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In the midst of persistent recent rumours of frontrunners in India's medium multirole combat aircraft (M-MRCA) competition, an explosive new piece of buzz -- and an assertion in the latest issue of India's most widely read news magazine -- now suggest that the Lockheed-Martin F-16 is no longer in the reckoning for the $11-billion 126-fighter prize. And with the MiG-35 long out of the competition, it's now effectively a four-horse game being fought by the Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale, Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet and the Saab Gripen NG/IN.
First, the Indian Air Force has refused to comment officially on specific progress in the MMRCA competition, but an IAF officer familiar with developments at Air Force HQ has indicated to a select group of journalists, on condition of anonymity, that the Indian Air Force and Ministry of Defence specifically agree that there is no sense in purchasing a platform that the US is already supplying to Pakistan (notwithstanding the assertion that the variant on offer to India is far more advanced). This, especially when the F-16 has come to symbolise the irritation India nurses against the stubborn rhetoric India faces from the US when it registers its disquiet at billions of dollars worth of conventional weapons being supplied hand over fist to Pakistan.
Second, and more importantly, the latest issue of INDIA TODAY (Nov 15) appears to suggest that as well. The cover story, co-authored by senior editor Sandeep Unnithan, notes, "US supplies to Pakistan have effectively nixed the F-16s prospects at being selected as one of the two US contenders for the IAF's $12-billion fighter tender for its Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft."
I'm awaiting comments from Lockheed-Martin. Stay tuned. Do please note that the Indian Air Force and Ministry of Defence have not confirmed this information. Also note that there have been several rumours in the past pertaining to specific eliminations from the lucrative MMRCA competition (Lockheed has in fact commented in the past on specific rumours), and none of them have been verified one way or the other. The competition remains in progress, with the Ministry of Defence expected to make a single type selection in or around July 2011.
Now every aircraft has been eliminated and selected at least once, i think the Ministry of defence should be congratulated for its decade long procurement which might just outlast the planes.
Well actually it did outlast the production lines of Mirage-2k and the relevance of F-16 block-52+.
Air Force MRCA Deal - Eurofighter Typhoon Ahead on Technical Parameters
2010-11-07
British newspaper The Telegraph quotes unnamed senior Indian government officials revealing that the Eurofighter Typhoon fighters lead the race to bag the USD 11 billion Indian Air Force Multi-role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) deal.
"There are a number of cost and strategic considerations which still have to be looked at, but in purely technical terms, Eurofighter is ahead"
-- The Telegraph quoting an unnamed senior Indian official
India Defence had earlier reported in September 2010 that Eurofighter Typhoon and Dassault Rafale fighters had emerged as front-runners after field trials were conducted by the Air Force.
Air Force MRCA Deal - Eurofighter Typhoon Ahead on Technical Parameters | India Defence
so you want to leave the A2G duties to your precious MKi? and just buy a A2A bird like Typhoon..?^^^WE CAN CLEARLY SEE THAT SU-30 MKI CAN CARRY MUCH HIGH LOAD THAN ANY OTHER AIRCRAFT.
WE WILL HAVE AROUND 275 OF THESE BIRDS.SO WE CAN CANCEL F/A-18 SUPER HORNET WHICH IS GOOD IN AIR-GROUND IN MMRCA COMPETITION AND CAN GO FOR THE FIGHTER WHICH HAS A GOOD AIR-AIR CAPABILITIES LIKE TYPHOON/RAFALE.
WHAT DO YOU SAY?
Why? the MKi fits the A2A superiority duty just fine...Wish EF select for MMRCA
EF already can use older Paveways and is integrating the latets IV version, but that can't be counted as real A2G capabilities with the lack of A2G missiles. More important is the lack of an dedicated pod pylon, because these LGBs needs a targeting pod for guidance. At the moment the EF carries it at the centerline station as you can see in the following pics, which reduces the number of fuel tanks that can be carried and also the range:
So if IAF, SFC, or even IN are searching for a fighter with deep strike capabilities, the EF is obviously the wrong choice!
so you want to leave the A2G duties to your precious MKi? and just buy a A2A bird like Typhoon..?
Nothing beats the SuperHornet in A2G, nothing but heavy fighters like MKis or Strike Eagles..
^^^WE CAN CLEARLY SEE THAT SU-30 MKI CAN CARRY MUCH HIGH LOAD THAN ANY OTHER AIRCRAFT.
WE WILL HAVE AROUND 275 OF THESE BIRDS.SO WE CAN CANCEL F/A-18 SUPER HORNET WHICH IS GOOD IN AIR-GROUND IN MMRCA COMPETITION AND CAN GO FOR THE FIGHTER WHICH HAS A GOOD AIR-AIR CAPABILITIES LIKE TYPHOON/RAFALE.
WHAT DO YOU SAY?
.
F16IN would have been a good choice if PAF wouldn't use it for years and wouldn't have all the US restrictions, just like the SH will have. Which leaves us with the Rafale which is the closest in A2G to the SH and in some regards even superior.
Now the question is does EF doesnt have Mid air refuelling capabilities??? It has so why you need more fuel tanks??
Do you have any information on the range of EFT with internal Fuel??
From the pic i can see it is carrying a decent payload of A2G bombs and A2A missile... dont you think so??
But we need to see what is Trance-3 will be presented as??? a dedicated Pylon or use an existing one?
I still feel MMRCA needs a decent ground strike and superior Air strike because we have lot of Fighters with Ground strike capabilities.... Even LCA is now a bomber only
I agree, it would be so cool if you guys could home build the Rafale, ala MKi...
Of course the EF has that capability, but that doesn't mean the fighter needs no fuel tanks. Even in A2A CAP most fighters carry at least 1 drop tank to have enough range and endurance. In A2G missions, where the additional weight will reduce the range even more, drop tanks are very important, because air refuelling is only possible in Indian airspace right? So in a deep strike mission, the minute the fighters cross border, their range is dependent on the internal and external fuel capacity only.
It carries 4 x 500Kg LGB = 2000Kg strike load, a TP and 2 fuel tanks (A2A missiles are not important here, because we were talking about strike loads and range), but even the small Gripen NG, or E/F will carry the same with the same number of fuel tanks, but to a longer distances.
The TP is not integrated here, but the older Gripen has a dedicated pod station under the air intake, 2 x fuel tanks and 2 x 1000Kg LGBs:
Where does IAF have a lot of ground strike capabilities? Mig 27 will be phased out soon and only Jags will remain as real strike fighters. The others are air superiority fighters with added A2G capabilities only and LCA a bomber?
Look at the weapon config of the NG again, reduce 1 bomb, internal fuel as well as range and you have the strike load/capability of an LCA.