Project ROSE

Project ROSE ("Retrofit of Strike Element") was a program by the Pakistan Air Force to upgrade the avionics of its aging Dassault Mirage IIIEP and Mirage 5PA fighter jets. These had originally been built either by Dassault Aviation in France, or by the Government Aircraft Factories (GAF) in Australia. The program, based at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, focused on upgrading the military avionics and onboard computer systems, with equipment supplied by Pakistani Margella Electronics, French SAGEM and Italian SELEX consortia.

The program was initiated after the PAF began considering retiring or phasing out these aircraft from active service. The Pakistan Air Force, which was already operating Dassault Mirage IIIs and Mirage 5s, began its procurement of second-hand Mirage fighters from Australia, Lebanon, Libya, and Spain at prices reported to be within the Ministry of Defence's budget. More than 90% of aircraft were retrofitted at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex in Kamra with the remaining being upgraded in France. Between 1996 and 2000, several Mirage IIIs and Mirage 5s were bought from other countries and were upgraded under this program at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex.

The upgrade package included the installation of a Grifo radar with a detection range of approximately 75 km, in-flight refueling probes, and airframe overhauls to extend service life. After the ROSE-III upgrade, locally manufactured weapons like the H-2 and H-4 SOW, the Takbir glide bomb, and stealth nuclear cruise missiles such as the Ra'ad Mk-1 and Ra'ad Mk-2 were integrated into the aircraft. Further considerations for upgrades were recommended but the program was eventually terminated due to the increasing cost of spare parts and the poor condition of the second-hand airframes.

It is currently expected that the upgraded fighter jets will remain in service with the Pakistan Air Force in specialized tactical attack roles beyond 2020. The jets are expected to be replaced by either the JF–17 Thunder (Block 3, Block 4 and Block 5), additional F-16s, or the 5th generation stealth fighter in development under Project Azm; though no official timelines for these timelines have been announced.

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