Shahid Latif, From Landing First F-16 To Evaluating The Gripen

[Windjammer]

Most of you have heard of Air Marshall (R) Shahid Latif. He was indeed one of the pioneers of F-16 induction in the PAF and was the first pilot to land the Fighting Falcon in Pakistan in 1982. He was also the project director for the JF-17 program.
However, did you know that in late 90s, Shahid Latif was sent to Sweden to evaluate the SAAB Grippen fighter jet which the PAF was looking into at the time.



Wing Commander Shahid Latif is being welcomed after landing the first F-16 in Pakistan.


In Sweden while evaluating the SAAB Grippen for the PAF .

 

[m52k85]

Most of you have heard of Air Marshall (R) Shahid Latif. He was indeed one of the pioneers of F-16 induction in the PAF and was the first pilot to land the Fighting Falcon in Pakistan in 1982. He was also the project director for the JF-17 program.
However, did you know that in late 90s, Shahid Latif was sent to Sweden to evaluate the SAAB Grippen fighter jet which the PAF was looking into at the time.

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Wing Commander Shahid Latif is being welcomed after landing the first F-16 in Pakistan.

View attachment 35717
In Sweden while evaluating the SAAB Grippen for the PAF .

Tell us more, how did the evaluation go?

 

[Ultimate Weapon]

Tell us more, how did the evaluation go?

Obviously Grippen didnt made its way into PAF.

 

[Zarvan]

Most of you have heard of Air Marshall (R) Shahid Latif. He was indeed one of the pioneers of F-16 induction in the PAF and was the first pilot to land the Fighting Falcon in Pakistan in 1982. He was also the project director for the JF-17 program.
However, did you know that in late 90s, Shahid Latif was sent to Sweden to evaluate the SAAB Grippen fighter jet which the PAF was looking into at the time.

View attachment 35712
View attachment 35713
Wing Commander Shahid Latif is being welcomed after landing the first F-16 in Pakistan.

View attachment 35717
In Sweden while evaluating the SAAB Grippen for the PAF .

JF 17 PFX could very well turn out to be something similar to GRIPPEN E.

 

[Justin TruDont]

Obviously Grippen didnt made its way into PAF.

Grippen incorporates the best of US and European technologies
But it has far too much US tech to be of any use to a country which can be under the cross hairs of American Sanctions.

 

[ThirdFaculty]

The guy doesn’t make sense.
He is overrates the JF17 to the point were he lacks credibility.
An example is a couple of years back he claimed the JF17 is better than the J10. The reason…..because the JF17 has featured in more airshows……from his logic the JF17 is better than the J20. PAF ended up going for the J10 when the JF17 was found out in exercises.
One thing you’ll never hear is how much of a nightmare the JF17 is for ground crew, how short legged it is in combat (barely able to carry a payload at the basic level). How bad and jammable the early radars were.the fact the blk2 holds no key advantage over the BLk 1. There’s no shame in admitting it helped the aviation sector in Pakistan but to overrate it claiming it will challenge rafale is bullshit

 

[Windjammer]

The guy doesn’t make sense.
He is overrates the JF17 to the point were he lacks credibility.
An example is a couple of years back he claimed the JF17 is better than the J10. The reason…..because the JF17 has featured in more airshows……from his logic the JF17 is better than the J20. PAF ended up going for the J10 when the JF17 was found out in exercises.
One thing you’ll never hear is how much of a nightmare the JF17 is for ground crew, how short legged it is in combat (barely able to carry a payload at the basic level). How bad and jammable the early radars were.the fact the blk2 holds no key advantage over the BLk 1. There’s no shame in admitting it helped the aviation sector in Pakistan but to overrate it claiming it will challenge rafale is bullshit

Now that you have gone off topic, remind us if JF-17 was such a bad platform, why was it spearheading the onslaught on Indian targets on 27.2.2019 and do you have any idea how JF-17 was being deployed in the days after the swift retort operation, furthermore why in recent times the JF-17 has taken over CAPs from the F-16 in many sectors. Apart from the airshows, why is JF-17 sent to participate in most International exercises. !!!

 

[Oscar]

The guy doesn’t make sense.
He is overrates the JF17 to the point were he lacks credibility.
An example is a couple of years back he claimed the JF17 is better than the J10. The reason…..because the JF17 has featured in more airshows……from his logic the JF17 is better than the J20. PAF ended up going for the J10 when the JF17 was found out in exercises.
One thing you’ll never hear is how much of a nightmare the JF17 is for ground crew, how short legged it is in combat (barely able to carry a payload at the basic level). How bad and jammable the early radars were.the fact the blk2 holds no key advantage over the BLk 1. There’s no shame in admitting it helped the aviation sector in Pakistan but to overrate it claiming it will challenge rafale is bullshit

It will challenge Rafale yet barring everything and in equal terms (1vs1, co altitude, co speed and spaced 150km apart) and equal pilot skill and so on.

The Rafale will win.

BUT

The probability that it will be that scenario is very low compared to each aircraft pilot looking to employ their fighter in terms that favor it and if its on Pakistani airspace the probability lies with JF-17

 

[Pakistan Space Agency]

The guy doesn’t make sense.
He is overrates the JF17 to the point were he lacks credibility.
An example is a couple of years back he claimed the JF17 is better than the J10. The reason…..because the JF17 has featured in more airshows……from his logic the JF17 is better than the J20. PAF ended up going for the J10 when the JF17 was found out in exercises.
One thing you’ll never hear is how much of a nightmare the JF17 is for ground crew, how short legged it is in combat (barely able to carry a payload at the basic level). How bad and jammable the early radars were.the fact the blk2 holds no key advantage over the BLk 1. There’s no shame in admitting it helped the aviation sector in Pakistan but to overrate it claiming it will challenge rafale is bullshit

Pakistan did reject J-10As in the early 2000s in favour of the JF-17 Thunder project.

 

[m52k85]

The guy doesn’t make sense.
He is overrates the JF17 to the point were he lacks credibility.
An example is a couple of years back he claimed the JF17 is better than the J10. The reason…..because the JF17 has featured in more airshows……from his logic the JF17 is better than the J20. PAF ended up going for the J10 when the JF17 was found out in exercises.
One thing you’ll never hear is how much of a nightmare the JF17 is for ground crew, how short legged it is in combat (barely able to carry a payload at the basic level). How bad and jammable the early radars were.the fact the blk2 holds no key advantage over the BLk 1. There’s no shame in admitting it helped the aviation sector in Pakistan but to overrate it claiming it will challenge rafale is bullshit

Can a IAF Mig-21 Bison challenge a PAF F-16 from no. 19 squadron (ADF version, not MLUed)? If yes, why?

 

[UserUsing]

The guy doesn’t make sense.
He is overrates the JF17 to the point were he lacks credibility.
An example is a couple of years back he claimed the JF17 is better than the J10. The reason…..because the JF17 has featured in more airshows……from his logic the JF17 is better than the J20. PAF ended up going for the J10 when the JF17 was found out in exercises.
One thing you’ll never hear is how much of a nightmare the JF17 is for ground crew, how short legged it is in combat (barely able to carry a payload at the basic level). How bad and jammable the early radars were.the fact the blk2 holds no key advantage over the BLk 1. There’s no shame in admitting it helped the aviation sector in Pakistan but to overrate it claiming it will challenge rafale is bullshit

Aahh right.. and whats your source? Trust me bro?

 

[ThirdFaculty]

Now that you have gone off topic, remind us if JF-17 was such a bad platform, why was it spearheading the onslaught on Indian targets on 27.2.2019 and do you have any idea how JF-17 was being deployed in the days after the swift retort operation, furthermore why in recent times the JF-17 has taken over CAPs from the F-16 in many sectors. Apart from the airshows, why is JF-17 sent to participate in most International exercises. !!!

For the large part It was used as a decoy and to occupy the IAF and keep them guessing while the real ground work was spearheaded by the F16s there’s no arguing this. The JF17s deployed only carried 1 air to ground bomb while they were being covered by the F16s it’s fact PAF declassified this

 

[Windjammer]

For the large part It was used as a decoy and to occupy the IAF and keep them guessing while the real ground work was spearheaded by the F16s there’s no arguing this. The JF17s deployed only carried 1 air to ground bomb while they were being covered by the F16s it’s fact PAF declassified this

That's a negative, the F-16s at most were used as top cover or escorts.
The major assault was done by Mirages equipped with a single H-4 weapon and JF-17s armed with a pair of REK munitions and in some cases JF-17 were also providing escort to the strike package.

 

[arjunk]

The guy doesn’t make sense.
He is overrates the JF17 to the point were he lacks credibility.
An example is a couple of years back he claimed the JF17 is better than the J10. The reason…..because the JF17 has featured in more airshows……from his logic the JF17 is better than the J20. PAF ended up going for the J10 when the JF17 was found out in exercises.
One thing you’ll never hear is how much of a nightmare the JF17 is for ground crew, how short legged it is in combat (barely able to carry a payload at the basic level). How bad and jammable the early radars were.the fact the blk2 holds no key advantage over the BLk 1. There’s no shame in admitting it helped the aviation sector in Pakistan but to overrate it claiming it will challenge rafale is bullshit

J-10 is a different weight class and meant to replace Mirages.

JF-17 will never 1v1 an Indian fighter

 

[Fatman17]

Obviously Grippen didnt made its way into PAF.

Grippen was evaluated and approved for purchase however the Swedish government did not allow the sale. Hence the JF-17 program which incorporates some key Grippen attributes.