PAF Il78 Refueller

Pakistan Air Force plans to complete the induction of up to four Ilyushin Il-78 aircraft fitted with a mid-air refueling capability, extending the capacity of its fighter aircraft to patrol areas over the border region by 2010. Although PAF maintains that the aircraft is for anti-terror operations, the IL78 has deeper implications for India. PAF fighters can attack farther and take unorthodox routes because they don't have to worry about fuel.



IL78 is capable of refueling using the refueling pods like the one shown in pic below.


While the US based aircraft use a boom like shown in the picture below.

Notice the boom on the KC135, the same thing I guess could be put on the IL78



Question is will PAF would ask Ilushin to fit an auxilary boom for its Il78? Because otherwise, PAF would not be able to refuel its F16s.

Nalin IMHO your assumption regarding the boom retrofit in IL-78MP of PAF is highly unlikely or should I say impossible. The two skids (as it appear to me) below the rear gunner's station are IMVHO to prevent tail strikes. Moreover to operate a boom you need a boom operator which sits (In KC-135) behind the boom mount on aircraft. Boom operator cannot be stationed at rear gunner's station in a IL-78 (that can be used only for probe-drouge refuelling) and to create a KC-135 type station, IL-78 would be required to undergo heavy modifications. PAF is getting those probes installed in their mirages with the help of some south african company (?), so it is almost impossible for them to come up with a working boom design indigeniously. Only USAF operates boom type tankers, so instead of taking pains to covert IL-78 to boom method, why not buy (If uncle agrees) KC-135 directly from US?

Instead of operating two types of tankers or converting IL-78 to boom type, installing those probes in F-16 would be much easier.

PS: USAF is hard pressed for tankers as KC-135 are due for retirement and the replacement is yet to be decided, so probably, no KC-135 for PAF.

Cheers....

Where foes paf get so much money from?
V r way ahead of them in GDP and still they are tryin to match up. No wonder their economy is so screwed.

When will PAF get these birds?

@ shalini
By 2010

The delivery of First Il-78 Tanker Transport aircraft to Pakistan has been accomplished !!

When?

Nalin Bakshi wrote:When?

Just minutes before i made that post

Updated at: 1206 PST, Saturday, December 19, 2009

ISLAMABAD: The first Aircraft tanker for aerial fuelling has arrived in Pakistan at Air Force base, Geo News reported the PAF sources saying Saturday.
Pakistan will receive three more aircraft tankers in the next year.

Congratulations to PAF.

Thanks.

neerajb wrote:Instead of operating two types of tankers or converting IL-78 to boom type, installing those probes in F-16 would be much easier.

Though this development is related to MMRCA for IAF but a possibility of this tech getting to PAF exists.

Dubai 09: Lockheed adds probe to F-16 to attract India

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/11/16/334938/dubai-09-lockheed-adds-probe-to-f-16-to-attract-india.html

Cheers....

Peregrine wrote:

According to www.aerotransport.org, this particular aircraft was built as Il-78 Midas and delivered to Soviet Air Force on September 30, 1987 with civilian registration СССР-76742. So, it's more than 20 years old aircraft.

During 1990s, the same Il-78 (c/n 0073478346) with its refueling equipment removed was seen in service as freighter with Ukraine-based BSL Airline under Ukrainian registration UR-76742.

http://www.historyofpia.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=12796&start=60

Check the registration no (tail markings in the pic) R09-001

Added Later : Further down the link, it is said that all 5 Il-78s that will be delievered to PAF are ex-soviet aircrafts of 1986-1987 vintage.

Cheers....

I think even the IAF Il-78's are old birds overhauled, it seems that no one has built a brand new Il-76 for a very long time.

Indian Il-78s were ordered from Uzbekistan which still manufactures them. It's possible that those birds were made from airframe/components that were in storage for years and were manufactured many years before assembly but not used. PAF examples are clearly ex-soviet air force and have been used by some Ukranian airline.

Also used the tail number of IAF's Il-78 MKI in the link posted by me earlier, but it yielded no earlier users.

Cheers....