Chinese air to air missiles

siegecrossbow said:

He is probably referring to the unspoken tradition in PLAAF where a new fighter has not truly achieved maturity until it fired unguided rockets.

Click to expand...

If he is, then I'm getting really tired of people trying to be witty in flagship threads, because not only has he created a situation where it's unclear if he is being serious or not that's taken up 3-4 posts, but it also implies that it's appropriate for people to make unsolicited joke posts to begin with in flagship threads (in this case, the only impetus for the joke is the F-15E carrying multiple rocket pods with laser guided rockets -- and manned fighter aircraft with laser guided rockets is actually a rather credible and cost effective way of engaging low cost suicide drones!)

sequ said:

Relax, it's a claim nothing more or less. But what's interesting is his more realistic claim that the J-35A will be delivered by the end of this year or early next year. Pakistani pilots and groundcrew are already training in China.

Click to expand...

A more pragmatic option for PAF than buying 5th gen fighters would be to update AWACS and SAMs, J-10CE and JF-17 block3 were both advanced enough before India got 5th gen fighters.

MiraiAAA said:

A more pragmatic option for PAF than buying 5th gen fighters would be to update AWACS and SAMs, J-10CE and JF-17 block3 were both advanced enough before India got 5th gen fighters.

Click to expand...

The AWACS side is already quite robust for the PAF. With the addition of 4 Erieye ER systems a couple of years ago, the total fleet now stands at 10 (or even 12, according to some claims). These upgraded platforms provide 360° coverage with detection ranges between 450–650 km, significantly enhancing situational awareness. Complementing this is the Blinders squadron (4 - 6 DA-20s) equipped for EW, ECM, and ESM roles working in coordination with Link-16 and Link-17 data links, which ensures a well-integrated battlespace picture.

Additionally, there are persistent rumors that the previously retired or grounded 4 ZDK-03 AWACS have been sent to China for potential upgrades to KJ-500 or even KJ-700 standards. While unconfirmed, such a move if true would further enhance PAF’s airborne surveillance and battle management capabilities.

Given that, the real area needing attention is the SAM network. Current systems may require reevaluation, and investment in more advanced, layered air defense solutions would be critical to effectively counter future threats, especially in the face of 5th-gen capabilities across the border.