAS(hands on throttle and stick) and other avionics. The aircraft wereshown with PL-5II IR-guided air-to-air missiles on wingtip rails andferry tanks on the centerline and inner wing stations, leaving theouter wing stations unloaded. Mockups of five Chinese stores weredisplayed next to the aircraft: a C802A anti-ship missile; an SD-10Aactive radar-guided air-to-air missile; an LS-6 glide bomb; a WMD-7targeting pod; and a KG300G electronic warfare pod.

Program officials said that a developmentJF-17 is now flying in China with a Chinese-developed engine,presumably the WS-13 Taishan. All other JF-17s arepowered by the Russian-supplied RD-93 turbofan. On the eve ofFarnborough, a Russian newspaper reported the opposition of Sukhoi andMiG director-general Mikhail Pogosian to a further sale of RD-93s toChina because the JF-17 is competing with the MiG-29 for export sales.At the show, however, Russian officials, including Pogosian, playeddown this concern.

JF-17 Pics