Pakistan's IL-78 Refueling aircraft

[Abbas Ali]

Btw, is that a Mirage 5 or Mirage III?

That's Mirage III.

Mirage V has longer and slim nose.

There are three types of noses on PAF Mirage fleet. The one shown in the pics above, there is one which is blunt on the tip having some optical sensors, possibly recconiasance cameras, the third one is almost same like the one shown above, but the pitot probe orginates from a little below the tip. Can anyone explain the difference and versions?

Apparently it's due to difference in avionics installed in these aircraft depending on type of missions flown by them.

Following are example photos of some of Dassault Mirage III variants flown by Pakistan Air Force from past to present. PAF Mirage III saw heavy action during war with India in 1971. Not a single PAF Mirage III was lost in combat during 1971 war.


Mirage IIIEA (serial# 90-522)


Mirage IIIDP (serial# 67-302), two-seater trainer version of Mirage III with slimmer nose.


Mirage IIIRP (serial# 67-201). It's reconnaissance version of Mirage III with slimmer nose for cameras.

And here are photos of some of Mirage V variants operated by Pakistan Air Force from past to present.


Mirage VPA (serial# 70-407).


Mirage VPA2 (serial# 79-433).


Mirage VDPA2 (serial# 79-307). Two-seater trainer.


Mirage VEF (serial# 96-743). Note dorsal fin ahead of vertical stabilizer in this model.

Abbas

[yousaf465]

Do we use our reci version any notable mission ?

[TAILWIND]

Thanks Abbas.
Is there a question which Abbas cant answer?????
Btw could you please indicate the origin of tehse versons e.g original from dessault, libya, australia and french second hand

[Abbas Ali]

Thanks Abbas.

You're welcome

Btw could you please indicate the origin of tehse versons e.g original from dessault, libya, australia and french second hand

This one is one of ex-Royal Australian Air Force Mirage IIIs acquired by PAF in 1990.

Mirage IIIEA (serial# 90-522)

And this one is one of refurbished ex-French Air Force Mirages acquired by PAF in 1996.


Mirage VEF (serial# 96-743). Note dorsal fin ahead of vertical stabilizer in this model.

The Mirages seen in following photos were among those that were purchased brand new from manufacturer by Pakistan between late 1960s and late 1970s.


Mirage IIIDP (serial# 67-302), two-seater trainer version of Mirage III with slimmer nose.


Mirage IIIRP (serial# 67-201). It's reconnaissance version of Mirage III with slimmer nose for cameras.


Mirage VPA (serial# 70-407).


Mirage VPA2 (serial# 79-433).


Mirage VDPA2 (serial# 79-307). Two-seater trainer.

Do we use our reci version any notable mission ?

Taken from article 'PAF Mirages at War', quoted below is information related to missions flown by PAF Mirage IIIRP reconnaissance aircraft before and during 1971 war. The complete article is available for reading at http://kaiser-aeronaut.blogspot.com/200 ... t-war.html and it provides information about combat missions flown by PAF Mirages including Mirage IIIEP and Mirage IIIRP during 1971 war.

PAF had three Mirage IIIRs, which were equipped with five OMERA Type 31 optical cameras mounted in the nose. With a Doppler navigation radar available, getting to a destination was fairly easy. Magnesium flares provided enough illumination at night to confer a round-the-clock tactical reconnaissance capability. The number of aircraft was, however, on the low side and did not sufficiently cater for unserviceabilities.

A month prior to the outbreak of all-out war, the PAF had started to fly cross-border photo recce sorties, some of which were in the vital Chamb Sector, where the Pak Army’s 23 Division had planned a secondary ‘diversionary’ offensive. With the disposition of forces well-known, the attack resulted in significant advances that threatened India’s overland links to Kashmir, besides depriving Indian forces from establishing a launch pad for offensive operations towards the vital lines of communication passing through nearby Gujrat.

Early in the war, another important breakthrough came in the Suleimanki-Fazilka Sector, where 105 Independent Infantry Brigade (IV Corps) was able to surprise the Indian ‘Foxtrot’ Force and, made a firm foothold in the area of Pak II Corps’ planned main offensive. While the Indian forces desperately carried out repeated counter attacks, PAF Mirages conducted regular photo recce missions in Ferozepur area to update the ground commanders about Indian reinforcement efforts aimed at vacating the incursion. In the event, a badly demoralised and confused Foxtrot Force could not make any headway and the Pakistani brigade was able to safeguard the vital Suleimanki Headworks, which was only a mile from the border.

In preparation for the main offensive, PAF Mirages fervently conducted photo recce missions along Ferozepur-Kot Kapura, Ferozepur-Fazilka and Fazilka-Muktasar railway networks, as well as in general areas of Ferozepur and Sri Ganganagar, for the latest disposition of forces. An important mission involved recce of crossing points over Gang Canal for a careful scrutiny of obstacles across the waterway that could possibly impede the movement of II Corps. The main offensive could, however, not materialise as explained later, and most of the photo recce effort was rendered worthless.

Two pilots who played a sterling role in the photo recce operations were the squadron’s ‘slide rule wizards’, Sqn Ldr Farooq Umar and Flt Lt Najib Akhtar. Of the 30 photo recce sorties (besides 15 escorts) flown by No 5 Squadron before and during the war, 22 were considered successful. Although most of the singleton recce Mirages were escorted by another Mirage, yet some of the missions had to be aborted due to intense enemy air activity. In Shakargarh Sector, a few night recce missions were attempted with partial success. In one such mission on the night of 11 December, an IAF MiG-21 scrambled to intercept a Mirage flown by Sqn Ldr Farooq Umar, ended up shooting down one of its own MiG-21s flown by Flt Lt A B Dhavle, which was patrolling in the vicinity.

Four-odd Bomb Damage Assessment missions were also flown following the initial strikes on runways. These helped in better planning of subsequent airfield strike missions.

Here's painting by Group Captain (retired) Syed Masood Akhtar Hussaini showing PAF Mirage IIIRP (serial# 67-201) over enemy territory during 1971 war.


PHOTO STRIKE PATHANKOT - 1445 Hours, 4 December, 1971 - Squadron Leader Farooq Umar is manoeuvring and aligning his Mirage fighter recce aircraft to photograph heavily defended and camouflaged Indian Air Force air base at Pathankot.

Abbas

[yousaf465]

Abbas bhai thanks for the info. =D> . But one more question do we use them in our current operations ? More info about these aircraft can be found here http://www.spyflight.co.uk/reccenoses.htm and http://www.pakdef.info/pakmilitary/airf ... irage.html.

[yousaf465]

I saw the Il-78 over lahore today, is it stationed here ?

[Abbas Ali]

^ What was the colour of that aircraft? I would also like to add that a PAF aircraft seen at Lahore Airport/Air Base or above Lahore does not necessarily mean it's based there.

I think Il-78 (if reports of aircraft delivery are true) must have been based at one of PAF's heavily defended major operational bases like for example Sargodha.

Btw, is Mirage III fitted with in-flight refueling probe used as a testbed with future plans to install similar refueling probe on JF-17 or does PAF have plans to raise squadron or squadrons of Mirage aircraft with in-flight refueling capability?

Abbas

[yousaf465]

Well it was off white or something close to it, flying on the nearly same course as Pakistan one helicopter flew when Zaradri visited raiwind.

This is the second time I have seen it on , as for second question

The IL-78 uses hose-and-drogue refueling, which limits its usefulness to Pakistan. The PAF’s top-end F-16s possess USAF-standard dorsal refueling inlets, which require a refueling boom. The PAF’s MiG-19 derivative A-5 Fantan fighters have no aerial refueling capability at all, and neither do its F-7 Skybolts (Chinese MiG-21s). Refueling drogues are present on Pakistan’s old Mirage III/Vs, and on the Sino-Pakistani FC-1/ JF-17 Thunder lightweight fighters that may constitute the bulk of its future fleet. They would also be present on any Chengdu FC-20/J-10 fighters, if Pakistan acquires them per recent statements.

Source:Pakistan Receiving IL-78 Refueling aircraft
J-10 is already equipped with a refueling pods very similar to our Mirage program. http://www.sinodefence.com/airforce/fig ... 10_04large and here is the mockup http://www.sinodefence.com/airforce/fig ... ms_02large and source http://www.sinodefence.com/airforce/fighter/j10.asp

[Salman Haider]

PAF capable of mid-air refuelling
August 10, 2009

ISLAMABAD: Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman has said that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) plans to complete the induction of up to four Ilyushin Il-78 aircraft fitted with a mid-air refuelling capability, extending the capacity of its fighter aircraft to patrol areas over the border region by 2010.

In an exclusive interview with Jane’s Defence Weekly, Rao Qamar said the refuelling capability is an ‘extremely significant’ development. “This is an absolutely new capability we are getting, which we are inducting. We never had this capability in the Pakistan Air Force,” he said.

Answering to a question, he said the US-supplied F-16 multirole fighter aircraft can stay for up to four, five, six hours in Pakistan’s northern areas, ranging from the Swat valley and its surrounding region.

“During this time, if there is any militant attack anywhere in the Fata [Federally Administered Tribal Areas], these aircraft can go there immediately, within minutes, and they can bomb the militants. It will create the right kind of deterrence against the militants,” he said.

He said the PAF’s operations in the north have brought significant pressure on Taliban militants, who were on the advance until the recent military campaign in Swat began reversing the tide.

“They [Taliban militants] never see us on the ground. The only time they find out that an aircraft has struck is when the bomb explodes on them. It creates a great psychological impact,” Rao said.

Replying to a question, Rao Qamar went on to say that the PAF was focused on organised enemy forces. “We remained focused on enemy land forces and enemy air forces and, therefore, we were preparing ourselves to fight against organised modern air forces and against modern armies.”

“We never thought we would be required to fight against militants or be involved in counter-insurgency operations. When we started this [counter-insurgency], we had to learn while on the job. We had to re-orient our thinking, we had to refine our ... existing SOPs [standard operating procedures] and we had to develop new SOPs for this kind of warfare. However, we did that very quickly,” he said.

Source: www.nation.com.pk

[atmalik]

thanks for sharing the info and pics. very informative........

[Abbas Ali]

In-flight refueling probe design & position of upgraded Mirage fighter of Pakistan Air Force and Colombian Air Force look very similar. Probably both air forces acquired this system from same company.


Colombian Air Force Mirage V (Click here to view larger image)