The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has announced plans to convert its lone Bombardier Global-6000 jet into a stand-off jamming (SOJ) aircraft. This initiative will be carried out with assistance from Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI). The conversion of the Global-6000 into an electronic warfare (EW) platform is part of a broader effort to enhance the PAF’s offensive capabilities, according to a report by  Canadian based web publication Quwa.

The aircraft is expected to be equipped for three core EW missions: radar jamming, communications jamming, and electronic intelligence (ELINT). For radar jamming, the system would use transceivers to jam enemy radars by recording their transmission frequencies and re-transmitting them using the same signal. The ELINT role involves monitoring an area for all enemy radar and communications transmissions, recording that information into a ‘threat library’ which would later feed electronic countermeasures (ECM) tasks1.

While the PAF has not explicitly mentioned acquiring the Aselsan HAVASOJ system, it is a possibility given that TAI is currently configuring four Global-6000s with the HAVASOJ suite for the Turkish Air Force. The PAF may also be considering other vendors for a customized EW suite tailored to their specific needs1

The PAF is also aware that any future incursion into India will be met with a far greater increase in air and surface-based threats. For example, instead of the outdated MiG-21bis, the PAF will meet the Tejas MK-1A, a nimble and highly manoeuvrable lightweight fighter configured with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and EW/ECM suite. Not only would it perform exponentially far better than the MiG-21bis, but it would also be a credible threat to any PAF fighter crossing the border.

In addition, the IAF will also have the Dassault Rafale, upgraded Sukhoi Su-30MKI, and an array of advanced medium-range and long-range surface-to-air missiles (SAM) at its disposal. Finally, the assets will be tied together into a counter-response completely unlike anything in 2019.

(With Reporting by Quwa)