Originally posted by Daedalus3
Well there was something abt the PAF wanting to "evolve" their fighter keeping in mind the inevitable MRCA acquisitions by India, and thus
modifying the FC-1. That would seem like you/whoever wrote that is propping the FC-1 as a counter to these MRCA contenders.
Oh like that. i was thinking you meant a one to one comparison.
While capability wise the Mig-29 enjoys a marginal lead and the Mirage enjoys a bigger lead just comparing the payload and range of these two
fighters. the FC-1 is not being designed as a multi-role aircraft as such and a fair comparison cannot be done like that.
What i meant as a counter was it was evoling to deal with more advanced threats. Its not being deisgned as such to counter any fighter but designed as
to be more capable to counter fighters but no fighters in particular. Your thinking on the lines like pakistanis MRCA equivalent while im thinking
more on the lines like it is being beefed up to pose a bigger challenge to the MRCA deal for whatever aircraft is being brought
The FC-1 in the begining was basically a upgraded Super-7 with russian engines and two piece MFD. This has later changed since the pakistani
requiments have changed and now wants a more capable plane to counter future threats. The FC-1 being revised offers better performance all round. It
has improved LEXs which almost mirrors the F-18 which might possiblity allow it great manuverbility and higher AOA. While its wing surface has
increased by a largerish margin simliar to the F-16. I just going to assume this will allow it to hold more fuel and more weapons since the LERXs seem
thick enough to hold fuel in and the great wing space leaves great room for fuel. But what im interested is the revised avonics suite with three large
MFDs good for ground strikes.
Performace wise i would have to say the FC-1 revised would offer a lot more performace and possibile range and payload bigger than the twin engined
Mig-29A/B
Your not going to see a air battle where it is restricted to particular class or type of aircraft. Its basically going to be a free for all with the
aircraft called into the airspace
As of now you cant say the Mirage or Mig-35 hold a advantage in air superioty if we were comparing the relivant technologies involed. Because
comparing BVR missiles no missile holds a large advantage over the other. The FC-1 has the SD-10, Mig-35 has the R-77 (whatever type) and the Mirage
has the Mica metor combo or just the meteor now.
ECM wise i wouldn't say any has a advantage or disadvantage. The pakistanis have their ways and get western equipment or even chinese ECM gear into
their aircraft. First off im not going to go outright and speculate on things i will leave it until later on when we know the stats of each
aircraft.
Im not to sure the word counter should be used since i think the PAF with the FC-1 and other fighters they have would be used in a air denial stragery
invloing Sams and point interception combined with F-16 strikes with other aircraft providing support. I like the idea or moblie radar coverage with
the Erieye proving coverage instead of ground based radar and could be a mix of air denial and air superioty in different areas or at different times.
I think pakistans army now is more geared towards a defensive war instead of a offensive war so its not about winning air space as such but to defend
your airspace and thats where the FC-1 comes in because it acts as a cheap force multiplyer which provides advanced avonics with a low price thus can
be expendeble and be used as a delaying action until its taken into the UN
What the indians have now is called cold start whereby crack division shearhead lighting strikes into pakistani terrioty aimed at pakistani leadership
and nuclear weapons. This in comparision to their "hot" start which was low heavy moblisation where it would moblize many divisions and would lose a
lot of time and the surprise advantage. What cold start does is bring fewer divisions to battle but better armed and can be called on into action in a
matter of days. What the pakistanis will be aiming to be is protect againest lighting strikes and possibilty counter with their own
What is being sought to counter the MRCA was the F-16 block 52s which have alreadys been made out to be the tip of the spear and pride of the
pakistani airforce. But the plans to aquire their airforce with-in a airforce was postponed and now they ahve devised different stragterys.
I think the good ratio would be
200 FC-1s to act as cheap BVR interceptors or air superioty fighters
80 F-16s to act as strike and air superioty
8 AWACS aircraft. preferably erieye or even the Y-8 balance bean AWACS
Combined with older none BVR craft and some limited BVR craft. Mirage III Rose upgrades and the J-7s
And the rumour of J-10s coming into pakistani service would also mean maybe 100 J-10s to that list to achieve the desired goals of air superioty in
pakitani airspace. But only J-10s if the F-16s were only 50 in number and would use them as a good air superioty strike platform because it has longer
range and higher payload
[edit on 1-3-2006 by chinawhite]
