Defenders of the sky

Continued from A1 secondary air defense cover, with primary air defense cover being provided by the Mach 1.5-capable FA50PH jet fighter fleet. Th e PAF’s fighter cover is expected to be further bolstered once the PAF’s multirole fighter (MRF) project is formally signed and completed. The Swedish JAS39 Gripen is one of the two jet fighters eyed by the PAF to fulfill its MRF requirement. Read also: “The Ultimate Gripen Choice: Is PAF’s elusive quest for the MRF combat jetplane about to end with the Saab JAS-39?” on BusinessMirror’s weekend cover, January 21, 2023.

Another contender in the PAF’s MRF acquisition program is the Lockheed Martin F-16V Viper jet fighter. The requirements for the MRF project stipulate that the offered aircraft must be “fourth generation or higher.”

The project also requires 12 MRFs at least capable of patrolling the country’s protected waters and airspace. The MRF project is supposed to be part of Horizon 2 of the AFP Modernization Program slated for 2018 to 2022, which aims to acquire more equipment for external defense.

Any aircraft that will be selected must be able to integrate with existing radar systems that have a range of about 250 nautical miles.