Govt scraps single-engine fighters plan, asks IAF to go for wider competition

[hussain0216]

Govt scraps single-engine fighters plan, asks IAF to go for wider competition

Rajat Pandit| TNN | Updated: Feb 23, 2018, 00:06 IST

HIGHLIGHTS

• The govt has asked the IAF to come up with a new proposal that will take both single and twin-engine fighters into account
• The plan was to produce 114 single-engine fighters with foreign collaboration under the “Make in India” framework
• "The aim is to increase the contenders and avoid needless allegations later,” said a source

NEW DELHI: The government has scrapped its two-year-old plan to produce 114 single-engine fighters with foreign collaboration under the “Make in India” framework, at an estimated cost of Rs 1.15 lakh crore (almost $18 billion), amid the political slugfest between BJP and Congressover the Rs 59,000 crore contract for 36 French Rafale jets.

Top sources said the defence ministry (MoD) has directed IAF, down to just 31 fighter squadrons (each with 18 jets) now when at least 42 are required for the “collusive threat” from Pakistan and China, to come up with a new proposal that will take both single and twin-engine fighters into account.

“The original plan placed an unnecessary restriction on only single-engine fighters, which limited the competition to just two jets (American F-16 and Swedish Gripen-E). The aim is to increase the contenders and avoid needless allegations later,” said a source.

Incidentally, F-16 manufacturer Lockheed Martin had joined hands with Tata Advance Defence Systems Ltd, while Swedish aviation major SAAB tied-up with the Adani Group in anticipation of the mega project to produce the fighters in India under MoD’s ‘strategic partnership’ policy, as was earlier reported by TOI.

Faced with a further two-year delay now, which will ensure the beleaguered force will not be able to reach its sanctioned strength of 42 squadrons even by 2032 as projected earlier, the IAF is now scrambling to finalize the new plan based on its operational requirements, the required transfer of technology and other aspects.

It was the then defence minister Manohar Parrikar who had advised IAF to go in for the single-engine production line because he said the country could afford only 36 of the twin-engine Rafales for meeting its “critical operational necessity” immediately. Single-engine fighters, of course, have a lower acquisition and operating cost even if there is a slight compromise in capability

The 36 Rafales, ordered in “flyaway condition” by the NDA government after scrapping the original MMRCA (medium multi-role combat aircraft)

 

[hussain0216]

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...or-wider-competition/articleshow/63034958.cms

Tamasha of Bollywood nation continues

It was the then defence minister Manohar Parrikar who had advised IAF to go in for the single-engine production line because he said the country could afford only 36 of the twin-engine Rafales

Interesting!

 

[BHarwana]

lol.

 

[Hassan Guy]

 

[BHarwana]

Will these Indians buy some thing or this single double tamasha will continue for next 10 years.

 

[hussain0216]

Don't worry there is always Teja the wonder plane!


https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...m_medium=Organic&utm_campaign=Related_Stories
Tejas, a poor performer?

tnn | Updated: Feb 6, 2018, 11:56 IST

Out of the 83 aircraft ordered by the IAF, it has just received six so far.
JODHPUR: The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas is in news again as the United States’ Air Force chief General David L Goldfein flew a sortie from Jodhpur Air Force base on Saturday. Goldfein’s French counterpart General Andre Lanata would do the same soon. But it is the LCA, from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), that has been keeping the IAF hanging in balance since 1983 on its order of 83 such aircraft.
Out of the 83 aircraft ordered by the IAF, it has just received six so far. The delay has been conveyed to the ministry of defence by the IAF and both the previous air chiefs had expressed concerns over the same. More so, the mere six Tejas—yet to be declared ‘combat ready’—are part of the initial contract for 40 aircraft given by IAF in 2005. For inducting the entire fleet of 83 aircraft, IAF has to wait for one more decade.

This at a time when the IAF has already been pleading before the government that the number of its fighter squadrons will fall to 31 by March-end compared to its sanctioned strength of 42 required in case of simultaneous aggression from Pakistan and China.

But as the IAF struggles to replace its dwindling fighter squadrons and obsolete fighter fleet, it is not just the issue of delivery of these aircraft but also their performance that are bothering the air force.

Speaking about the design pitfalls, a senior IAF official closely associated with the testing of Tejas prototypes said that the aircraft fell well short of its design performance goals set in 1982

“A cursory glance of capabilities shows that Tejas is extremely handicapped when it comes to the crucial criterion of the ‘ability to turn’, or change direction rapidly so as to throw off an attacker or turn to face him. On this feature, Tejas is only as capable as a MiG 21 of 1957 vintage. Even the IAF’s Mirage 2000 is better than this,” the official said.




“Further, the agility of Tejas, i.e. the time taken to achieve a given rate of turn or pitch, is also limited by its ‘fly by wire’ control laws which are yet to prove departure protection. No amount of pilot skills will be able to overcome the LCA’s limitations including those on spin tests,” said the official, adding that Tejas might have to run for its own survival when engaged in a combat with PAF’s F-16 and People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF)'s J-10, J-11, J-16 and J-20. HAL officials could not be contacted for comments.


TOP COMMENT
This is fake news by sold out media person. The current LCAs are IOC standard & will be opened up further as they mature. Shame on reporter for planting the ill informed & ill judged faaartikle.Direct DD
Officials closely associated with assessing Tejas said that the LCA’s ability to strike targets afar was also a matter of concern when compared to other contemporary single-engine fighters. And to worsen matters, Tejas comes with a high maintenance cost. IAF has already conveyed it to the MoD that Tejas can be just one component in a healthy mix of LCA and other high-performance fighters in IAF.




Amidst these questionable and depressing achievements, eyeing foreign markets for export of the aircraft also becomes problematic.

 

[Zee-shaun]

Bhagwan ki ich'ha se 2040 me indaksan ho jayegi.

 

[undercover JIX]

wo mihawara hai, Jhoot kar pair nahin hotay...Indian are just like that, because of their lies they always keep changing their story.....

How they can reject or ignore vedic tech, even USA is interested in TOT of Teja under Make in America.
Jahil bharti, gha rki mugi daal brabar

 

[XDescendantX]

LOL Indians are masters of failure. Sometimes I wonder if Pakistan's ISI has actually infiltrated India's military programs. I mean come on there's only two possible conclusions here.

Either ISI has sabotaged their R&D with double agents or Indians really are that pathetic, delusional and ignorant. And then these losers will say something like, "well this is just the 1st stage, the second stage will be better."

 

[undercover JIX]

LOL supa powa indiots are masters of failure. Sometimes I wonder if Pakistan's ISI has actually infiltrated India's military programs. I mean come on there's only two possible conclusions here.

Either ISI has sabotaged their R&D with double agents or indiots really are that pathetic, delusional and ignorant. And then these losers will say something like, "well this is just the 1st stage, the second stage will be better."

If ISI can control their elections, Military, Politics, Migration of different nationalities to India....then koi Pagal hi doubt karay ga, that ISI have no foot print in DRDO, HAL, JAAL, KAAL, MAAL...waghaira waghaira

 

[AndrewJin]

Don’t worry, Supa Powa Tejas is on its way to save the world!

 

[sunstersun]

clown fiesta

 

[shootingstar]

Modi is just preparing the ground for procuring F-35s.

Single engine, Twin Engine, Super Sukhoi programs have all been scrapped.

In the next few weeks he is going to scrap the FGFA (PAK-FA/SU-57) program with Russia.

Once FGFA is scrapped, US would be providing the formal proposal for selling F-35s to India.

India would be procuring

--126 F-35As for IAF's New MMRCA program
-- 57 F-35C & F-35B for Indian Navy's MRCBF program
26 F-35Bs for INS Vikrant (STOBAR+ STOVL)
31 F-35C for INS Vishal( (CATOBAR with EMALS)

 

[Daghalodi]

Where the eff are all the bharti tejas lover trolls?

What happened to super stealthy super maneuverable super duper tejas?

 

[shootingstar]

Where the eff are all the bharti tejas lover trolls?

What happened to super stealthy super maneuverable super duper tejas?

Tejas needs at least another decade or two to mature. Until then India would be importing fighters. What is your question? How is Tejas related to this thread?