F16, F18s would have provided India unbeatable platforms

[Bang Galore]

A

Boeing (F-18) India never sought the product. It was included under pressure from Washington.

Not true, it was Boeing's offer of the AESA radar that completely changed the IAF's view of what they were going for. We have them to thank for the Rafale having the AESA radar. F18 -Good plane, very cost effective but technology transfers would have been a real pain. Even though the Europeans are costlier, they are also hungrier & the deal was far more important to them than it was for the Americans. The level of technology flowing in would now be much greater with the selection of the Rafale with the French being real desperate to bag a foreign order. That technology transfer is going to do show up in our indigenous products & would not have been something that we would have obtained in normal course.

 

[Bang Galore]

Nonsense.
F18 and/or F16's are in no way unbeatable. Rafale is better than those two at just about everything that is important.
If they really wanted to provide unbeatable platforms they should have brought F22.

The SH's AESA radar is far more mature & would have been considerably cheaper than the Rafale. Effectively, we could have got 3 SH for the price of 2 Rafales but the other aspects of the deal I mentioned earlier was moot. The Americans were just not hungry enough.

 

[rockstarIN]

No to

Again No to

---------- Post added at 05:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:07 PM ----------

The SH's AESA radar is far more mature & would have been considerably cheaper than the Rafale. Effectively, we could have got 3 SH for the price of 2 Rafales but the other aspects of the deal I mentioned earlier was moot. The Americans were just not hungry enough.

In fact they underestimated us. They thought giving N-Deal to us will be enough.

HOPE, next time they will not do blunders and will transfer the know-how.

 

[Zabaniyah]

The Rafale doesn't field AESA yet. It's still in development.

 

[rockstarIN]

The Rafale doesn't field AESA yet. It's still in development.

The fly away rafales will land in India with AESA.

 

[ARCHON]

The Rafale doesn't field AESA yet. It's still in development.

Thales AESA RBE2 radar validated on Rafale - Thales Group

 

[ARCHON]

Thales Begins Rafale AESA Production

Low-rate production of the first active electronically scanned radars is now underway for the Rafale multi-role fighter.

In France, AESA-equipped Rafales would enter service starting in 2012.

The active antenna could be installed on a Rafale in an hour.

France equips Rafale fighter with AESA radar - Brahmand.com

 

[GURU DUTT]

Thales AESA RBE2 radar validated on Rafale - Thales Group

sir i'm not very good at this , but can some senior member like yourself about the range of this RBE2 radar against other radar's in the regon & competetion , Thanks Again .

 

[joekrish]

Better luck next time America.

 

[ARCHON]

F16 D block 40 vs Rafale F2 in a BFM combat simulation with exclusive HUD view , good music, and many kills...

 

[Raje amar]

Next fighter for second MRCA will be from US.

Confirmed!

unless US keeps its Ego and suspicion aside and ready to provide what ever GOI demands.

As per my opinion the second winner will be either Gripan or Mig 30.

 

[peep]

No point in going for those ultra expensive F35s. A poor country like INDIA cannot maintain so many ( AMCA/FGFA/F35) fifth gen fighters.

And Choosing EFT makes no sense since maintaining Mirage/Rafale/Su30MKIs/EFT will be tremendous mess. We can easily go for 189 rafales in that case.

Only reason this 80 fighters etc news seems plausible is because IAF wanted around 200 fighters and 126 rafales will already be some what expensive. So maybe we are looking for a cheaper option like F18-IN which is a formidable aircraft.

 

[Windjammer]

No to

Again No to

What to say of military jets crashing.....
I am sure you realise that a even few Space shuttles have gone up in smoke....and the Rafel hasn't escaped the dilemma either.

Paris - The pilot of a Rafale fighter-jet was killed when his aircraft crashed during a training flight in southern France, a French Air Force spokesman said Friday.

The cause of the crash, the first ever of a Rafale, was not known, but weather conditions were bad when the accident occurred late Thursday. The body of the pilot, who was described as very experienced, was found Friday.

The Rafale is built by Dassault Aviation, which has failed to sell a single plane outside of France.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

I guess that school of thoughts never kicked in when going for the C-130s, P-8, Apaches. etc.

No. There are no "kill-switches" on those aircraft!

So they were sold and bought without the 'familiar' strings.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

unless US keeps its Ego and suspicion aside and ready to provide what ever GOI demands.

As per my opinion the second winner will be either Gripan or Mig 30.

No likelihood of US combat a/c (i.e. fighters) being bought by India in the near future, not even F-35. Though the US may well agree to share some tech transfers, however they will be related to specific tech; not TOT for an entire platform.
While there will be follow-on orders of the C-130s, C-17s and P-8i a/c (as has been already reported at various times).
The real push will be for the Attack and Heavy-Lift Helicopters. Finito.