Is the Kaveri Engine project still available because what I had read in various articles stated otherwise.
India is going to work with the Israel Defence Industries on the other capabilities you have mentioned.
Technically speaking the term "Air Superiority" would still be used however the aircraft would have a swing role so that they can be available for more missions withing the limited time.
The F-15's, F-16's were designed for Air Superiority however the F-18 was the first Swing Role aircraft. This was based on the operational requirement of the US Navy because these aircraft would require to intercept both attacking aircraft and also attack ground based targets.
This was soon adapted by the Mirage 2000 and F-16's blk 40's. Still the F-15 remained in both Air Superiority and Bomb Trucks because they were still comparable to the capabilities of the Soviet Aircraft.
The Egyptian Aviation Industry role back was a set back to many.
Every Fighter plane is designed around an engine, and not the opposite, that's why let the keyboard fans thinks whatsoever, the change of engine is not so easy like plug and play. Kaveri is the project, in which GTRE aimed to build the turbofan engine tech and in that process build few prototypes. The Kaveri project, was delinked from the LCA project to avoid further delay, thus it is now not linked with the LCA project, but the project still is running, and right now is waiting for a MIG 29 test bed which will be provided by the IAF, or if the govt. approve the funds will get a SU-30 test bed, in which one engine could be replaced with the test engine for the supersonic testing.
There have been a great breakthrough in term of the single crystal blade technology, and GTRE is confident that they have solved the puzzle for the development of the turbofan engine. The core problem is same as with the China, i.e is the metallurgy -- which is not related to the material, rather in the machining or the building process tech. which is possessed by only few OEMs in the world, and they don't want to share with anyone.
PS you can calculate the number of OEMs capable of building such turbo fan engines in finger -- 2 is American -- Pratt and Witney, and GE, 2 in Russia, 2 in Europe -- Snerma and EF Gambian consoridium and one in Japan.
For Airsuperiority -- ironically all combat planes are developed as Air superiority but than ended in different roles. Airsuperiority technically means
Air Defence and the specific planes includes F-15 and F-22 Raptor.
In case of USA, there is DARPA, which gave the contract to companies like LM and boeing to compete to build the combat weapon for the requirement of the US services, and in this process they build the prototypes, which both USAF, and USANF latter adobt, and work closely to fullfill their needs. YF-18 project later becomes F-18, and USN than worked out to build the fighter plane for its own requirement, but their requirements are in reality different than ours because they aimed to play the global role, and usually wants the combat planes which they can use in every part of the world globally. F-18SH Growller was build with S-300 in mind specifically. It was the transformation of the USN tactics, when they choose F-18 for the replacement of their legendary F-14 tomcat, which is my favorite of all time, because F-14 was developed against the tactics against the Soviets in COLD WAR Era, and the number of the sorties exceeds any fighter planes except F-4 Phantom II.
F-16 was designed as the dogfighter initially, but latter on become the multirole fighter plane and the backbone of the USAF and ground attack role, it was the F-15 which was the Air Superiority fighter planes, that provides the cover and the protection to the F-16s to launch havoc on the enemy. F-15 evolved into F-22 Raptor on which the raptor is based, a serious engineering marvel after that second is the EuroFighter 2000. I will exclude F-35 intentionally in this list.
To my Indian friends when you make F16 in India please make it properly not like other jets we might buy from you
If any plan to build jet in India, then it will probably be F-18SH, and not F-16.
1) The IAF is going to have a similar engine to that it has ordered for the TEJAS.
2) If IAF goes for F-16 then it is by by TEJAS.
3) Naval variant for F-16 would have to be developed specially for India but not in the case of F-18's.
4) F-18's are equivalent to the Rafales but a lot cheaper.
5) Boeing is also planning to manufacture commercial aircraft in India hence it is very easy to have a military setup in parallel.
6) F-18 are going to remain in service with production lines open for a very long time.
7) IAF also wants to purchase additional Globe Masters but the production line is closed hence they can be locally produced and number increased on as and when required.
8) The Growler capability gives the F-18's the role of technical jamming and electronic protection which is being lacked by the IAF.
The requirement is such that IAF would like to have 45 squadrons which indicate that there is a need to have approximately 300-400 US made aircraft giving it the capability to fight a two front attack.
Now looking at the bid of SAAB the Gripen would also like to add to the IAF inventory and they would have a chance only if the F-18's are chosen.
However the F-16 lobby is trying to get India to save the production lines by insisting that this is the only Aircraft that has combat proven record that fits the needs of IAF. The Israeli Air Force is looking to phase out the F-16's once the F-35's enter service and want the Indian Air Force to purchase those aircraft because they are as advance and the ones on offer to India.
The IAF is not interested in the F-16 because they know PAF has had 30+ years of experience and know the ins and out of the aircraft.
1. First the make in India aka build in India combat planes due to cheaper labour, thus lower costing, does not actually makes it will be inducted by IAF or INaF period.
2. Growler are not cleared for India, nor US will gave them to India, so easily example for the Austalia, the Prowler is available. For SEAD Mission, the IAF startergy is not necessary confined are same as USAF e.g Jaguar which was our DPSA, and SEAD specific combat plane even didn't have a radar untill Darin 3 Upgrade, and Jaguar could achieve that will the low flying capability just above tree level aka 50 Meter at high speed for long period and its excellent low altitude navigation, guidance and targetting system, and very accurate targeting system with its IRST, and Nav Attack system on its nose. Second, India concentrating on the Brahmos Supersonic Cruise missile for strandoff attack, of which Brahmos NG/MINI program, which will enable MKI to carry three at a time. And the UAVs from the Israel that can hover for long period, and attack the radar installation. If you look at the Super Sukhoi Upgrade, you will get some Idea
- Upgradation and uprated engine
- Airframe strengthening.
- Bars Aesa Upgrade, that will allow MKI to map ground SAR map, interleaved operation with the A2A scan
- Aerial decoy MK-2
- Internal Aesa based Jammer, MAWS,
PS Kriniti SAP-14 was long available with IAF for the EW jamming, everything is not cleared about the Supersukhoi upgrade, but Supersukhoi for SEAD/DEAD specific variant, could be equipped with hell lot of EW warfare, and could play a crutial role against enemy airdefense system. E.g a single Supersukhoi can form a arial base and can guide 6 Rafale which could remain passive.
3. F-16 for Carrier operation would be very difficult and costly, reason is simple, like LCA Tejas it is single engine combat plane, and lack the
central Keel, which is needed for the strenght to sustain the crash landing over the carrier.
