SecularNationalist
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- Feb 21, 2015
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Air Commodore Chisti
Air Commodore Chisti
The F-16 was already in PAF service when the F-20 was being evaluated. The title of this thread is wrong.
Mickey Abbas.....they couldn't have picked a better pilot from PAF.
Story of F-20 ‘Tigershark’ Trials by PAF Trying it Out – Second To None
secondtonone.com.pk
F-20 was not a bad aircraft. But it was hard sell given USAF not inducting it. At one point it was maybe dangled to India (Soviet weapons customer) in the late 1980s
Micky abbas ? I guess he looks like that cartoon character lol hence that nick name.The F-16 was already in PAF service when the F-20 was being evaluated. The title of this thread is wrong.
Mickey Abbas.....they couldn't have picked a better pilot from PAF.
Story of F-20 ‘Tigershark’ Trials by PAF Trying it Out – Second To None
secondtonone.com.pk
F-20 specifications does not look bad. It is no F-16. But it is considerable leg up to be able to manufacture such an aircraft back in the 1980sMuch as in the case of F-5 the USAF was never going to acquire it. The aircraft was built for exports from the start. The project became defunct as soon as Pakistan rejected it & the US government refused to sell the aircraft to Taiwan. India was also never going to buy it. Although, I think it was wrong of Pakistan not to acquire the aircraft with full license production along with the F-16s. It would have provided useful industrial experience. But I doubt Pakistan would have been able to market it to Middle East as Northrop hoped it would be able to.
The F-16 entered PAF service in 1983. Mickey Abbas flew his first eval sortie on the F-20 in 1984.That's not entirely true. F-20 Tigershark was being evaluated during the period in which Jimmy Carter’s Presidential Directive for not selling advance jets to third world was in place, which effectively ruled out F-16A/B sale to Pakistan. To meet the Directive's requirement General Dynamics also developed an inferior F-16/79, which was also evaluated and subsequently rejected by PAF. Once Reagan reversed the Directive PAF received the advance F-16A/B. Pakistan may have continued to half heartedly entertain the idea of also acquiring F-20 thereafter - since license production was being offered - but, to the best of my knowledge, the trials had come to their end prior to the F-16 acquisition. There was no chance for F-20 since the originals requirement was for a strike aircraft and 110 units ex-US Navy A-7 Corsair II were shortlisted by Bhutto government. Zia upped the ante by demanding F-16s but the requirement for strike capability remained, which effectively ruled out F-16/79 and the Tigershark. Both died orphans.
Always take Wiki information with a grain of salt.From Wiki
In the late 1980s, local production of the F-20 was discussed with India. A move was also made in the 1980s to market the aircraft to the Pakistan Air Force with a license production manufacture of the aircraft. It was evaluated by a Pakistani contingent in the United States, with the F-20 being flown by Abbas Mirza, a senior Pakistani Air Force fighter pilot.[74] Of the components of the F-20, the radar would end up being the most successful; Taiwan selected it for the Ching-kuo, South Korea also adopted it for the KAI T-50 Golden Eagle trainer aircraft. As sales prospects were not apparent early on, GE sold their radar division, which was eventually acquired by Lockheed Martin.[75]
So the two highly senior retired officers of PAF are lying in that video?The F-16 entered PAF service in 1983. Mickey Abbas flew his first eval sortie on the F-20 in 1984.
Not at all. Likely the video missed out a few details. Both are great people.So the two highly senior retired officers of PAF are lying in that video?
The F-16 entered PAF service in 1983. Mickey Abbas flew his first eval sortie on the F-20 in 1984.
Much as in the case of F-5 the USAF was never going to acquire it. The aircraft was built for exports from the start. The project became defunct as soon as Pakistan rejected it & the US government refused to sell the aircraft to Taiwan. India was also never going to buy it. Although, I think it was wrong of Pakistan not to acquire the aircraft with full license production along with the F-16s. It would have provided useful industrial experience. But I doubt Pakistan would have been able to market it to Middle East as Northrop hoped it would be able to.