JF-17 PFX program

[FuturePAF]

Loyal wingman of 5 generation fighter should be stealthy, I believe it is more suitable with stealth looking drone than 4 generation design plane.

Better use the money to develop stealth drone from clean sheet design.

Ideally yes, if the mission is side by side support, but there is a thing for a semi-stealthy design flying ahead as a picket force, drawing fire and using electronic warfare to survive long enough to make the enemy reveal its positions and/or expend its air defense munitions.

The reason a JF-17 sized plane should be used and not a more basic drone is the drone based on the JF-17 can be large enough to have long range, carry heavier EW equipment and/or its own SEAD munitions, and its maneuverability to pop-up upon the enemy and draw a response from what appears to be a manned attack profile. Similar to the Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat. Due to its size, and efficient engine, it can have a long loiter time and could also function as an unmanned fighter escort to tankers and ISR/EW aircraft like AEW, and be controlled by crew on board these aircraft, to protect them or draw fire away from these aircraft. The other mission could be maintaining a continuous CAP over major bases and strategic sites, freeing up manned fighters for offensive missions.

Either way, China will probably need hundreds if not over a thousand fighter sized drones, so securing a design that could be build at existing factories not building 5th Gen fighters as well as in Pakistan could help give those factories years of contracts to keep their staff busy and up to date on their skill set. Pakistan could build a few of these $20-25 million planes and sell 2-3 to China for each J-31 it procures from them.

But your right, It would end up becoming basically a clean sheet design, basically of approx. the same size as the JF-17 being its only shared characteristics.

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[Falcon26]

PAF guys announced it during parade while JF 17 was doing solo performance

So I found a clip

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Not withstanding the annoying music and the shouting commentary, I still agree with other members who have hinted that this PFX program is simply a project to indigenous certain components of the JF-17 rather than a wholly new system. The annoying gentleman and lady clearly mentioned “indigenous drive” when referring to the JF-17 PFX.

 

[Zarvan]

So I found a clip

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Not withstanding the annoying music and the shouting commentary, I still agree with other members who have hinted that this PFX program is simply a project to indigenous certain components of the JF-17 rather than a wholly new system. The annoying gentleman and lady clearly mentioned “indigenous drive” when referring to the JF-17 PFX.

It's a new fighter jet program in the design Phase that was also mentioned after this. And will be officially inaugurated soon.

 

[Falcon26]

It's a new fighter jet program in the design Phase that was also mentioned after this. And will be officially inaugurated soon.

Let’s agree to disagree.

 

[Corax]

Sounds like this is what project Azm turned out to be.

 

[CynicalPakistaniCritic]

It's a new fighter jet program in the design Phase that was also mentioned after this. And will be officially inaugurated soon.

No it's not, it's just a localised JF-17 as China is ending the production line

 

[Zarvan]

So bascially a paint job of Ka'an ? or Hurjet ?? And - why would Arabs finance it when they can do it themselves? Look at what Saudia is doing with Hawks, Typhoons and the "ask" for Tempest.. they are not interested in PAF doing anything for them - they want to do it themselves ...

Nothing about the PFX programme makes any logical sense ...

No as PFX will be most likely single engine fighter jet program. KAAN will come separately. If after next year this Air Chief retires and new one comes and he also continues this program then it's a serious program

 

[Zarvan]

No it's not, it's just a localised JF-17 as China is ending the production line

It's not a localized JF 17. It's either something similar to GRIPPEN E or almost 5th Generation fighter.

 

[PakAl]

So I found a clip

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Not withstanding the annoying music and the shouting commentary, I still agree with other members who have hinted that this PFX program is simply a project to indigenous certain components of the JF-17 rather than a wholly new system. The annoying gentleman and lady clearly mentioned “indigenous drive” when referring to the JF-17 PFX.

It would make sense to build cost effective medium weight single engine 5th generation plane, but to build a brand new 4.5th generation whilst we have Jf17 Block 3s and medium weight 4.5 generation J10Cs, it just doesn't make sense.

 

[HRK]

I still agree with other members who have hinted that this PFX program is simply a project to indigenous certain components of the JF-17 rather than a wholly new system.

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[Awwad]

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He says a future aircraft PFX is at design stage. Showed the slides of a twin engine aircraft with it. I say total misinterpretation. If its a completely new aircraft then why its call JF-17 PFX by official PAF slides ? I think PAF naming it as Jf-17 PFX and then saying an indigenization drive means a version of Jf-17 with indigenous components and perhaps on top a very slight design modifications. Just like differences of F/A-18 hornet from F/A-18 super hornet. The later had wider and square intakes but its same F-18 aircraft.

 

[Anza]

It would make sense to build cost effective medium weight single engine 5th generation plane, but to build a brand new 4.5th generation whilst we have Jf17 Block 3s and medium weight 4.5 generation J10Cs, it just doesn't make sense.

Should really be thinking about developing laser weapons however good to have this 4.5 generation aircraft in planning.

 

[Bilal]

He says a future aircraft PFX is at design stage. Showed the slides of a twin engine aircraft with it. I say total misinterpretation. If its a completely new aircraft then why its call JF-17 PFX by official PAF slides ? I think PAF naming it as Jf-17 PFX and then saying an indigenization drive means a version of Jf-17 with indigenous components and perhaps on top a very slight design modifications. Just like differences of F/A-18 hornet from F/A-18 super hornet. The later had wider and square intakes but its same F-18 aircraft.

Just a point. Super hornet is a different beast, not just different intakes, it’s bigger and heavier.

 

[HRK]

Showed the slides of a twin engine aircraft with it.

That picture was used just as illustration purpose, that was the picture of TFX model during it's first unveiling event in some defence expo

 

[Awwad]

Just a point. Super hornet is a different beast, not just different intakes, it’s bigger and heavier.

Yep that's my point, some of these new reports saying PFX is a new aircraft and its in design phase. so if JF-17 PFX is a new aircraft, Its not going to be completely new aircraft or a stealth aircraft. It maybe in same lines as hornet / super-hornet. They are saying its in design phase, so it could be some structural changes in JF-17 too in addition to indigenization of some components. Though differences may not be as drastic as incase with hornet / super-hornet.

I remember reading a chinese guy in this forum few months back, saying exactly these things but we didn't believed it. I remember @Quwa was communicating with him. If you could recall? he was saying the same thing, he was actually talking about kind of PFX long before it became a point of discussion.