Wen Zhanhai.
After the chief of staff of the Pakistan Air Force announced that he would introduce the J-31 as the next generation of the main fighter, the outside world is concerned about when this fifth-generation aircraft will be delivered to the Pakistan Air Force, and the J-10C with the J-31 is expected to support Pakistan's future air power, and at the same time, Pakistan will also be able to take the lead in the competition with India. According to Indian military ** news, however, just a few days ago, the Pakistan Air Force said that it is considering building a new ** fighter jet, does this mean that Pakistan's plan to buy Chinese fighters has changed?
According to the report, the Pakistan Air Force hopes to modify the design on the basis of the "Thunder" Block3 and develop a PFX version of the "Thunder" with stealth capabilities, that is, the "Pakistan Fighter Aircraft Experimental Program". According to reports, the "Thunder" PFX is a "long-term plan" of the Pakistan Air Force's modernization strategy, which aims to improve the capacity of Pakistan's independent aviation industry, especially to build a comprehensive system for building the next generation of fighters.
Pakistan's "Thunder" PFX program).
If it is going to be equipped with FC-31 fighters, why does Pakistan still develop the "Stealth Thunder"? This actually highlights the ambitions of Pakistan's military industry. First of all, before the introduction of the "Thunder" fighter project, Pakistan had already set the tone of "joint research and development" with China, and the production line needs to be gradually transferred to Pakistan. The reason for Pakistan's insistence is very simple: it hopes to use the "Thunder" fighter to learn the whole process of fighter design, research and development, manufacturing, and later maintenance, so as to accumulate experience for Pakistan's aviation industry.
Stealth version of the Thunder fighter image).
Although Pakistan is not wealthy, it also has its own aviation industry company, the Pakistan Aviation Complex, which began with the maintenance of Chinese J-6 fighters, followed by overhauls of French-made Mirage fighters, the establishment of parts manufacturing plants, and finally the manufacture of aircraft. Its masterpiece is the "Mushshak" primary training aircraft. The aircraft is a small trainer aircraft improved by Pakistan on the basis of the Saab MFI-15 small trainer developed by the Swedish Saab company, a total of 477 aircraft have been manufactured, and they are exported to Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey, which shows that the aircraft has excellent performance. And the "Thunder" fighter is also in charge of the Pakistan Aviation Complex**.
The MFI-17 primary trainer is the only aircraft independently manufactured in Pakistan).
At present, the Pakistan Aviation Complex has a series of supporting factories, including aircraft factories and avionics equipment production plants, and the goal is to build a fighter that truly belongs to Pakistan. And the "Thunder" gave Pakistan this opportunity. Although the "Thunder" from the prototype to the current "Thunder" block3, it is not independently developed by Pakistan. However, this "Thunder" PFX project is likely to be carried out independently by the Pakistani side, and China will only be responsible for providing the parts that Pakistan needs. This is a major test for Pakistan's aviation industry and a huge opportunity. If the Thunder PFX project is ultimately successful, Pakistan can proudly announce that it has the ability to independently develop advanced fighter jets.
The "Thunder" fighter is of great importance to the Pakistani aviation industry).
MoreoverThe "Thunder" PFX project is destined to not coincide with the functions of the J-31. J-31 as a twin-engine medium-sized ** fighter, in the future in the Pakistan Air Force to assume the role of the mainstay, and the "Thunder" PFX is still a modification on the basis of the "Thunder", as a single-engine light fighter, the future can be with the J-31 "highland matching", the two sides are not in conflict theoretically, so Pakistan's "two-legged walking" scheme is very necessary.