Bangladesh Air Force

[UKBengali]

Where there is a will there is a way.

What BD was lacking in the past was will.

Perhaps things will be different now.

I agree in the past there was zero will to modernise the BAF.

AL did almost nothing for the BAF and BN, although BN did get a few new things such as Type-056 corvettes.

Hasina and AL simply do not feel the embarrasment and shame that most BD'shis felt when that little upstart Myanmar was smacking BD left right and centre in 2017 over the Rohingya.

However, just having the will is simply not enough as BD has no money at this moment in time, even assuming BD somehow had a government that could make multi-billion dollar procurement deals with other countries.

As an idea of just how broke BD is, it owes India 1 billion US dollars in unpaid electricity import bill and over the last year Indonesia cut off the coal for Paya Power Station as BD could not make the overdue payments that were 4 months overdue.

Right now(well as soon as BD has an actual government) the focus should be on MRSAM network, buying maybe another regiment of TRG-300 and getting hold of some more Mig-29s, refurbishing them and arming them with the latest weapons. This may be just about doable this decade bearing in mind the extreme fiscal constraints that BD is facing.

This should be enough to negate MAF and tilt the balance back towards BD.


PS - I on purpose did not mention the grace-periods of huge loans like Roopur will be over in 2027 and so BD will need to budget to for this. Exports it seems are something like 10 billion US dollars a year than claimed and so forex reserves are actually below bare minimum for a country like BD.

 

[UKBengali]

Really? What makes you think Yunus admin lacks legitimacy? Yunus admin is negotiating with USA for GSP facility and till now USAs response is positive...

Look Yunus has close relationship with US and it is good that he can use this to potentially gain GSP for BD.

US is with Germany the largest export market for BD and if he can use his influence with US to get rid of that unfairly high 13% import duty on BD garments, it will of course raise BD exports to US by many billions of US dollars a year.

That is NOT THE SAME as Yunus being able to go to say China and make a 3-5 billion US dollar deal with them for 16-32 JF-17 Block 3. Let's forget that Pakistan has no say in this to make it simpler.

 

[Bengal71]

I also don't think its clear how the BD government will shape up in terms of relations with the US vis a vis China given STRONG M Yunus ties with the West.

JF-17 is a lower end platform. It may be more accessible. I do not see J-10C in the cards.

I actually think if BD chooses a Western orientation, we may see US platforms in time.

Too early to tell.

F16, F-18 or even F-15 are also most welcome.

 

[Michael Corleone]

I agree in the past there was zero will to modernise the BAF.

AL did almost nothing for the BAF and BN, although BN did get a few new things such as Type-056 corvettes.

Hasina and AL simply do not feel the embarrasment and shame that most BD'shis felt when that little upstart Myanmar was smacking BD left right and centre in 2017 over the Rohingya.

However, just having the will is simply not enough as BD has no money at this moment in time, even assuming BD somehow had a government that could make multi-billion dollar procurement deals with other countries.

As an idea of just how broke BD is, it owes India 1 billion US dollars in unpaid electricity import bill and over the last year Indonesia cut off the coal for Paya Power Station as BD could not make the overdue payments that were 4 months overdue.

Right now(well as soon as BD has an actual government) the focus should be on MRSAM network, buying maybe another regiment of TRG-300 and getting hold of some more Mig-29s, refurbishing them and arming them with the latest weapons. This may be just about doable this decade bearing in mind the extreme fiscal constraints that BD is facing.

This should be enough to negate MAF and tilt the balance back towards BD.


PS - I on purpose did not mention the grace-periods of huge loans like Roopur will be over in 2027 and so BD will need to budget to for this. Exports it seems are something like 10 billion US dollars a year than claimed and so forex reserves are actually below bare minimum for a country like BD.

You know what’s funny, we don’t have money yet post Hasina, six custom rolls Royce spectres have cleared port and entered bd. I mean when we supposedly had “money” hardly 1 or 2 a year… but after Hasina 6 at once. Crazy.

 

[Michael Corleone]

F16, F-18 or even F-15 are also most welcome.

I wish we could get f15s, most probably never. F16s seem to be attainable tech from US given we are not the closest of allies to them.

 

[Afif]

MRCA is unofficially Eurfighter. BAF has clearly opted for it.

 

[Bengal71]

I wish we could get f15s, most probably never. F16s seem to be attainable tech from US given we are not the closest of allies to them.

If Yunus wants, F-15 is also possible. But F-16V is more than good enough but we need in numbers. 12 to 16 aircraft is not enough. At least 80 is the number I want to see.

 

[Michael Corleone]

If Yunus wants, F-15 is also possible. But F-16V is more than good enough but we need in numbers. 12 to 16 aircraft is not enough. At least 80 is the number I want to see.

In an ideal world 80-100 ie 5 to 6 squadrons of fighters is ideal for Bangladesh but that isn’t happening in an instant, 2 squadrons of f16s to start with will be awesome. Later one squadron of f18/f15 will serve us perfectly.

 

[UKBengali]

MRCA is unofficially Eurfighter. BAF has clearly opted for it.

MRCA is dead and buried and so is Eurofighter along with it.

The time for 4+ generation fighters is now over.

BAF needs to "manage" this decade somehow and procure 5th generation fighters like KAAN and/or J-31 in the 2030s.

 

[UKBengali]

In an ideal world 80-100 ie 5 to 6 squadrons of fighters is ideal for Bangladesh but that isn’t happening in an instant, 2 squadrons of f16s to start with will be awesome. Later one squadron of f18/f15 will serve us perfectly.

Yunus may be able to pull some strings with the US and get hold of 16-32 used F-16s that would still have 10-15 years of airframe life in them. US could do this for BD and only charge for the cost of refurbishment, training, weapons and setting up associated infrastructure.

That would probably be the best that BAF could do now but the problem is if the US wants something in return that may be too much for BD to give.

Would love to see F-16 fly in BAF.

 

[Afif]

MRCA is dead and buried and so is Eurofighter along with it.

Program is officially still on. Unless they terminate it, this is our procurement program.

 

[AbuShalehRumi]

Look Yunus has close relationship with US and it is good that he can use this to potentially gain GSP for BD.

US is with Germany the largest export market for BD and if he can use his influence with US to get rid of that unfairly high 13% import duty on BD garments, it will of course raise BD exports to US by many billions of US dollars a year.

That is NOT THE SAME as Yunus being able to go to say China and make a 3-5 billion US dollar deal with them for 16-32 JF-17 Block 3. Let's forget that Pakistan has no say in this to make it simpler.

You didn't answered my question! Who is questioning the legitimacy of Yunus Administration?

 

[Bengal71]

In an ideal world 80-100 ie 5 to 6 squadrons of fighters is ideal for Bangladesh but that isn’t happening in an instant, 2 squadrons of f16s to start with will be awesome. Later one squadron of f18/f15 will serve us perfectly.

My ideal airforce is:

40-60 F-16 or Gripen.

And 150 j10C


Western aircraft is needed for the Burmese. Chinese aircraft needed for the Indians.

 

[Bengal71]

MRCA is unofficially Eurfighter. BAF has clearly opted for it.

Great fighter but will be a very bad move. It's price is high, more importantly it's operating cost per hour is too high.

 

[UKBengali]

You didn't answered my question! Who is questioning the legitimacy of Yunus Administration?

Not me for sure.

However they are not a "proper" government as in they have come in as a caretaker one after the sudden fall of Hasina and Awami League.

Any procurement decisions will have to wait for an elected government and that will probably be in 2026 or even 2027 now.