But bro, judging by what you are saying the strategic role of IAF continues with MKIs now and super MKIs in future.
That implies tactical or low level roles for other fleet members including mirages, jags and later rafales
Now if tactical role is only envisioned then a more cost intensive solution could have been having a tactical fighter bomber like Su34 replacing mig27s, jags and mirages all at one go..
This analogy implies even with super upgrade if IAF still wants another jet like Rafale, the strategic role will not have super MKIs. Alcm or standoff glide of strategic nature if super MKI was envisioned would have automatically led to striking off of jets like Rafale EF etc from MMRCA itself.
The more ominous signs point super MKI in air superiority role only.. And primary strategic role handled by another category of jets.
Sorry for such late answer,
however starting India should have air drop nuclear bomb design which would be delivered from fighter plane. Now this is my assessment, how would be the design of such bomb. A bombs should be equipped with parachute and was programmed to be released from a predefined altitude over the target, with the timer which will trigger at preset time. Some reports indicated India did equipped couple of Mirrage 2000 for that role, and some Jaguar.
The platform should be capable of flying deep inside the enemy airspace probably low altitude profile to avoid radar detection, and near the target rise to high altitude to release the bomb and needs air cover from enemy fighter planes.
But now the better option is to deliver via the cruise missile, or other strandoff delivery platform like GPS guided glide bomb. You are correct that Rafale have low RCS, and could fly in terrain hugging profile, and can carry Nuke, but the problem is if cruise missile is the delivery option, than MKI is best suited -- Reasons
1. India is license building SU-30MKI.
2. With Russia India could strategically make certain deals secretly.
3. Which Cruise missile do you want to use for Nuke delivery, and certainly India have many Russian Cruise missile, and active cruise missile program like Brahmos NG, and Nirbhay Mini which would be fit on the aircraft called Super Sukhoi MKI not the rafale.
4. Note- MKI cannot fly low altitude in terrain hugging, terrain avoidance does not means it cannot, rather you need the ground radar, to map the ground which modern Radar like AESA or even PESA N011 M radar can do, and the airframe which can take the stress of some level like say 8.5 G, which in this case is not certified by the OEM i.e Sukhoi/IRKUT.
And most important the Strategic command asked for the SU-30MKI-- 40 nos under the strategic command, and at that time there was no Rafale there.
Problems with cruise missile is far higher. First space constraint in misslie. So have to develop separate warhead. This nuclear warhead with missile gives very little scope of versatility. I mean when miraj inducted in force they were best and if mki has proof him better so IAF just started using them for nuke delivery. If miraj were using missiles for nuke than those warheads are just waste for mki.
No need to say, we can use any fighter for nuke but not randomly picked pilot.
Limited number export of rafale do justify their use for SEAD and especial missins.
Problem with dropping the Bomb is that the fighter plane has to come close to the target to deliver, but doing so close to SAM, and air defence system, and near enemy space. With Cruise Missile, it could be done from the Strandoff and our own space.
Nope actauly mki is better for carpet bombing. Bird capable of delivering tons of ammu. Jaguar and mig just dont have such things.
Depend on how you think. Do you want a 125 Million a piece bird, with 2 dedicated Pilots to be used to drop the dump bomb, and not doing what it is specialized i.e Air Superiority. For you information Jaguar and MIG 27 both are the speciallized ground attack fighter aircraft, and what does it means, that they are fitted with the ground radar, not the A2A radar, and Jaguar, with its NAV attack device on its nose can deliver those dumb bomb precisely where it should be placed. And yes offcource both are certified to fly at low altitude with the drop load, which MKI don't pocess. Jaguar can fly at the tree top level at the supersonic speed with the long range aka deep strike capability.
MIG-27 have the bullet proof armour around the area where the Pilot sits, needed, when you attack the armoured formation with its 4 50mm guns, it will cause the havoc when from the sky its coming to the enemy doing straffing fire (same which was tried during the Kargil war,
at the high altitude which was never attempted before anywhere with this bird, but the gun fire at such rate causes the engine to flame out)and this plane can take the enemy machine gun fire which your other fighter plane cannot.
That would be waste of money. Let us see what IAF will demand in these birds.
It will be waste ????
1. Air frame strengthening, not only allows the longer life of the airframe as it would be able to take more stress.
2. KH-34P ARM for SEAD Mission because its range is around 200 KM.
3. Python-5 because it will be inducted in IAF and InAF, and it is the most dangerous WVR missile in the world and provide 360 degree coverage and the offbore sight of 90 degree, which the R-73 don't give.
All this is just too ambitious. lol.
Mki should be improve as it was not as su34.
OK.
