ROSE Upgrade

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Pakistan Air Force bought 50 ex-Australian, Lebanese, Libyan and French Mirage IIIs . The project "ROSE" (Retrofit of Strike Element") was set up to reclaim as many airplanes as possible and to upgrade them with latest avionics. Originally it was thought that only 20 - 25 airframes could be made operational but eventually, more than 40 airframes were refurbuished and put back in service.

The avionics upgrade included fitting of HUD, HOTAS controls, RWR's chaff / flare and most important of all the retrofit of FIAR Griffo Radar. This radar is the Italian copy of APG-68 and has full look down shoot down capability. At present No 7 Squadron is inducting a BVR weapon of South African origin. Some of the ex-Aussie Mirages did not even require a complete airframe overhaul.