Showing posts with label Pakistan Air Force Missiles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pakistan Air Force Missiles. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Pakistan Air Force F-16 Sniper Targeting PODS

The Sniper ATP is a single, lightweight pod with much lower aerodynamic drag than the legacy systems it replaces. The Sniper possesses advanced targeting technology and its image processing allows aircrews to detect and identify tactical-size targets outside threat rings for the destruction of enemy air defense mission, as well as outside jet noise ranges for urban counter-insurgency operations. It offers a 3-5 times increase in detection range over the legacy LANTIRN system. It is currently flying on the U.S. Air Force and multinational F-16, F-15, B-1B, CF-18, Harrier, A-10, B-52 and Tornado aircraft.

Pakistan Air Force F-16 Sniper Targeting PODS
Pakistan Air Force F-16 Sniper Targeting PODS

The Sniper ATP incorporates a multi-spectral sensor capability with a high-resolution, mid-wave third-generation FLIR and a CCD-TV. Advanced sensors, combined with advanced image processing algorithms and rock-steady stabilization produce target identification ranges that permit operations minimizing exposure to many threat systems. The dual-mode laser offers an eye safe mode for urban combat and training operations, along with a laser-guided bomb designation laser for guiding in these precision munitions.

Pakistan Air Force F-16 Sniper Targeting PODS
Pakistan Air Force F-16 Sniper Targeting PODS

For target coordination with ground and air forces, a laser spot tracker, a laser marker, and a TV quality video down link to joint terminal air controllers improve rapid target detection / identification. Sniper ATP provides high-resolution imagery highly sought after for the non-traditional intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance mission. Sniper ATP is the only targeting pod being used in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom on F-16's, F-15E's, and B-1B's.
For ease of maintenance, Sniper ATP's revolutionary optical bed design, optimal partitioning, and diagnostic capabilities permit true two-level maintenance, eliminating costly intermediate-level support. Automated built-in test permits a flightline maintainer to isolate and replace an LRU (Line Replaceable Unit) in under 20 minutes to get the pod back up to full mission capable status.

Monday, August 4, 2014

Mirage 5 In Use By Pakistan Air Force

The Dassault Mirage 5 is a supersonic attack aircraft designed in France by Dassault Aviation during the 1960s, and manufactured in France and a number of other countries. It was derived from Dassault's popular Mirage III fighter, and spawned several variants of its own.

Early Development :-
The Mirage 5 grew out of a request to Dassault from the Israeli Air Force. Since the weather over the Middle East is clear and sunny most of the time, the Israelis suggested removing avionics, normally located behind the cockpit, from the standard Mirage IIIE to reduce cost and maintenance, and replacing them with more fuel storage for attack missions. In September 1966, the Israelis placed an order for 50 units of the new aircraft.

Mirage 5 In Use By Pakistan Air Force


Mirage 5 Variant :-
The first Mirage 5 flew on 19 May 1967. It looked much like the Mirage III, except it had a long slender nose that extended the aircraft's length by about half a meter. A pitot tube was distinctively moved from the tip of the nose to below the nose in the majority of Mirage 5 variants. The Mirage 5 retained the IIIE's twin DEFA guns, but added two additional pylons, for a total of seven. Maximum warload was 4,000 kg (8,800 lb). Provision for the SEPR rocket engine was deleted.
Rising tensions in the Middle East led French President Charles de Gaulle to embargo the Israeli Mirage 5s on 3 June 1967. The Mirages continued to roll off the production line, even though they were embargoed, and by 1968 the batch was complete and the Israelis had provided final payments. In late 1969, the Israelis, who had pilots in France testing the aircraft, requested that the aircraft be transferred to Corsica, in theory to allow them to continue flight training during the winter. The French government became suspicious when the Israelis also tried to obtain long-range fuel tanks and cancelled the move.The Israelis finally gave up trying to get the aircraft and accepted a refund.
Some sources claim cooperation with France resumed outside the public's eye and Israel received 50 Mirage 5s in crates from the AdA, while the AdA took over the 50 aircraft originally intended for Israel, as Mirage 5Fs. Officially, Israel claimed to have built the aircraft after obtaining complete blueprints, naming them IAI Nesher. Like the Mirage IIIE, the Mirage 5 was popular with export customers, with different export variants fitted with a wide range of different avionics. While the Mirage 5 had been originally oriented to the clear-weather attack role, with some avionic fits it was refocused to the air-combat mission. As electronic systems became more compact and powerful, it was possible to provide the Mirage 5 with increased capability, even though the rear avionics bay had been deleted, therefore in some sub-versions, the result was a "reinvented" Mirage IIIE.
Reconnaissance and two-seat versions of the Mirage 5 were sold, with the designation Mirage 5R, and Mirage 5D respectively. However, a little consideration of the differences between a Mirage III and a Mirage 5 quickly shows that these designations were simply for marketing purposes. There was no clear dividing line between the configuration of a Mirage III reconnaissance or trainer version and that of a Mirage 5 equivalent, and were one and the same in many cases. The Mirage 5 was sold to Abu Dhabi, Belgium, Colombia, Egypt, Gabon, Libya, Pakistan, Peru, Venezuela, and Zaire, with the usual list of subvariant designations and variations in kit. The Belgian aircraft were fitted with mostly US avionics, and Egyptian aircraft fitted with the MS2 attack avionics system from the Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jet.
In 1978 and 1980, Israel sold a total of 35 of their Neshers plus 4 Nesher trainer aircraft (Nesher Ts) to Argentina where they were locally known first as Daggers and after their last upgrade as Fingers. The Argentines lost two IIIEA and 11 Daggers during the Falklands War in 1982, and, as a measure of solidarity, the Peruvians transferred 10 their Mirage 5s to Argentina, under the name Mirage Mara to help make good their losses. Chile incorporated some Mirage 5s under name Mirage Elkan. A total of 582 Mirage 5s were built, including 51 Israeli Neshers.

Mirage 5 In Use By Pakistan Air Force


Belgium Production :-
In 1968, the Belgian government ordered 106 Mirage 5s from Dassault to re-equip No 3 Wing at Bierset air base. All aircraft but the first one were to be license-built by SABCA in Belgium. Component production at the SABCA Haren plant near Brussels was followed by assembly at the SABCA plant at Gosselies airfield, near Charleroi. The ATAR engines were produced by FN Moteurs at this company's Liège plant. SABCA production included three versions: Mirage 5BA for the ground attack role, Mirage 5BR for the reconnaissance role and Mirage 5BD for training and conversion.
By the end of the 1980s, a MIRage Safety Improvement Program (MIRSIP) was agreed to by parliament, calling for 20 low-time Mirages to be upgraded. Initial plans included a new more powerful engine, but this idea was abandoned to limit cost. The upgrade eventually included a new state of the art cockpit, a new ejection seat, and canards to improve takeoff performance and overall maneuverability. A new government canceled the MIRSIP however. SABCA, having a watertight contract, was allowed to carry out the update. After completion, the Belgian government sold all 20 aircraft to Chile at a loss.

Mirage 50 :-
The Atar 09K-50 engine, however, was still a good idea, and fit of this engine led to the next Mirage variant, the Mirage 50, during the 1970s. The uprated engine gave the Mirage 50 better take-off and climb characteristics than its predecessors. While the Mirage 50 also incorporated new avionics, such as a Cyrano IV radar system, it did not prove popular in export sales, as the first-generation Mirage series was becoming obsolete.
Chile ordered a quantity of Mirage 50s, receiving both new production as well as updated Armée de l'Air Mirage 5s. The Chilean aircraft were later modernized along the lines of the IAI Kfir as the ENAER Pantera. The Pantera incorporates fixed canards and other aerodynamic improvements, as well as advanced avionics. These aircraft have an extended nose to accommodate some of the new systems. In 1990, Dassault upgraded a batch of Venezuelan Mirage IIIEs and 5s to the Mirage 50 spec, with the upgrades designated Mirage 50M.

Mirage 5 In Use By Pakistan Air Force


Mirage 5 ROSE :-
The Project ROSE (Retrofit Of Strike Element) was an upgrade programme launched by the Pakistan Air Force to upgrade old Dassault Mirage III and Mirage 5 aircraft with modern avionics. In the first phases of the project, 33 ex-Australian Mirage III fighters were upgraded and designated ROSE I. The PAF then procured surplus Mirage 5F fighters in the late 1990s from the French Air Force in two batches. 20 fighters from the first batch were upgraded with new cockpits, navigation/attack suites, defensive aids systems and a forward-looking infra-red (FLIR) sensor under the aircraft's nose/cockpit, being designated ROSE II. The cockpits included new MFDs, HUDs, HOTAS controls, radar altimeters and RWRs.

Mirage 5 In Use By Pakistan Air Force :-
14 Mirage 5F fighters from the second batch were upgraded similarly but with newer systems and designated ROSE III. The FLIR sensors allow the Mirage 5 ROSE fighters to specialize in the night-time attack role. As of 1995, the Mirage 5 has been donated to Pakistan Navy by the PAF and has been transformed into combat naval squadron as of 2009.

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Anza Anti Aircraft Missile Of Pak Army

Anza is a series of shoulder-fired, man-portable surface-to-air missiles produced by Pakistan. Guided by an infra-red homing seeker, Anza is used for low level air defense.
Anza is produced by Kahuta Research Laboratories (KRL), being one of the facility's main conventional weapons projects. Development was originally undertaken to eliminate dependence on importing expensive foreign systems. Various versions of the Anza are currently in service with the Pakistan Army, with the Mk-III version being the most recent. The Anza is also offered for export, Malaysia being its only known export customer after receiving 100 Anza Mk-I in 2002 and, later, a further 500 Anza Mk-II systems.
Development And Design Of Anza Missile :-
Some sources state that the Anza Mk-II was co-developed in a joint project by Pakistan and China. Pervez Musharraf has stated Pakistan cooperated with North Korea in the production of conventional weapons when it developed the Anza. The Anza Mk-I entered service with the Pakistan Army in January 1990, followed by the Anza Mk-II in September 1994. Serial production of Anza Mk-III for the Pakistan Army was announced in 2006.
In recent years, Pakistan has advertised the Anza series for export, displaying it at the International Defense Exhibition (IDEX) 2007 event in the United Arab Emirates and at the IDEAS 2008 defense exhibition in Pakistan.
Training Aids And Simulator :-
The Mk-II is known to have the ATS-II Training Simulator included, which consists of a set of four Mk-II training missiles, four firing units, simulated ground batteries, cable interconnectors, PC-based control, monitoring and scoring unit with a target simulator made up of an infrared electric bulb moving along an overhead wire.
The High Speed Aerial Target Drone, or HISAT-DK, is a high speed, low maintenance target drone that can be used in training operators to use the Anza. It is manned by a four-man crew using Optical Tracking Pod devices. The drones can be used for MANPAD training, though they are also used for other purposes, such as artillery fire support training.
Variants Of Anza Missiles :-
Anza Mk-I - The first MANPADS produced by Pakistan for use by the Pakistan Army. Development is believed to have been assisted by China and the design is similar to the HN-5B MANPADS. A British source the Anza is a copy of the SA-7 Grail. Approximately 1000 Anza Mk-I were produced between 1989-1998.
Anza Mk-II - A third generation MANPADS, believed to be based on the Chinese QW-1 MANPADS Uses a dual-band, cross-scan infra-red homing seeker to counter decoy flares. Also believed to use American missile technology. Approximately 1650 Anza Mk-II were produced between 1994-2012.
Anza Mk-III - Believed to be based on the Chinese QW-2 MANPADS, modifications made to meet Pakistan Army requirements include increased range upto 5 kms, improved sensors and a new firing unit similar to the Russian 9K38 Igla MANPADS. All-aspect attack capability and improved ECCM capability. It also has a vehicle-mounted launcher variant.
Operational History Of Anza Missile System :-
On 27 May 1999, the Anza Mk-II was used to attack Indian aircraft during the Kargil conflict with India. A MiG-27 of the Indian Air Force was shot down by Pakistan Army Air Defense forces. The MiG-27 was searching for a MiG-21 pilot who ejected when its aircraft experienced an engine flameout.
In December 2002, it was reported that Indian soldiers of the 24 Rashtriya Rifles found an Anza Mk-I in a militant hideout near the Line of Control in Kupwara, Kashmir. An Anza system had previously been found at a militant hideout by Indian Army soldiers in 2001. Pakistan denied supplying Anza systems to the militants. Reports have been circulated that an Anza MANPADS was fired at an Indian Air Force Antonov An-32 in 2002 over the Line of Control; the plane was able to land safely.
In 2004, Saudi Assistant Minister for Defense Prince Khaled ibn Sultan of Saudi Arabia and Defense Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal of Pakistan had been in talks for joint production of the Anza.
In 2008, the Pakistan Army conducted exercises with the Anza Mk-II in a semi-desert area near Muzaffargarh in response to covert attacks on targets in north-west Pakistan by American unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), also known as drones. In November 2008, the chief of the Pakistan Air Force told reporters that his forces are fully capable of shooting down the American drones but it was the responsibility of the government to decide whether the drone attacks were stopped through diplomacy or military engagement. In the 2010 Azm-e-Nau 3 exercises, the air defense of Pakistan Army exhibited accurate targeting of enemy's aircraft while in its attacking position, with a pinpoint precision through shoulder operated system of Anza Missiles.
_::: Comparison Of Capabilities Of Anza 1, Anza 2 and Anza 3 :::_

Anza MK-1 Anza MK-2 Anza MK-3
Length(Missile and Booster) 1.44 Meters 1.447 Meters 1.59 Meters
Weight(Launcher and Missile) 15 Kilograms 16.5 Kilograms 18 Kilograms
Missile Weight 9.8 Kilograms 10.68 Kilograms 11.32 Kilograms
Propulsion Solid Fuel Rocket Motor
Guidance System Uncooled PBS Passive Infra-Red Homing Seeker Cooled PBS Passive Infra-Red Homing Seeker Dual Band Infra-Red Homing Seeker
Warhead HE Fragmentation(Containing 0.37 Kilograms HE)With Contact and Graze Fusing HE Fragmentation(Containing 0.55 Kilograms HE)With Contact and Graze Fusing HE Fragmentation(Containing 1.42 Kilograms HE)With Contact and Graze Fusing
Average Cruise Speed 500 Meters Per Second 600 Meters Per Second Greater Than 600 Meters Per Second
Maximum Maneuvering 6g 16g
Self Destruction Time 14 To 17 Seconds 14 To 18 Seconds
Slant Range 1200 To 4200 Meters 500 To 5000 Meters 6000 Meters
Altitude 50 Meters To 2300 Meters 30 Meters To 4000 Meters 10 Meters To 3500 Meters
Weapon Reaction Time 5 Seconds 3.5 Seconds 3.5 Seconds
Ready From The March 10 Seconds 10 Seconds 10 Seconds
Battery Life 40 Seconds 50 Seconds 50 Seconds

Monday, June 16, 2014

H-4 SOW Of Pakistan Air Force

The H-4 SOW (Stand-Off Weapon) is a precision-guided glide bomb manufactured by Pakistan and deployed by the Pakistan Air Force, capable of striking targets at stand-off range. It has a terminal guidance system based on an infrared imaging seeker, which identifies the target during the final stage of flight. Designed to hit targets out to 120 km, the bomb may have the capability to evade radar.
History Of This Missile Development :-
According to Pakistani press reports, the H-4 glide bomb was created by Pakistan's National Engineering and Scientific Commission (NESCOM), working in collaboration with the Pakistan Missile Organization and Air Weapons Complex in Pakistan, by modifying the design of the South African Denel T-Darter beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air missile. A lighter version of the H-4 has also been produced, the H-2 SOW, which has a stated range of 60 km.

JF-17 Thunder Missile
JF-17 Thunder Missile


Three successful tests were conducted, the last one in 2003, which led to field deployment on the Dassault Mirage III and Mirage V strike fighters of the Pakistan Air Force. It has also been stated that the H-4 will be integrated with the PAF's new multi-role combat aircraft, the JF-17, which is replacing the ageing fleet of Mirage III and Mirage V aircraft. All Pakistani JF-17 fighters, from the initial JF-17 Block 1 model to the final Block 3 version, will be capable of launching the H-4.

The H-4's stated range of 120 km and its glide bomb design has led to speculation that it may be a copy or a Pakistani variant of the Denel Raptor II glide bomb, which is also guided by an infrared imaging seeker and has a range of 120 km. There has been much confusion regarding the actual identity of the H-4. Many Indian sources state that the weapon is actually a beyond visual range air-to-air missile. However, Pakistani sources state that the H-4 is a "beyond visual range bomb".

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

PAF F16 Fighting Falcons Dropping Bombs On Target

PAF F-16B MLU from No.11 Sqn dropping a pair of 2000lbs each Mk-84/GBU-10 bombs at target. MLU F-16s are operational in two squadrons of PAF.

PAF F16 Fighting Falcons Dropping Bombs On Target
PAF F16 Fighting Falcons Dropping Bombs On Target