First, this is a recent picture of F-22P from Hudong. (Right click + view image to see the cut off part)
And this is the Kanwa article regarding to F-22P.
It basically says that the construction started in October of last year. At the moment, Pakistan isn't planning to purchasing anymore F-22P. The reason that the first F-22P is taking 4 year is because there is a lot of changes from Jiangwei II for this ship. We've already seen AK-630M and AK-176M being installed on F-22P, I'm guessing there will be changes in ECM/ESM from Jiangwei II.
As for future purchases, I think it's pretty clear 054 series is where PN would want to go at the moment. I'm still waiting for the follow ups to the first 4 054As to see what the upgraded 054A and future 054B will look like. It appears that unlike first suspected, each 054/054A uses 4 16 PA6 STC diesel engines from SEMT Pielstick. At least it makes sense that it uses a more power engine than the one Lafayette uses to power a larger ship in 054A.
The other news from kanwa is on J-10/Y-8 AEW. It looks like PAF looks at these two as long term investment. At current time, it's focused on JF-17 and Erieye. Although funding could reduce the number of Erieye to even less than 7. For Y-8 AEW, PAF hopes to eventually use lessons here to develop it's own AEW platform. Speaking of which, got a recent picture of it.
2 comments:
"PAF hopes to eventually use lessons here to develop it's on AEW platform"
By above i take it you meant the Command and Control systems and related radar+avionics subsystems and not the Y-8 like aircraft itself. Correct?
right, radar + command consoles and such. Learn how to install these things on Y-8 or some other aircraft and still ensure flight worthiness and such. It's not a simple plug + play.
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