2014 is going on even if we want early PAK-FA today, it cannot arrive before 2018.
That's not correct, the Russian air force still aims on induction between 2015 and 2016, the question is only what capabilities that version will have.
Infact there are several missions that JSF is capable of doing that early PAK-FA cannot and vice-versa.
Not really, both are multi role fighters, but the F35 is simply badly designed for A2A and with limited capacity during strike roles too.
It is even likely that the Pak Fa can carry more AAMs with the same strike load, to further distances than the F35 could.
Access to all techs of EADS origin which is not 100% of the EFT since it uses certain techs of US origin.
Only minor components, all major techs (radar, engine, EW) are developed in Europe.
Which does not include the no. of fighters already being inducted
Of course not, that's not possible since we have no production line runing today, but that doesn't matter, even if we would take over parts of the production of upgrades alone, it would mean parts for more than 500 fighter + the once we would order, which would be a huge deal from an industrial point of view. I showed some month ago that LCA MK1 and the EF actually have pretty similar MFDs and cockpit layouts. LCA Mk2 will get modernised MFDs, so even if we would provide them only for the future modernisation of that many EFs it would be a win.
If it is required it can easily be developed.
Only with credible fundings, which is the reason the French cancelled the development of the naval twin seater and for the few fighters that we would need, an additional development makes no sense.
If it is good enough for French on CDG, then it should be good enough for us.
It was good for the French because it was a big leap in capability compared to the single role fighters it started replacing more than a decade ago and on a carrier that already was developed. So they had no other option anyway, while we can still decide about the design and layout of the carrier as well as it's fighters, or the numbers of fighters that the carrier should carry, which makes the situation pretty different.
Yes, but that will be welcome from EADS also should there be any problem with Dassualt.
They already assist us in navalising N-LCA, but normally (although that is relative in India), you take a partner that has credible experience or could even provide of the shelf parts, like the modified gear of the Rafale M.
Maybe, but you, yourself are aware of certain areas in which Rafale scores higher than EFT and where EFT will not be able to match Rafales capability even after very expensive upgrades funded by India.
I am actually more afraid of a blind indigenous development policy, that would cancell the MMRCA completelly rather than the EF winning, but we simply can't rule out that the BJP wants to re-evaluate or would be influenced by the EF partners.
True but, with the threat perception of India, there is no other fighter except Rafale that can provide us with same, maybe even similar, capabilities at a lower cost or with higher benefits. Be it industrial or geopolitical.
For the threat perception an EF with some upgrades would be more than deadly too, but it's the high costs that it's main disadvantage