Abingdonboy
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Come on sir, not this again! The IAF can't be and isn't buying every single MMRCA out there, they are looking to stremline their operations, inducting peicemeal inductions of different types is only going to increase their operational costs many fold.Tejas, Gripen, Rafale, MKI and Super Hornet. We are guaranteed to buy at least one American fighter.
The force of the future is clear:
MiG-21------> LCA
MiG-27------> Rafale
Jaguar------>Rafale/AMCA
MKI------> FGFA
Clean and simple.
Instead of:
MiG-21------> LCA/F-16/Gripen
MiG-27------> Rafale/ F-18/Gripen
Jaguar------>Rafale/AMCA/F-18
MKI------> FGFA
What an absolute mess that NO ONE is interested in.
No US fighters are coming, DTTI has nothing to do with it, India isn't signing the foundational agreements like CISMOA, BECA or LEMOA (maybe a diluted version for the navy's sake will be). There will be no ToT and why the hell would the IAF want to induct an obsolete fighter like the F-16 that their opponant has been operating for decades?
I don't know where you get this impression brother. Dassualt are the ONLY OEM to be in advanced talks with the GoI for an Indian production line and the G-G deal for 36 Rafales off the shelf will be signed this month (June), the DM has confirmed as much. The delay has been because Parrikar is playing some very frustrating games for his personal gains.Yes, LCA and Rafale it is .. but we will be going for another platform if Dassault does not play ball (and it seems it won't).
The F-18 (and any US fighter) has no chance.
Neither will serve any benefit to the IAF or India other than to kill the LCA and the GoI will simply never allow this to happen. Every action we know of by this GoI/DM has been to promote the success of the LCA, they aren't about to throw it to the wolves and induct either the Gripen or F-16.I do not have any indication of Gripen coming in, and am at odds with @dadeechi over his views on Gripen and F-16s for IAF .... not likely.
Thanks brother.@Abingdonboy Back from your sojourn away? Nice to see you back!!
Exactly and it is more than likely that by that time the MK.2 will be able to compete head to head (especially on cost) with the Gripen-NG and with India's far superior "weight" in global affairs will be signifcantly advantadged over the Gripen-NG so, again, why would SAAB want to promote the success of the LCA MK.2? This is still something no one has been able to explain to me.That's the thing. With MK2, the convergence will increase.
Something else no one else seems to want to address is what exactly does SAAB bring to the table? They are effectively a lead intergrator with SAAB itself owning very little of the IP on the key elements (propulsion, senors) that HAL/India would be most interested in.
The Gripen/SAAB offer makes no sense on any level be it from an operational level or for industrial benefits both of which are frankly non-existent.