HOW CHINA KEEPS THE PAF FLYING
by B.Raman
While China's assistance to Pakistan in
the nuclear and missile fields is well-known and documented, its role in
helping Pakistan in keeping its Air Force (PAF) flying despite the
difficulties in the procurement of equipment and spare parts from
Western and East European sources due to sanctions, foreign exchange
shortage and political (in the case of Russia, for example) reasons has
not received adequate attention.
The PAF's dependence on Western
sources in respect of aircraft for transport, reconnaissance and ELINT/ECM
purposes continues to be near-total, with very little assistance from
the Chinese. While the transport fleet is of mixed origin (US& West
Europe), the entire reconnaissance fleet of 12 Mirage III RPs is of
French origin. It uses two Falcon DA-20s for ELINT/ECM.
The transport fleet is of pre-Pressler
Amendment (October 1990) vintage. To overcome difficulties, the PAF also
uses transport aircraft ostensibly procured for the Pakistan
International Airlines (PIA).
As against this, the increasing
Chinese role in helping Pakistan maintain its combat/trainer-cum combat
fleet in an effective state of readiness to meet any possible threats
from India would be evident from the following:
* Of the total PAF holding of 475
combat and trainer-cum-combat aircraft, 271 are from China, 172 from
France and 32 from the US.
* The 271 from China consist
of 160 F-7MP Skybolt air superiority fighter-cum-interceptors, 15
FT-7MP advance trainer-cum-ground attack planes, 48 F-6 Farmer
interceptor-cum--ground attack planes, and 48 A-5 III/C Fantan ground
attack-cum-strike aircraft.
* In addition to the above
475, the PAF also has 46 advance jet fighter conversion trainers,
which can also be used for light ground attack. All of them are from
China--- 25 FT-5, 15 FT-6 and 6 K-8 Karakoram.
The non-Chinese holdings are:
* 43 Mirage IIIO air superiority
interceptor-cum-ground attack fighters; 7 Mirage IIIOD advanced
trainer-cum-ground attack planes; 40 Mirage IIIE air superiority
interceptor-cum-ground attack planes; 18 Mirage IIIEP air superiority
interceptor-cum-ground attack planes; 2 Mirage III DP advanced
trainer-cum-ground attack planes; 58 Mirage 5 air superiority
interceptor-cum-ground attack-cum- anti-ship planes; and 4 Mirage 5B
advanced trainer-cum-ground attack aircraft.
* 21 F-16A multi-role air
superiority fighters and 11 F-16B advanced trainer-cum-ground attack
planes from the US. The PAF had originally received 40 F-16s from the
US post-1983; of these, one was alleged to have been secretly given to
China for reverse engineering and seven were either lost in accidents
or cannibalised to meet the post-Pressler spare parts shortages.
* 20 T-37 Tweets--all from the
US. It is a jet trainer.
* 100 Mushak/Super Mushak
turbo-prop trainers, locally manufactured.
China's assistance to the PAF started
after the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war and this has intensified since the
imposition of the sanctions under the Pressler Amendment by the US in
October, 1990. The main features of the co-operation are the following:
* Supply of 170 F-6s starting
from 1966. Derived from the Soviet MiG-19SFs, the F-6, which was the
export version of the Chinese J-6, is the first supersonic fighter,
which China manufactured. Of the original lot of 170, only 63 (48 F-6s
and 15 FT-6s) remain in active service with the PAF. Of the remaining,
some had been attritioned, some have been de-commissioned and put up
on static displays around the country while one squadron was sold to
the Bangladesh Air Force. Currently, the F-6 forms part of PAF's No.
17 and No. 23 Squadrons. The remaining 63 F-6s are in the process of
being replaced by F-7MP Skybolts from China.
* Sale of 25 FT-5s in 1975. It
is being employed as an advanced fighter trainer serving with the No.
1 (FCU) squadron. Pakistan was and still remains the only
non-communist country to buy and operate the FT-5. In the PAF, it is
used primarily for combat training and jet-fighter training for
graduate pilots.
* The F-6 Rebuild Factory
(F-6RF), Kamra: The F-6 Rebuild Factory was established in 1980 to
overhaul the PAF's F-6 aircraft and their airframe accessories. It was
licensed to manufacture about 4,000 spare parts for that aircraft, and
also produce the 1,140 litre auxillary fuel tanks fitted to the F-6.
Engines for the F-6 are serviced at the PAF Faisal base at Karachi.
China equipped the factory with modern technical facilities for
engineering processes such as surface treatment, heat treatment,
forging, casting, non-destructive testing and other machine tools
required to manufacture items from raw materials. The F-6RF has been
overhauling the PAF's FT-5s, FT-6s, A-5s, F-7Ps and the FT-7Ps.
* Sale of 52 A-5C Fantans in
1983 which equip No. 16 and No. 26 Squadrons of the PAF. 48 of them
are now in active service. It is the export version of the Qianjiji-5,
which first flew in China on 4 June 1965. The Q-5 is derived from the
Shenyang F-6 (MiG-19) aircraft. The A-5C (Q-5C) is the improved Q5-I
1976 version of the aircraft. It was flight tested in China in late
1980 and certified for production on 20 October 1981. The A-5C was
modified by China to meet the PAF requirements in the special role of
close air support as well as its primary role of ground-attack and
deep penetration strike. Some of the PAF A-5Cs have also reportedly
been modified to carry a single 5-20 kT nuclear bomb under the
centreline along with two external wing mounted fuel drop tanks. It is
said that in the event of a nuclear attack, the PAF A-5Cs could be
used to deliver battlefield nuclear bombs over advancing armoured
columns. They could also reportedly be used for conventional as well
as nuclear attack on Indian air bases, missile launch sites and
strategic installations located within 1,000 km from the Pakistani
border with air defence escort provided by PAF F-7MP fighter
interceptors.
* Joint designing and
production of the K-8 (Karakoram) advanced jet trainer by the Pakistan
Aeronautical Complex (PAC), Kamra, and China's Nanchang Aircraft
Manufacturing Company (NAMC). The current manufacture is being done at
the NAMC. Pakistan had earlier unilaterally developed a similar
aircraft, but sought a partnership with China to further advance
production and technology standards of that aircraft. It first flew in
1990 and is intended to completely replace the T-37s in service with
the PAF by 2005. The total order for the PAF may reach upto 100
aircraft. Currently, only 6 aircraft have been delivered. The K-8 can
also be armed with air-to-air missiles for the airfield defence. The
first batch of 6 K-8s (with Collins EFTS-86 MFD and Allied Signal
TFE-731-2A turbofan) were delivered to the PAF in January 1995 and the
second batch of K-8s were to be fitted for the air defence role with
the Chinese PL-7 underwing Sidewinder AAMs and a gun pod (23mm) under
the fuselage. The latest news suggests that China has ordered 30
Progress AI-25TL turbofans from Ukraine due to the US Government's
refusal to authorise the sale of more TFE-731-2A turbofans for this
project. So, it is possible that both the PAF and the PLAAF may
eventually end up with K-8s powered by indigenous (WS-11) or Ukrainian
engines.
* Joint production of the FC-1
(Fighter China-1) by the Chengdu Aircraft Company (CAC) and PAC, Kamra,
with technical assistance provided by Mikoyan OKB of Russia. The PAF
calls it the 'Super-7'. It is alleged that the FC-1 (Super-7) is
actually a reverse-engineered version of the F-16 from the US, which
Pakistan secretly gave to China. Mikoyan OKB is providing the improved
version of the 80kN(18,000lb) st Klimov RD-33 turbofan, which is
fitted to the MiG-29, designated RD-95. Three flying prototypes and
two static test airframes are reportedly under construction and first
delivery was originally expected to take place during 2002. PAC Kamra
will ultimately undertake the assembly and manufacture of the
aircraft. The project, launched in 1991 following the cancellation of
Grumman (USA) participation in the development of the Chengdu Super-7,
has been behind schedule partly due to Pakistan's request for design
modifications to counter India's Su-30MKIs and partly due to informal
restrictions by the G-7 countries on the sale of components for this
aircraft following the military coup in Pakistan (as explained below).
Other equipment sold by China to the
PAF include:
* PL - 5: A copy of the French
Matra-550 missiles. Supplied with the F-7Ps. The range is from 4 to 6
km.
* The HQ - 2 B: Derived from
the Soviet SA-2 SAM. Developed and refined to include ECCM with
anti-jamming capability. Estimated operational range from 1000 m to
27000 m and a speed of 4.2 Mach. Inducted in 1983 and equips 2
squadrons.
* PL - 9:Developed for the
area-defence. Combines ultra-low level search radar and fire control
radar with a combination of PL-9 SAM and twin 35/37 mm guns. It
interfaces guns and missiles against low-level attack aircraft by
means of optical units and automatic computer-controlled infra
red-laser radars.
* Long Range Radar System type
514 supplied in 1978.
During last month's international
exhibition of defence equipment manufactured in Pakistan at Karachi
(called "Ideas 2000"), the PAF unveiled the Grifo-7 radar,
locally assembled at the Kamra Avionics and Radar Factory (KARF) at the
PAC, Kamra It is to be fitted into the PAF F-7P fighter aircraft. The
PAF officials claimed that the Grifo-7, a fire control system, would
improve the air-to-air and air-to-ground performance of the F-7P
fighter. It comprises four sub-units i.e. antenna, receiver, transmitter
and processor. The Managing Director of KARF, Air Commodore Basit,
claimed that the first F-7P fitted with the locally assembled Grifo-7
radar was undergoing tests at an undisclosed air base. He felt that the
radar would give a tremendous air-to-air capability to F-7P fighters.
Also, the F-7Ps would be able to attack ground targets with a greater
precision. He added that the PAF was working on a programme that would
allow it to produce all the components indigenously.
Mr. Yang Ying, a representative of the
CATIC (China National Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation),
told pressmen during the exhibition that the Super-7 aircraft was
scheduled to fly from February 2002. He added that, according to the
contract signed in February 1999, the FC-1 or Super-7 aircraft would fly
in 36 months time. "So far, the project is running smoothly and we
hope the fighter will make its maiden flight on schedule," he said.
Despite his claim, there are
persistent reports that the Sino-Pakistani projects for the joint
development and production of Super-7 and K-8 have run into difficulties
due to informal restrictions imposed by the Group of Seven countries on
the sale of components for these projects after the military seized
power in Pakistan on October 12,1999.
Quoting an unidentified officer of the
PAF, "The Nation" of Islamabad reported as follows before the
exhibition:" The PAF is on the verge of downgrading the
specifications for its next-generation multi-role combat aircraft, the
Super-7, because of the Group of Seven's enforcement of an informal ban
on weapons sales since last year's military take-over, a ranking PAF
source said Thursday. "We will soon reach the point where we may be
forced to take a decision to adopt a Chinese avionics suite, instead of
the more advanced technology we had hoped to procure from the
West," he told The Nation. "Air Command has already been
instructed to draw up alternate plans," he added. The political
fall-out of the G-7 sanctions is also expected to upset the development
schedule of the Super-7, delaying delivery of the first prototype beyond
its 2003 deadline, the PAF source said."
Describing the development as a major
blow to the military regime, the paper added: "The hi-tech version
of the Super-7 was viewed as the ideal replacement for the PAF's ageing
medium-tech fleet of F-6s, F-7s, A-5s and Mirages, which are to be
retired over the next decade. It is now obvious that its Air Staff
Requirement of 150 Super-7s will have to be revised to take into account
its inability, in the short-to-medium term, to procure advanced Western
avionics, including a multi-mode Pulse Doppler Radar, a mission
computer, INS and multi-function displays. The Western arms embargo also
means that the PAF will have to revise the Super-7's weapons package,
which was to have included a variety of conventional and guided weapons,
a potent SRAAM and an active MRAAM."
The paper added: "The PAF will
have little choice but to press the Government for a much larger number
of the Chinese version of the combat plane, known as the FC-1, which is
to have basically the same airframe as the Super-7, but would have to be
equipped with Chinese-manufactured avionics and weapons systems. There
are also small differences in aircraft systems and equipment. Pakistan
has had to struggle to find an overseas partner for the Super-7 venture.
Its earlier overtures to Turkey and the United Arab Emirates were
rebuffed. Ankara remains committed to the production under licence of
the F-16, while the UAE has preferred off-the-shelf purchases. Beijing,
too, had hesitated to form a joint venture, because of its belief in
more affordable options and weaponry, and had sought to place the
responsibility for the procurement of avionics with the PAF.
"They were finally convinced by
former Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Abbas Khattak, to collaborate
in the avionics venture on strategic grounds. It took three years of
negotiations between 1995 and 1998 to finalise the two sides' selection
of equipment, statement of work and cost evaluation. A memorandum of
understanding was signed by the Governments of Pakistan and China during
the visit of the then Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, to Beijing in
February 1998. This was followed by the inking of a formal contract
during his next visit to China in June last year. "
" The Story of the PAF (1988-98)
- A Battle Against The Odds," a book on the impact of the Pressler
Amendment on the PAF by a joint team of retired PAF officials led by Air
Marshal Rasheed Sheikh, states as follows:
* The invoking of the Pressler
Amendment resulted in the cancellation of the Peace Gate-IV programme,
under which Pakistan was to have spent US$1.4 billion on the induction
of 60 new F-16s between March 1993 and February 1997. The enforcement
of the Pressler Amendment was reflected within a year, when the PAF's
fleet of F-16s was hit by engine-related problems and all aircraft had
to be grounded. The PAF's Project Falcon initiated engine inspections
and depot level work at the Sargodha Air Base, but it took two years
to recover the 32 aircraft.
* Washington also resisted the
implementation of the Falcon-Up F-16 upgrade programme, saying it was
prohibited under the Pressler Amendment, but was eventually persuaded
to relent on the grounds that the programme was a safety-related one,
and did not enhance the aircraft's operational capability. The
enforcement of the Pressler Amendment also prompted the PAF to launch
efforts to procure a non-American hi-tech aircraft.
* Between late 1990 and 1993,
it evaluated and rejected the British Tornado, took a close look at
the Mirage 2000E, and received a misleading offer from Poland for the
supply of MiG-29s and Su-27s. In 1992, the PAF revived an 11-year-old
proposal to acquire 20-40 Mirage 2000s, but Paris was reluctant to
sell a fully capable version for political reasons. A possible
alternative appeared in August 1994, when Sweden's SAAB conglomerate
offered to supply its JAS-39 Grippen aircraft, but the deal was killed
because of its 20 per cent American component content.
* Meanwhile, France had
offered the Mirage 2000-V and upon re-evaluation, the PAF concluded
that the model incorporated the technological jump that it had been
looking for. The French offer was not based upon the PAF's operational
requirement vis-a-vis its operational deployment in the event of war,
but Paris agreed to remove the plane's deficiencies. The negotiations
began to become unstuck when it came to the price tag of $3 billion
for 32 aircraft, a figure that shot up to $4.1 billion when the cost
of a 10-12 year financing package was included. The PAF continued to
press for the technical package, but had to combat both tough French
negotiating tactics and the Pakistan Government's reluctance to pay
for such a large purchase. The deal was ultimately killed in late 1996
by the caretaker government of Malik Meraj Khalid, who was scared off
by a distorted media campaign against the Mirage acquisition.
* During this difficult
period, the PAF had little option but to take steps to maintain its
fleet size and operational capability.
* This involved the induction
of additional F-7 aircraft from China and the launch of two major
upgrade programmes, the most important involving the upgrade and
overhaul of existing Mirage III and Vs, as well as F-7s, A-5s and T-37
basic trainer aircraft. The PAF is currently taking delivery of 40
upgraded Mirage III and V aircraft under a $118 million contract
finalised in February 1996.
* This followed the
procurement of 50 mothballed Mirages from Australia under a A$27
million deal finalised in April 1990, from which a total of 45
aircraft have been recovered, upgraded and inducted into the PAF.
* Unfortunately, the
imposition of fresh sanctions by the United States in May 1998,
following the nuclear tests conducted by Pakistan, has again hit the
PAF's maintenance of its F-16 fleet. These sanctions, imposed under
the Glenn Amendment, have also affected the serviceability of the
PAF's fleet of 12 C-130s, reduced the availability of its automated
air defence network, and rendered unusable the six TPS-43 radar
employed to provide high-level coverage over Pakistan.
Speaking to reporters at Islamabad on
September 15,2000,the then Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal,
Pervaiz Mehdi Qureshi, refuted speculation of a delay in the
implementation of the Super-7 project with China due to informal G-7
restrictions because of the overthrow of democracy in the country.
Despite this, Pakistani columnists have been insisting that the project
had been delayed on account of several factors. A major problem arose
last year when the British firm Marconi Electronic Systems, now known as
BAE Systems, refused to enter the bid for the supply of avionics and
systems after the military takeover in Pakistan. The two other firms in
the race, the Italian company Fiar and the French CSF Thompson, also
delayed their bids for integrated packages including radars, head-up and
head-down displays, inertial navigation system and a mission computer
for the proposed aircraft. Now, with the British equipment out of
question, the contract will go either to the French firm or the Italian
firm. The winner will, however, have to share the development costs of
the Super-7 with China and Pakistan, both of which are committed to the
program on a 50:50 basis.
It has been reported that in view of
the expected delay in the commissioning of Super-7, the PAF is
negotiating with China for the purchase of a new Chinese fighter called
the F-7MG. It is said that the aircraft has already been test-flown by
PAF test pilots and was found to be a much better aircraft than the
F-7Ps in service with the PAF. It has been reported that the PAF wants
urgently at least 50 F-7MGs, to replace the remaining two F-6 (MiG-19)
squadrons and that, funds permitting, it would like to purchase another
50.
The F-7MG had first flown in 1993 and
appeared for the first time at the first Chinese international air show,
the Air Show China. According to Chengdu, the manufacturer of the
aircraft, the F-7MG offers much greater maneuverability over the F-7Ps
bought in the past by the PAF on account of its newly-designed larger
double delta wing. Moreover, it has a much better cockpit layout,
avionics, radar and navigational aids as compared to the original
aircraft.
According to Pakistani aviation
analysts, the PAF's F-7MPs had been optimized for high-speed sorties at
high altitudes while the F-7MG with a much larger delta wing would allow
the aircraft greater maneuverability in low-speed, low-altitude combat.
However, at the same time, they point out that the biggest drawback of
the aircraft was its WP-13F engine, which was unable to provide high
thrust. The engine cannot be replaced by a Russian power plant on
account of the fact that the F-7 airframe is much smaller in size as
compared to aircraft like the Super 7 or the MiG-29s.
In briefings for the aviation analysts
during last month's exhibition, PAF officials stated as follows on the
Sino-Pakistani K-8 project:
* The project began in 1987, with
the PAC, Kamra, playing a major role in the designing and development
of the aircraft. The PAF provided two pilots, 21 engineers and 24
technicians for the entire duration of the development phase of the
project. This phase of the project included the conceptual design
phase, detailed designing, technological preparations, parts
production, sub-assembly and assembly sequences, and flight-testing.
The first prototype trial flight was conducted on November 21, 1990,
and the first aircraft arrived at the Kamra airfield on March 19,
1993.
* Subsequently, the Aircraft
Manufacturing Factory at Kamra embarked upon a phased programme of
assimilating aircraft manufacturing technology for the K-8. The
capability to indigenously manufacture the K-8's horizontal tail,
vertical tail and engine cowling has already been achieved. By 2002,
the transfer of technology for indigenously fabricating the K-8 front
fuselage is also expected to be achieved.
* The progressive shift from
fabricating an airframe of a piston engine aircraft to assimilating
the technology for fabricating a K-8 jet trainer aircraft has
"given AMF (the Aircraft Manufacturing Factory) the confidence to
venture into a full-scale aviation industry. "
* Considerable progress has
been made towards developing the infrastructure required for an
aviation industry. The most recent development in this direction is
the creation of the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Board (PACB).
* In the mid- and late-1990s
the K-8 project had slowed down somewhat due to the US embargo on the
sale of Garrett TFE 731 turbofan engines to China. The Americans
claimed that the engines could be used by the Chinese to build cruise
missiles. Last year, however, the Chinese reportedly decided to go in
for Russian engines for the K-8.
* Air Marshal Mushaf Ali Mir,
the new Chief of the Air Staff, who was the Director-General of the
PAC, Kamra, had been actively involved in promoting export sales of
aircraft and other air defence equipment manufactured at Kamra,
including the Karakoram-8 jet trainer.
* As the air chief, one of
Mushaf Ali Mir's main priorities would be to ensure that the PAC
remained fully committed to the K-8 programme and to promote export
sales of the aircraft.
* AMF manufactures certain
sub-assemblies for the K-8. The aircraft, described as an intermediate
and advanced jet trainer, is assembled in China, with its parts being
made in both countries. Plans call for Pakistan's share in the
co-production of the aircraft to be increased from the present 25 per
cent to 45 per cent by 2001, following which the plane would be
considered for assembly at Kamra.
* Earlier, PAC officials had
dropped plans to set up an assembly line for the K-8 at Kamra due to
various constraints, including infrastructure problems. Instead, it
had been decided that the PAC would increase its share in the
production of high-value components, including fin, horizontal
stabilizer, elevator, engine cowling and spare parts support.
* When Mushaf Ali Mir took
over as DG PAC, however, he pushed hard for going ahead with the plan
to assemble the K-8 in Pakistan. Export sales of PAC-assembled K-8s,
he argued, could become a source of substantial foreign currency
earnings for Pakistan. As air chief, he would now be in a better
position to ensure that this message gets to be heard in the highest
quarters of the Pakistan government.
According to latest reports, the new
Air Chief would soon travel to China to ink a deal for the procurement
of three squadrons of F-7 MG intercept fighters (60) for their immediate
induction into the PAF.
The jets are stated to be lying ready
with the Chinese manufacturer for the last three years, but the
Pakistani authorities could not decide about the various systems to be
placed on these interceptors, which have increasingly become Pakistan's
only option to enhance its air power. The last flying trials of these
aircraft were done by Pakistani pilots in 1997 and the non-availability
of the British radars for being fitted posed a major problem.
China and Pakistan were jointly
evaluating the Italian FIAR and the French CFS Thomson Radar to be
mounted on these aircraft. The Italian Radar has reportedly been found
to be suitable. It is a multifunction Radar with look down capability.
It has been reported that the
Government of Pakistan had already allocated funds for the purchase of
these jets in its budget for 2000-01 released in June, but had not
informed the IMF about it. It had also asked the PAF to keep the matter
pending till the IMF sanctioned fresh assistance for Pakistan, which the
IMF has now done.
It is said that Beijing has also
offered a very flexible suppliers credit for the purchase of these
fighters.
(4-12-00)
(The writer is Additional Secretary
(retired), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, and, presently,
Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai. E-Mail: corde@vsnl.com)
