Just to clarify, paf has around 250 4th and 4.5th gen bvr fighter jets. Another 100 planes will be enough for replacement, 20 J10CEs, 25 Jf17s, 40 J35s will be enough. Until older Jf17s and F16s need replacing which will come after 2035s.
4th gen is a tag line and so is 4.5 gen. In Indo-Pak war, this myth was also busted. What did we put in front of the IAF? Our 4th gen's or the 4th gens with top of the line PL-15 capability? I hope you can understand the point.
In a fight, when one has a longer range rifle, you don't semi long range rifles or pistols. You employ longer range weapons also and keep the short range for point defense.
Over 100 of our JFT's and 75 F-16's now come under this category. AMRAAM C-5 and SD-10A's don't do it and they've become second tier aircraft, can't fight with Meteors with near 180 KM range and a large NEZ. You can call these jets Gen 10, doesn't matter. I need the "long stick" "full system employment" not just the carrying platform like ACM Orangzaib referred to in his briefings.
Let's see now:
J-10C's: 25 total with PL-15
JF-17 block III: 30? with PL-15?
That's a total of: 55 planes with top capability with PL-15.
F-16's:75 with AIM-120 C5. Second tier.
JFT block I and II with SD-10A: 126 jets. Second tier
126 JFT block I and II's, they need urgent upgrades to AESA radars for PL-15 integration I believe. The rest of block III standard upgrades can happen gradually. But these must become PL-15 capable rather quickly. Before India can think of a round II.
Do the numbers now, per the war doctrine and to be effective against the enemy,
we ONLY have 55 jets with PL-15's.
Hoping this number's increasing with AESA upgrades soon. JF-17 block I and II and F-16's don't really count as front fighters because Rafale and upgraded SU-30's will have almost 50-80 KM range advantage over them. You can add them in the equation when they get PL-15 and AIM-120D's (if we get them).