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| A Pakistan Air Force JF-17, A joint development with China |
Usman Ansari
ISLAMABAD — The top Pakistan Air Force (PAF) chief has outlined plans for greater indigenous design and technical/industrial input with its next fighter, which it hopes to realize under the Vision 2030 program.
In an interview aired by the national broadcaster PTV, Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman said Vision 2030 aims for greater indigenization of avionics, communication systems, and other subsystems and components for a fifth generation fighter.
He accepted there are budgetary and research challenges, but said human resources and infrastructure was being developed to ensure that 10-15 years from now these goals could be achieved.
A major aspect of this is Aviation City near Pakistan Aeronautical Complex in Kamra, the home of Pakistan’s aviation industry, which will have its own higher education facilities to nurture talent for the indigenization process.
The Chinese Shenyang J-31, (or development thereof), is strongly speculated to be Pakistan’s choice of fifth generation fighter. However, author, analyst and former Air Force pilot Kaiser Tufail believes this is still unclear, but “emphasis on an indigenous design” is serious.
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