PAF received fourth Il-78 Midas aerial refuelling tanker

[Salman Haider]

PAF received fourth Il-78 Midas aerial refuelling tanker from Ukraine
October 31, 2011



Source: Khabrain Newspaper

[Salman Haider]

PAF fourth Il-78 Midas aerial refuelling tanker in Ukraine on September 24, 2011.

[Abbas Ali]

What's the serial number of fourth Ilyushin Il-78MP Midas Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft delivered to Pakistan Air Force ?

First three PAF Il-78MP Midas MRTT aircraft are:

Serial number: R09-001
Serial number: R10-002
Serial number: R11-003

Fourth aircraft could be serial number R11-004 ?

Btw, here's nice video clip of Il-78MP sporting serial number 88279OBT and without PAF markings landing at Kulbakino Air Base, Ukraine, on September 23, 2011.



And here's photo of the same aircraft taken at Kulbakino on August 30, 2011.


Click here to see large photo. (Photo by Jenyk)

Abbas

[Moin]

I wonder if these planes are as noisy and ear shattering as the cargo IL-76's that come here.

[Amaad Lone]

Why does PAF need aerial refueling tankers??

Are they planning to bomb Calcutta, or retake Dhaka, or maybe bomb Tel Aviv and liberate Palestine.

Money that should have been spent on educating the masses is helping some airforce officials buy property in Spain or London.

[H Khan]

Well, in the age of cruise and ballistic missiles you don't need to fly fighter-aircrafts to fly to far away targets.

Reasons for having MRTT or similar type are several :

* Increases the range and endurance of aircrafts which are performing combat air patrols (CAP)

* Increases the range and endurance of aircrafts performing anti-ship missions (aka look, scan, search, destroy)

* When aircrafts go on any mission, they load the aircrafts to maximum take-off weight i.e., carry as much as possible weaponry (missiles, bombs, other external equipment) at the expense of fuel. After take-off they get air-refueled, therefore, increase the range to maximum.



As far as the education (schools, colleges, teachers, etc) are concerned; there is term 'ghost schools' which is only Pakistan specific.

http://clpmag.org/article.php?article=T ... istan_0050

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/paki ... s-pakistan

http://www.dawn.com/2011/04/03/ghost-schools-2.html

[Abbas Ali]

The induction of Il-78 Midas does not mean PAF is planning to invade some country.

It's a Multi-Role Tanker Transport aircraft and will also fulfill PAF's needs for a heavy jet transport aircraft.

Il-78 I think offers more cargo capacity than C-130 and with jet engines power, Il-78 can transport equipment faster than turboprops equipped C-130.

Not only PAF equipment but I think heavy equipment of Pakistan Army and Navy will also be transported by Il-78 whenever required.

Other usage of Il-78 can be transportation of troops.

Il-78 can also be useful in operating relief operations flights to transport relief goods.

Btw, recently I read somewhere that PAF also has plans to procure used Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft from surplus inventory of USAF. The KC-135 with its refueling boom can refuel PAF F-16s that are equipped with receptacles for aerial refueling.

KC-135 can also transport people and cargo items.

Il-78 equipped with drogue can refuel aircraft equipped with aerial refueling probe. A number of Mirage combat aircraft in PAF inventory were recently fitted with probe and according to some reports; PAF also has plans to equip its JF-17 aircraft with probe for refueling of the aircraft in the air.

Abbas

[faisal-777]

I wonder if these planes are as noisy and ear shattering as the cargo IL-76's that come here.

Saw it flying quite low yesterday over kashmir highway. It was noisy but not as much Il-76. But one boom really hurts ears

[H Khan]

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=8099225

Finances, Politics Slow Pakistan Fleet Modernization - Defense News

[Adnan Anwar]

Why does PAF need aerial refueling tankers??

Are they planning to bomb Calcutta, or retake Dhaka, or maybe bomb Tel Aviv and liberate Palestine.

Money that should have been spent on educating the masses is helping some airforce officials buy property in Spain or London.

I like this post , Amaad. This is absolutely hilarious.

[Abbas Ali]

Photo of fourth & final Ilyushin Il-78MP Midas Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) serial# R11-004 delivered to Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has appeared on airliners.net.

Here are photos of all four Il-78M aircraft delivered to PAF.

PAF Il-78MP (serial# R11-004), construction number 0063467027, delivered to PAF in October 2011. Airframe manufactured in 1986?

Click here to see large photo

PAF Il-78MP (serial# R11-003), construction number 0063466998, delivered to PAF in February 2011. Airframe manufactured in 1986?

Click here to see large photo

PAF Il-78MP (serial# R10-002), construction number 0073476277, delivered to PAF in December 2010. Airframe manufactured in 1986?

Click here to see large photo

PAF Il-78MP (serial# R09-001), construction number 0073478346, delivered to PAF in December 2009. Airframe manufactured in 1987?

Click here to see large photo

These four aircraft are part of PAF No. 10 MRTT Squadron at Chaklala Air Base.

Abbas