In exclusive deal, India to get ‘Most Advanced’ F-16 fighter jets by 2019-20

[Perpendicular]

Meanwhile what we looking at

 

[PARIKRAMA]

The campaign by LM is something which i had spoken a lot in the Rafale Sticky. But India's interest in FMS route lies with the armed drones.

The F16-F35 plan i have shared here for months. But DM MP has yet not bought the idea.

He is still single minded focused on General Atomics based jet powered drones. He has clearly indicated that India wishes to buy in phase 1 avenger +predator totaling 100+ and in multiple phases a fleet of 250 US jet powered drones. Thats separate from Israeli Herons family.

LM PR campaign is good but a bit below Saab. Both of them are running a highly visible campaign but results may differ as compared to expectation.

The way it looks India will buy 4 sqds of F35 at a later date for IAF to appease USA. But thats a last resort ..

 

[ebrahym]

F 16 could be a stop gap arrangement until Tejas matures.

But India should also make it clear the case of Rafale., It is going on and on and on. There seem to no forward movement on PAK-FA either

India wants Pakistan to take a hasty move to counter rafale and then probably fire it because as i can understand ....... Super sukhois , Tejas ,MiG-29k , and you have FGFA coming ........ you have everything to defend your soil and are already way ahead on technolody then Pakistan .......... if super sukhoi numbers are increased and tejas are inducted it will enough for china as well................ i think f-16s will be produced in india but will exported to other countries ................ and if your are really gonna buy ...... buy newer birds like f-18 or f-35 USA will not mind

US defence major Lockheed Martin has firmed up its plans to produce the latest version of its iconic F16 fighter jets only in India under the ‘Make in India’ programme. The multibillion dollar deal was “finalised” during the recent visit of Lockheed Martin’s Chairman, President and CEO Marillyn Hewson here last week, a top official, involved in the talks, told BusinessLine. ‘Exclusively’ in India :: Under the deal, the company will be manufacturing the latest version of the jets – F16 Block 70/72 – that will be produced “exclusively” in India. This will be the “most advanced” version and will not be built anywhere else in the world. Lockheed Martin also plans to export them from the India plant at a later stage, the official said. The F16 project is a government to government deal that will be conducted through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route. However, it seems Lockheed Martin has no plans to take the 100 per cent foreign direct investment route for the programme. It is likely to coproduce the F16s in collaboration with the Tata Advanced Systems Ltd., which has been its partner for other defence and aerospace programmes such as the C130 cargo plane. The Maryland based firm is currently scouting for land to set up its manufacturing unit. According to sources, it is looking to set up the plant in a State that will have a runway near a port. India had long been demanding that the F16s it buys will have to be more advanced than what is sold to neighbouring Pakistan. However, with the recent push on IndiaUS defence ties, talks on setting up the F16 plant in India have steadily progressed. The deal was “almost finalised” when Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Washington last month.

During this visit, Modi finalised the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) with the US, which is one of the three crucial foundational agreements that strengthened IndiaUS defence ties. India is also negotiating the remaining two foundational pacts with US. As a result, the F16 programme of Lockheed Martin received a major thrust due to this strengthening of ties. Indian Air Force is in desperate need of modern fighter aircraft as it grapples with an ageing fleet.

http://www.defencenews.in/article/In-exclusive-deal,-India-to-get-‘Most-Advanced’-F-16-fighter-jets-by-2019-20-6645

In exclusive deal, India to get ‘most advanced’ F-16 fighter jets by 2019-20
Nayanima Basu



Marillyn Hewson Chairman, President and CEO of Lockheed Martin




Lockheed Martin is currently scouting for land to set up its manufacturing unit. According to sources, it is looking to set up the plant in a State that will have a runway near a port.

New Delhi, July 11:
US defence major Lockheed Martin has firmed up its plans to produce the latest version of its iconic F-16 fighter jets only in India under the ‘Make in India’ programme.

The multi-billion dollar deal was “finalised” during the recent visit of Lockheed Martin’s Chairman, President and CEO Marillyn Hewson here last week, a top official, involved in the talks, told BusinessLine.

‘Exclusively’ in India
Under the deal, the company will be manufacturing the latest version of the jets – F-16 Block 70/72 – that will be produced “exclusively” in India.

This will be the “most advanced” version and will not be built anywhere else in the world. Lockheed Martin also plans to export them from the India plant at a later stage, the official said. The F-16 project is a government-to-government deal that will be conducted through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route.

However, it seems Lockheed Martin has no plans to take the 100 per cent foreign direct investment route for the programme. It is likely to co-produce the F-16s in collaboration with the Tata Advanced Systems Ltd., which has been its partner for other defence and aerospace programmes such as the C-130 cargo plane.

The Maryland-based firm is currently scouting for land to set up its manufacturing unit. According to sources, it is looking to set up the plant in a State that will have a runway near a port.

India had long been demanding that the F-16s it buys will have to be more advanced than what is sold to neighbouring Pakistan.

However, with the recent push on India-US defence ties, talks on setting up the F-16 plant in India have steadily progressed. The deal was “almost finalised” when Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Washington last month.

During this visit, Modi finalised the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) with the US, which is one of the three crucial foundational agreements that strengthened India-US defence ties.

India is also negotiating the remaining two foundational pacts with US.

As a result, the F-16 programme of Lockheed Martin received a major thrust due to this strengthening of ties. Indian Air Force is in desperate need of modern fighter aircraft as it grapples with an ageing fleet.


http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/in-exclusive-deal-india-to-get-most-advanced-f16-fighter-jets-by-201920/article8835851.ece

@PARIKRAMA @Stephen Cohen @Abingdonboy @Nilgiri @anant_s @Water Car Engineer @sathya @cerberus @hellfire @randomradio @third eye

 

[MastanKhan]

Hi,

If india is considering an F16---then there is no reason for it to go for the Rafale----. Does not make much sense---./

 

[ebrahym]

have you people taken this step as to pressurize dassault to get the rate what indians want for rafale

Makes no sense, in May of this year I read that India categorically refused the F16 under make in India initiative.
http://inserbia.info/today/2016/05/india-rejects-us-offer-of-f-16-jets/

 

[danger007]

I wonder if Indians will buy typhoon, gripen and SU35 as well so Pakistan cant get their hands on it .

we don't need to buy all of them, because you are not going to get any of them.

 

[ebrahym]

AFAIK the plan is Tejas for tactical interdictor, Rafale for medium multirole, Flankers+FGFA for air superiority + heavy multirole....plus whatever legacy airframes continue for a while (M-2000, Mig 29 etc).

I don't see where F-16 is going to fit into this unless its literally Lockheed setting up a production line in India for exporting newer blocks to other countries, which doesn't make that much sense to me....but makes more sense than the IAF going for F-16s.

you indians are so complicated you want this for that and that for that ........ we Pakistanis are so simple we just want aircrafts to stay in our inventory

 

[DeathInvader]

LM just wants to keep this program alive.

 

[HariPrasad]

Also, I don't know why India is going for F-16s, seems like a poor choice. They'd be adding a new system, one that is a fairly old design, and just adding to their over all operational costs. I don't know, it seems like this was more of a political decision, rather than one based upon Indian defense needs.

Not to mention that people are starting to stir away from the F-16, because a F-16 successors already exists...they're called the Rafale and Typhoon.

If we can get it at a very competative price than only it has some meaning. Tejas MK1+ is going to be a great aircraft. I believe that F16 can serve only 2 purpose. It may have better electronics and it may add to the numbers at a competitive price.

 

[Pandora]

we don't need to buy all of them, because you are not going to get any of them.

Why will the shupa powa block it with their epic whining . How many time you have repeated this same sentence on PDF only to be smacked back on your face. You people said the same about Russian helos lol. so worry about finalising your rafale deal as you have another decade to negotiate for F16 .

 

[thesolar65]

I want that Bomb Truck "FA-18 SH"!!

 

[randomradio]

Hi,

If india is considering an F16---then there is no reason for it to go for the Rafale----. Does not make much sense---./

Twin engine jets have their own competition. So Rafale and F-16 are not in competition with each other.

F-16 is competing with Gripen and the LSA.

Rafale is competing with the SH and Typhoon.

Two separate deals there.

 

[rockstarIN]

Hope this news is false, there is no point getting F-16s

 

[Kinetic]

there is not even a single word from any govt official though we usually hear about any deal which is even in their mind while no one started talk.


So this is total Bull Shit! If India wants it may go for 70-80 F-35 which will take care of China.

 

[boxer_B]

The way i see it, India is threading all the single engine, low operational cost fighters under MII...These are the fighters,for now, Pakistan can afford in bulk without going bankrupt.

Also, Pakistan for long is comfortable with F-16s. They won't have to train crew from zero.

Make Pakistan choose high maintenance, low availability and crash prone Russian and Chinese Aircraft (In retrospect, no offense meant)