Biggest deal: IAF may buy 189 jets for $20bn

[Dharmachakra]

How can this be a mother of all deals for just 189 or 200 MRCA?
Heck IAF is getting 272 MKI and will be getting 250-270 FGFA.. My opinion is that IAF will match the numbers of FGFA and MKI.
And there is a low profile character as well which is AMCA. And its number for now sits at 200+ and will go above that considering the types of A/C it is replacing.
Even LCA will be inducted in 140 batch initially and IAF plans to add 2 or 3 more squads of LCA after initial 100 MKII gets inducted. This means MRCA will be smallest number to be inducted into IAF post 2015 onwards.

It might sit in the middle somewhere due to its price tag,other than that 189 is not huge number.
Again,this new increase in a/c is no new thing. The deal itself specifies addition of 74 a/c under the same price if the operator is satisfied.

Given that IAF latest squadrons have 20 fighters each, it will be logical to assume the magic number 200 for MRCA to make up for 10 squads.
This means by 2025 when all of them get inducted and while we are in the middle of inducting AMCA the number will be,

MRCA-10 Suads
MKI -13-14 Squads
LCA -10 Squads
FGFA- 8 squads
AMCA-5 squads..... See this is only by 2025 and IAF will be still in the induction process of FGFA and AMCA.
But by completion of all inductions,It will be reaching the magical strength of 60 squads which the IAF is just wishing for...

By 2030 IAF again will be looking for the replacement of MKI. Possibly a home grown one sucessor to AMCA.IF all is well,ADA will have its hands busy all the time developing follow on a/c.
Maybe the MKI replacement will be unmanned fighter.By that time everything will be matured enough,considering the pace of growth in AI and the graphene based chips for ultra high performance.

 

[coffin]

@santro......

total no one knows......there is no fixed policy unfortunately.........but no.....no colonization...we r a peaceful nation.....but we should have strategic relations with japan, s korea and vietnam to ensure that asia remains multipolar,peaceful and no country has hegemonic designs......

nicely said I think that most of the pakis think that China is unbeatable even if they have soooooooo many adversaries in their region.

 

[Dharmachakra]

So whats the total??
You, forget China.. India could start to colonize the far east by force by mid next century(outsourcing does not count )

by 2025 IAF strenght will be around 940-100 A/C. And this is when not all FGFA and AMCA were inducted and IAF is half way through it.

Indias doctrine was never about agressiveness. Its IAF wishlist that a strength of 60 squadrons(basically each squadron of IAF has 20 a/c + reserve) is a perfect number to protect the nation from any adversary.IT also against defending on a Sino-PAk dual front war.
Once we give the IAF what they need , alteast we will stop them whining

 

[coffin]

Well there is a saying "Time is Money" ...Anyways what i am trying to say is that there is no certainty that we will go for even 189..Our original order is 126...Now if we choose 2-3 years from now to go for another 63 then the rates prevalent at that time will kick in...There is no locked in rates as such...The same order given 5 years ago would have cost us much less then what it is going to cost now...Inflation, labour cost etc are a big factor in this cost escalation...

So this means that if by any reasons we have to go for more 63 jets and if we order them right now then we have to less compared to the follow on order . And do you think there is somthing more to this deal as I think 20billion is a lot of money.

 

[LiberalAtheist]

when will we reach sanctioned strength of 39-45 squadrons?

 

[SQ8]

Provided you play a positive role in that one.,I know you guys wont sit quietly...

Off course not.. what are neighbors for?

When will the last of the upgraded M2K's be phased out?

 

[deckingraj]

So this means that if by any reasons we have to go for more 63 jets and if we order them right now then we have to less compared to the follow on order.

Yes...however it just don't make sense for buying air-crafts unless and until we absolutely need them....That's why even thouhg it is going to be a bit more expensive it makes sense to wait and see how Tejas and FGFA are panning out...

And do you think there is somthing more to this deal as I think 20billion is a lot of money.

TOT does not come cheap...Weapon package is also state of art...Anyways we don't know all the parameters and probably will never know

 

[deckingraj]

Off course not.. what are neighbors for?

When will the last of the upgraded M2K's be phased out?

Easily looking at era post 2030-2035....

 

[indian navy]

dont you guys think we hsould go for either 60 f35 but the problem is it will take time

now the best option is su35 why dont we go for 60 su35

dont you guys think su35 will be the best option take less time , best plane in current time , increase our numbers against china

china dont have any answer for su35

 

[indian navy]

 

[indian navy]

 

[Tshering22]

when will we reach sanctioned strength of 39-45 squadrons?

When our neighbors do something actively no targeting people but targeting government babus. Only then it is possible.

 

[deckingraj]

dont you guys think we hsould go for either 60 f35 but the problem is it will take time

now the best option is su35 why dont we go for 60 su35

dont you guys think su35 will be the best option take less time , best plane in current time , increase our numbers against china

china dont have any answer for su35

In MRCA trial mig-35 got rejected...if you have to go for more fighters they why not MRCA winner??? It just don't make sense...b/w another platform another maintenance hazard...also MKI can practically give you all what Mig-35 can...

 

[indian navy]

In MRCA trial mig-35 got rejected...if you have to go for more fighters they why not MRCA winner??? It just don't make sense...b/w another platform another maintenance hazard...also MKI can practically give you all what Mig-35 can...

well its su35 and few key benfits

1 today su35 is the best planes
2 it will provide a upper hand against china
3 we can gain them very fast as compare to others
4 dont you think time has come when we have to increase our numbers

just one simple question do you really think 60-65 su35 planes will be really a maintenance hazard my answer is no

just think if we can deploy them to china border till pakfa or mca

 

[Tshering22]

well its su35 and few key benfits

1 today su35 is the best planes
2 it will provide a upper hand against china
3 we can gain them very fast as compare to others
4 dont you think time has come when we have to increase our numbers

just one simple question do you really think 60-65 su35 planes will be really a maintenance hazard my answer is no

just think if we can deploy them to china border till pakfa or mca

Don't you think that we will be heavily skewed towards 2 engine jets? That would drive the maintenance costs to IAF through the roof. We better stick to making our fleet as homogenous as possible: 2 Russian platforms, 2 Indian platforms and 1 European platform. That's more than enough already. The more we get selective, the worse it will be for the ground maintenance crew. We're supposed to be a regional power; not an oil sheikh's private showcase when it comes to deciding what will defend our country.