According to recent media reports, at present, Pakistan Air Force's JF17 fighter has been replaced with the latest improved version of JF17 3. Compared with the previous JF17 1 and JF17 2, JF17 3 has been replaced with a more powerful klj-7a airborne active phased array radar. The phased array radar has a detection range of 170 km to air and 200-220 km to sea. It can track 15 targets at the same time and guide 4 missiles at the same time. At the same time, the radar also has the ability to guide the thunderbolt-15 medium range air-to-air missile. The thunderbolt-15 with a range of more than 150 kilometers and a maximum range of 200 kilometers, in combination with the klj-7a phased array radar, represents that the JF17 fighter has an absolute over the horizon air combat capability.
At present, the detection range of F-16C / dblock60 airborne radar is 140 km, that of f-15k airborne radar is 160 km-180 km, that of European Typhoon fighter ecr-90 airborne radar is only 160 km, that of klj-7a radar on JF17 block 3 is 170 km, which is very far, at least compared with that of Pakistan Air force as the absolute main American F-16 fighter The detection distance of airborne radar is far. However, Pakistan's air force is satisfied with the improvement of JF17 block3. The air force in India next door will cry. We need to know that the effective detection distance of n-001we radar on the most advanced su-30mk equipped in India is only about 100km, nearly twice the difference.
Although India also purchased a batch of Rafale fighters from France to equip the air force, the detection distance of rbe-2-aa active phased array radar on the Rafale fighters purchased by India is only about 140 kilometers, which is also inferior to the airborne radar performance of JF17 block 3. At the same time, the weapons India equipped for these Rafale radars are the "Mika" air-to-air missile developed by France in 1997, although The missile is also known as the medium range air-to-air missile, but its maximum range is only 45 kilometers, which can not be compared with the thunderbolt-15 air-to-air missile. Such a huge gap for India will only cause the Indian air force to fall into a disadvantage when confronting the Pakistan Air Force, and Pakistan can completely find the target and fire before the Indian fighters.
At the same time, on the basis of the old type of JF17, JF17 block3 has further strengthened the stealth performance of the fighters. Although the modified JF17 fighters can not achieve the same excellent radar stealth as the four generations of fighters, it also greatly reduces its reflection area on the radar, which will make the existing gap between the Rafale fighters and JF17 be further widened. At the same time, the price of these Rafale fighters is also increased It's very expensive. The Indian Air Force paid nearly 130 million euros for the purchase of these Rafale fighters, which is even higher than the price of the U.S. F-35 fighters. Now, the Rafale fighters just arrived and fell behind. India is also on pins and needles.
But for India, the Rafale has a huge advantage over the owl dragon, that is, it can mount nuclear warheads to fight. Due to the lack of experience in the design of large strategic bombers and the need of national defense strategy during the cold war, France considered to mount nuclear warheads on fighter planes. After the successful completion of the miniaturization of nuclear weapons, France developed a mirage IV bomber on the basis of mirage III fighter plane, which can carry tactical nuclear bombs for attack. In the subsequent development of mirage-2000 fighter plane It also retains the carrying capacity of nuclear weapons. The gust fighters developed in recent years also continue this fine tradition and can be used as air-based nuclear forces.
For India, nuclear deterrence has always been one of its important military deterrence means to Pakistan, and French fighter planes are also the basis of India's airborne nuclear weapons for a long time. If there is no French fighter plane, India can only rely on its own launched ballistic missiles that do not know where they will hit to carry out nuclear deterrence. Therefore, India's purchase of Rafale fighters is not only to deal with Pakistan's Besides JF17, it is also to maintain its own nuclear deterrence capability. However, India has also put forward requirements for France, requiring that the Rafale fighter sold by France must have the ability to launch "meteor" missiles. This type of missile is a new medium range air-to-air missile developed by France, with a range of more than 120 kilometers. Although it is not as good as thunderbolt-15, it is barely able to fight the first World War.