De-Mystifying Pakistan Army's OP Koh-e-Paima

Origins of OP-PLAN

Resurrected OP-PLAN

OP-PLAN Based on Flawed Assumptions & Brain-Dead Operations Analysis

A Series of Deceptive Military Briefings for Ignorant Civilian Decision-Makers

Political Ownership of OP-PLAN Despite Strong Reservations

Spectacular Debacle at Muntho Dhalo (Camp Badr) & Staring at Outright Defeat

Pakistan Army’s Depleting Fortunes, Military Reverses & Growing Civil-Military Discord

Complete International Isolation, Plus Fears of Indian Vertical Escalation

Clinton-Sharif Meeting That Sealed Pakistan’s Fate

Unilateral & Unconditional Pakistani Withdrawal, But No Ceasefire by India, While a Policy of Denial Led To Internal Revolts & Severe Demoralisation Within Pakistan Army

 Assessments & Lessons Learnt

Inferences for the Future

Incidentally, 1999 was not the first that Pakistan had engaged in such double-crossing. Back in 1982 another such incident had taken place, which had then led to the Indian Army and Indian Air Force launching OP Meghdoot along the Siachen Glacier. What follows below is a narration of what transpired between 1982 and mid-1984.

(to be concluded)

Escalation Ladders Explained

Super Su-30MKI Has Taken Shape

All the essential enhancements reqd for transforming the existing Su-30MKI into the Super Su-30MKI are now ready for installation/systems integration on either existing Su-30MKIs or even new-build Su-30MKIs (about 80 of which are required).

Under development since 2009 by the DRDO-owned Defence Avionics Research establishment (DARE) and by the Russia-based JSC V Tikhomirov Scientific Research Institute of Instrument Design, the avionics enhancements will now have to undergo flight certification trials at the Russia-based State Federal Unitary Enterprise Gromov Flight Research Institute at Zhukovsky.

DARE has since 2009 been developing various elements of the mission avionics suite, which include the following:

SAMTEL-HAL Display Systems has completed developing panoramic AMLCDs for installation on the tandem-seat cockpit.

JSC V Tikhomirov Scientific Research Institute of Instrument Design has already developed an X-band ASESA-MMR variant of the NO-11M Bars PESA-MMR that currently equips the Su-30MKI.

The X-band AESA-MMR will thus enable the Super Su-30MKI cockpit crew to perform interleaved operations concurrently.

The 101KS-V IRST sensor will be the same as that on the Su-56 MRCA.

The countermeasures dispensers will for the first time be able to launch chaff cartridges supplied by UK-based Chemring. Previously, only flare cartridges could be launched.

Also to be installed will be RAFAEL's BNET-AR SDR, which functions as both a communications radio, as well as an operational tactical data-link.

And finally, the propulsion system too will be enhanced, with the AL-31FP turbofans giving way to the AL-41F-1S from NPO Saturn.

In charge of overall systems integration will be the Russia-based FSUE State Scientific Research Institute of Aviation Systems, or GosNIIAS. Altogether, two flying prototypes will be subjected to about 200 hours of flight-tests, which if begun by this year-end, should be completed by late 2020.

The Super Su-30MKI airframe will also be flight-certified for flying terrain-hugging flight profiles (about 100 metres ASL), thanks to the terrain avoidance mode of operation of the AESA-MMR. Existing Su-30MKIs are not able to fly ultra low-level flight profiles since the NO-11M PESA-MMR does not have the terrain avoidance operating mode.