BANGLADESH AIR FORCE
HISTORY
Formed in 1971, Bangladesh Air Force holds a prominent position in guarding the country like every other respective Air Force around the world. It was formed under tense situations. With less than 70 officers and 7 pilots, BAF took part in Liberation War in order to gain independence from Pakistan. And they called themselves Kilo Flight. In December 1971, the Kilo Flight carried out some successful air strikes using armed DH-3 Otter propeller aircrafts and Alouette III helicopter. Between 4 December to 16 December (about 12 days), they carried out 90 sorties and conducted 40 combat missions to hit strategic assets of Pakistan ground forces.
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| The leader of Bangladesh freedom struggle, Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rehman with Kilo Flight officers and Alouette-III helicopter (Source) |
Soon after Independence, Bangladesh Air Force received weapons and equipment from regional ally India and Soviets. The weapons include MiG-21MF and MiG-21UM aircraft Some ex-Pakistan Air Force F-86 "Sabre" jet fighters were also repaired and pushed into service.
PRESENT
Today, Bangladesh Air Force operates a small fleet of fighter aircrafts, with majority of 3rd generation Chinese origin F-7 fighters. The most capable fighter in BAF is MiG-29SE "Fulcrum". Since 2000, Bangladesh is operating 8 of these aircrafts. It is equipped with Phazotron N-019 Pulse Doppler radar. It is said to have max tracking range up to 50-55km. It allows the integration of Radar guided missile like R-27R and hence engaging targets within radar range. According to local sources, Bangladesh decided to send the MiG-29s to Belarus in order to upgrade it into BM standard that includes minor external changes as well as internal upgradations.
On the other hand, F-7 fleet is filled with variety of variants. F-7BGI is considered as the most advanced variant of the J-7 family and exclusively in service with BAF. KLG-6F Fire Control Radar offers Beyond Visual Range (BVR) capability. But the F-7 is pretty old aircraft with aged airframe. Categorized in early 3rd generation category, there is an abundant number of old F-7 airframes the completed the service life with BAF and needs retirement.
Other than dedicated fighter aircrafts, Bangladesh Air Force also operates abundant jet trainers like Hongdu JL-8 and Yakolev Yak-130, that can be used as a combat jet if situation arises. One thing that really impress everyone is the utilization of resources by Bangladesh military. Even with small budget, they are trying their best to invest funds for good quality weapons. And they are trying to shift to western weaponry through the current modernization plan. Rival country Myanmar owns some air power advantage over the Bangladesh Air Force and this is the reason why BAF launched the MRCA tender. Other than MRCA, Bangladesh also planned to procure Chinese UCAVs and American AH-64E attack helicopters.
BACKGROUND ON MRCA TENDER
In 2017, an official document was published by Bangladesh's Directorate General of Defence Purchases (DGDP) with details regarding tender for Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA). The quantity of MRCA requirement was specified to be 8, but with 4 additional units as an optional purchase. The MRCA specifications, according to the details mentioned in the document, are as follows:
1. It should be twin engine design, with each powerplant providing 5,500kg of dry thrust and 8,000kg or more with afterburners enabled.
2. It should feature Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar with air-to-air range up to 150km
or beyond and air-to-surface range up to 50km or beyond.
3. It should feature integrated Electronic Warfare suite with high Electronic Counter Counter Measure (ECCM) capability.
4. It should feature a Helmet Mounted Display and Sighting (HMDS) system
5. It should feature 8 or more external hardpoints, with overall payload capacity of 5,000kg or more.
The tender is also supported by political leaders of the country. The President of Bangladesh, Abdul Hamid also assured that government is ready to spend on defence acquisition.
CHANGES WITH TIME
Bangladesh invests 6.1% of its total budget in military, costs somewhere around 4.1 billion USD. Therefore, Bangladesh has to manage it's expenditure with these funds. But defence purchases are not made from yearly budget funds. An additional amount of money is allotted to the ministry managing the deal. It is already confirmed by high Bangladeshi officials that funds are already allocated to proceed with MRCA tender. Now all they need is to choose the most compatible option among the contenders. However, several changes are being made in the tender since the beginning because of factors like Politics, budget, etc., and the current situation of the tender is different from the initial state. Now BAF requires 16 fighters in place of only 8. This will make sure that the Air Force operate a complete squadron of modern 4+generation aircraft. But the major change occurred in the tender was unofficial rejection of MiG-35.
The first ever contender to join the MRCA league was Russian origin MiG-35. The Bangladeshi officials were invited by Russia to evaluate/check the performance of the aircraft. It was believed that the aircraft was the most suitable option in the competition. Along with MiG-35, Su-30 was also in Bangladesh interest list. However,there were some big political issues that started with Su-30SM deal with Myanmar. The Russians were offering Su-30 to Bangladesh too but with a high price that seems unfair to Bangladesh. And with the success of Myanmar deal, Bangladesh felt that it may not be a good move to acquire the same aircraft. Adding insult to injury, Russia also supported Myanmar in its stand on Rohingya crisis, an unsolved dispute between Bangladesh and Myanmar that is caused due to huge displacement of Rohingya Muslim population from Myanmar, causing huge refugee population to move into Bangladesh. All this unofficially confirmed that Bangladesh would never acquire MiG-35 under the MRCA.
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| MAPO MiG-35 "Fulcrum-F" |
Before this tender, Bangladesh also tried to acquire multirole aircraft but somehow, failed to do so. It was American made Boeing F/A-18 "Hornet". It was not a part of MRCA tender that was launched in 2016. The time goes back to 2008 when aircraft was supposed to be perfect for Bangladesh maritime surveillance and strike capability. Going with unconfirmed sources, the chances of F/A-18 were not only high, but in fact, Bangladesh was very close to ink a deal for 12 units of the aircraft. The pilots were also sent to USMC training base to perform the basic training. Unfortunately, the deal was cancelled due to some reasons, one stated to be the shortage of USMC's own fleet.
CURRENT LEADING CONTENDERS
There are some speculations of possible winner. And it is not a Russian or Chinese fighter, but a European battle machine.
Eurofighter Typhoon
The Eurofighter Typhoon fulfills everything that Bangladesh needs under the plan. Twin engine with 5,900 kg in dry thrust and 9,080 kg with afterburners, internal EuroDASS EW suite, Striker II HMDS, 3 hardpoints with 9,000kg payload capacity. A next-gen AESA radar, called Captor E is also going to be operational with the jet by the end of this year. Outside Europe, Eurofighter is very successful in impressing customers in Middle East like Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia.
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| Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon |
According to Bangladeshi analysts, Bangladesh has two ways to acquire the EFT. First is to sign a deal for fresh aircrafts. As a joint development, 4 nations (United Kingdom, Germany, Spain and Italy) own their rights over the Typhoon. Therefore, Bangladesh has to gain approval from 4 countries before signing the deal. Then wait 3-4 years to recieve delivery. Second way is to purchase 2nd hand units. The Royal Air Force is facing budget issues and Typhoon requires high cost for maintenance. If somehow, UK agrees to sell surplus EFTs to a foreign nation, Bangladesh can reach to grab the opprtunity. It also offers delivery in shorter time, because 2nd hand units can be used comfortably after refurbishment. The tranche 2 variant is suitable for Bangladesh operation field.
Dassault Rafale
The latest entry in the competition. The official offer for Dassault Rafale was made during French Defence Minister Florence Parly visit to Bangladesh in March 2020. In her meeting with Prime Minister of BangladeshOn comparing Rafale with Eurofighter, the French aircraft holds the high ground. A variety of advantages like RBE-2AA AESA radar, SPECTRA suite, and better long range/standoff strike capability. The weapon package of both the aircrafts are same because of common supplier. For example, MBDA Meteor is the primary BVRAAM for both the aircrafts. Difference in CCM (Close Combat Missile) depends on customer preference, whether they want MICA NG or IRIS-T or ASRAAM (Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile).
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| Indian Air Force Rafale DH F3R |
Like Eurofighter, Rafale is also succesful in Arab with two nations, Egypt and Qatar operate the aircrafts. Outside Middle East, India recently received first five of the 36 aircrafts ordered back in 2016. And very recently, Greece also confirmed purchase of Rafale jets. India is the only customer of Rafale that ordered Meteor BVRAAMs while Qatar and Egypt operates with MICA missiles. There is no doubt in strike capability of Rafale as it proven its mettle during strikes in Libya and Syria against Islamic State terrorists. The EW capability against the air defence systems is also remarkable, with Active Radar Cancellation provided by SPECTRA.
The two ways of acquistion are also available for Bangladesh in this case. In the recent news, it is confirmed that Greece is going to acquire 18 Rafales from France, but out of 18, 8 Rafales will be provided free of cost. These 8 units are presently in service with French Air Force and hence, will be donated to Hellenic Air Force in the present when tensions between the Greece and Turkey are pretty high. Therefore, Bangladesh can also acquire 2nd hand units by paying low price, instead of spending more money and more time.
LOW COST ALTERNATIVES
Sometimes, the ambitions doesn't fit perfectly with the budget of the country. Many nations who expected to purchase good quality weapon ends up choosing cheap alternatives to save cost. It is uncertain what can be the outcome the ongoing competition of MRCA for Bangladesh. But if we compare the military budget of this country with other powers in the region. It is far less and it is obvious because of the doctrine followed by Bangladesh and it's relations with neighbouring countries. It doesn't have hostile relations with India that shares border on every side. The low-to-medium hotile nature with Myanmar is not expected to turn into a large scale military conflict (for now). And therefore, Bangladesh preferred to focus more on its economy, today making it a prosperous and significant in the region. So, spending huge money on European MRCA may or may not be final step. And the government may decide to choose cheap alternatives in this regard. Therefore, here we can speculate some of the options that may serve as perfect alternatives of European platforms, but at low cost:
CHENGDU J-10 "FIREBIRD" - CHINA
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| People Liberation Army Air J-10A "Firebird" |
More than 350 units produced, Chengdu J-10 is presently the most trusted single engine fighter jet by China. With three available variants, the J-10 is evolving its capability since it's induction. Following are the characteristics /capabilities of J-10C that makes it a suitable low cost contender of MRCA:-
1. Considered as Chinese counterpart of F-16 "Fighting Falcon".
2. Indigenously developed Chinese AESA radar, conpatible to link with PL-15 BVRAAM, with a range upto 150-160km.
3. Infra Red Search & Track (IRST) sensor and Helmet Mounted Display and Sighting (HMDS) system, allowing High Off-BoreSight(HOBS) engagement capability with PL-10 CCM.
3. 11 hardpoints with payload capacity of 7,000kg.
4. Costs around 30-40 Million USD.
Only problem is it's single engine configuration, however, it allows low spending on maintenance. The aircraft is yet to receive success in export market. China tried to offer the aircraft to Pakistan on many occasions. But Pakistan always preferred to continue and support JF-17 program that is more successful in export market than J-10 today. Also, it is yet to experience any combat. But going through the data on paper, it is assured that J-10 has a lot of potential. And it may not be a bad choice for Bangladesh Air Force.
It's acquisition is also a possibility because of closer ties between Bangladesh and China at political level. Chengdu also offered to set up a plant in Bangladesh if it offers purchase the aircraft. And according to many analysts, all this favors J-10 chance for Bangladesh a lot.
CHENGDU/PAC JF-17 "THUNDER"
Pakistan Air Force JF-17A "Thunder" Block 2
Dominant when it comes to price factor. A JF-17 Block II costs only 25 million USD. It is because Pakistan also wanted to operate a low cost fighter with average quality systems. But even with such systems, JF-17 is potent war machine that fulfills the role of front line fighter for Pakistan Air Force. The most latest variant is Block III, that completed its maiden flight in late 2019 and in final stages of development. The aircraft is planned to be equipped with:
1. Chinese KLJ-7A AESA radar, with PL-15 BVRAAM compatibility. 2. HMDS and HOBS missile like A-Darter.3. Anti-Ship strike capability with C-802K and CM-400AKG, with assumed range around 180-250kg.
JF-17 is also successful in export market. Myanmar is the first export customer while Nigeria is scheduled to receive first batch in late 2020 or early 2021. Any country that really want a good low budget fighter, cannot ignore the JF-17. But hurdle for Bangladesh here is Myanmar that also operates the aircraft. Like the Su-30 issue, purchasing the same aircraft that rival also use may not be a good idea for BAF. HAL LCA "TEJAS" - INDIA
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| Pakistan Air Force JF-17A "Thunder" Block 2 |
Dominant when it comes to price factor. A JF-17 Block II costs only 25 million USD. It is because Pakistan also wanted to operate a low cost fighter with average quality systems. But even with such systems, JF-17 is potent war machine that fulfills the role of front line fighter for Pakistan Air Force. The most latest variant is Block III, that completed its maiden flight in late 2019 and in final stages of development. The aircraft is planned to be equipped with:
HAL LCA "TEJAS" - INDIA
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| Indian Air Force HAL LCA Tejas Mk-1 |
A very young fighter in the league. It received Final Operational Clearance (FOC) in 2019 and the first FOC unit inducted this year. Tejas has only 1 variant for now, that is Mk-1 but it is believed to be trustworthy, as Indian Air Force recently deployed it near the Indo-Pak border due to rising tensions in the region. But the variant of Tejas that is expected with high hopes is Mk-1A. It is planned to feature significant upgrades over Mk-1. And here are the highlights:-
1. AESA radar, either indigenous Uttam or Israeli EL/M-2052, with Astra BVRAAM.
2. HMDS system and high off-boresight ASRAAM CCM.
3. Anti-Ship capability with BrahMos NG
3. Lightweight design and less maintenance cost. Unit cost will be reduced once it enters mass production.
But the main problem here is it's availability. Tejas Mk-1A is neither produced nor ordered by IAF yet. It is facing delays due to price negotiations. So, it is early to talk about the aircraft now as it is not yet physically available. But capability wise, it is highly appreciable and Bangladesh may consider it as a low cost, budget fighter but a capable bird to fulfill the requirements.
DASSAULT MIRAGE 2000 - FRANCE
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| United Arab Emirates Air Force Mirage 2000-9EAD |
The capabilities of Mirage 2000 are, unfortunately, not as good as 4+ generation aircrafts. It is still equipped with Pulse Doppler radar. And the strike capability is yet to evolve in order to match Rafale or Eurofighter standards. But talking about some key highlights:-
1. It features RDY-2 or RDY-3 (exclusive to 2000-9) radar with has capability to fire MICA missiles, highly effective modern AAM for both Beyond Visual Range (BVR) and Within Visual Range (WVR) combat.
2. It is equipped Integrated Counter Measures Suite (ICMS) that provides Self Protection in electronic environment.
3. Payload capacity of 6000kg and wide range of ordnance compatibility.
It's a fact that Mirage 2000 is no more in serial production and production line is replaced by Rafale. But there are many Air Forces in the world that operates surplus Mirage 2000 aircraft even in the presence of high technology aircrafts. United Arab Emirates Air Force is an example, it operates the most advanced F-16, that is Block 60 alongside 63 Mirage 2000-9EAD. Even though Mirage 2000 is highly capable in its fleet, UAE may provide it to Bangladesh because of their common religious status (that's just one factor). Then there is Taiwan that is planning to retire the whole Mirage fleet. Bangladesh can acquire those Mirage 2000 with refurbishment and upgrade from original manufacturer Dassault. French Air Force also operates a huge number of Mirage 2000 in the inventory but very soon, Rafale may replace it because of it's Omnirole capability. So here too, Bangladesh has fair chances to purchase/receive these Mirage 2000 with upgrades (if required).
Talking about combat experience, Mirage 2000 proved its mettle while serving for France, India and Greece. And the most interesting fact is that Mirage 2000 is the first and only fighter in the world to make a confirm air-to-air kill of F-16. You can read about it here.
MIG-29SMT "FULCRUM" - RUSSIA
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| Russian Air Force MiG-29SMT "Fulcrum" |
1. Zhuk-ME pulse doppler radar with a range up to 120-150km and RVV-AE (R-77) BVRAAM compatibility.
2. Integrated EW suite (only available in Indian variant)
3. Payload capacity of 5,000kg and wide range of ordnance, Russian as well as non-Russian.
As the relations with Russia is not good, Bangladesh may approach India, that operates a specific variant of Mig-29. Even though based on SMT, the Indian Air Force MiG-29UPG is quite better than Russian counterpart. Specially because of integrated EW suite that is called D-29. It is a fifth generation electronic warfare suite. This system for Radar warning and jamming includes a combination of Radar Warning Reciever, Electronic Counter Measures, Electronic Support Measures that utilizes state-of-the-art active phased arrays for selectively jamming the multiple threat radars.
India has its own facility for upgradation of MiG-29s. Bangladesh, if decides, can upgrade it's MiG-29 to UPG standards that serves as one of the best low cost alternative of MRCA.
CONCLUSION
All the options provided above are only speculations. There may be some plans available on office table, completely different from our information. But all these low cost alternatives are not only comes under low budget but also suitable for Bangladesh operations field that need fighters for airspace protection as well as coastal surveillance. Also, sharing border with a regional power India, that is much more powerful in terms of quantity and quality, Bangladesh needs to be prepared for Self Defence. 4+ generation fighters are now a must for modern Air Forces, so to attain it's objective of modernization, Bangladesh Air Force should acquire a suitable fighter jet in its inventory to strengthen the air defence and prepare for future challenges.
