Dr Saheb i agree with all your points but the thing that is not discussed is timing here
FGFA will come to IAF at the end of this decade and even if the rafale deal is signed as it is even then it will come at the end of 2018 at best and by that time both china and pakistan wil be having a large number of 4++ gen AESA equipped fighters
+ even if rafale deal is signed there is a whole lot of issues regarding setting up a toatlli new training , maintainence & support infra for rafale and aslo a new fighting doctrine while we save at least two years and amlost 10 billiondolars if we go for additional AESA equipped flankers (super sukois or su 35s)
Thanks
decline of squadron strength is the real cause of concern that is plaguing IAF
1st batch of rafale would start coming one by one from 2016 end or begining of 2017 not 2018
thats why IAF has undertaken modernisation of all existing fighters Su 30mki / mig 29 / mirage 2000 to keep up
with the squadron numbers.
Su 30 mki forms the bulk of IAF at the moment .
One must realize we cant compete with china in numbers game they would be fielding more plane for sure.We are
not there only enemies but they have others also.
But one thing we must realize that we must field a technologically superior platform to compensate the number;s
a single Rafale's capabilty is equivalent to 3 mirage 2000
i quote
By increasing the capabilities of its fourteen hard points, including eight under the wings, the RAFALE is the only fighter aircraft in the world capable of carrying 1.5 times its own weight.Two RAFALE aircraft represent the same potential as six MIRAGE 2000 class aircraft.
The RAFALE further improves its versatility - Dassault Aviation
plus India want to diversify it's resources we cant be dependent on one single vendor for everything .
so tell me what does rafale gives what latest gen of super flankers dont offer
Thanks
1) Incredible payload capability
2) Enhanced sensor fusion & passive detection & targeting capabilty
3) incredible Avionics & Electronic & warfare suite (SPECTRA)
4) Awesome Meteor + Mica IR combination Bvraams
5)Increased survivabilty in terms of RCS reduction /IR emission reduction
6) highly manuevurable & supercruise capable plane
Last but not the least
ACTIVE CANCELLATION TECHNOLOGY of rafale would enable it to fight future threats
i quote
Since the late 1990s, Spectra’s designers have dropped hints that the system can perform “active cancellation”—receiving a radar signal and mimicking the aircraft’s echo exactly one-half wavelength out of phase so the radar sees nothing. Carrara again implies that such a capability is in use: “There are other strategies, such as generating signals that will encompass or be higher than the echo from the aircraft, so that the radar threat will receive a signal that will mask the echo from the aircraft,” Carrara says. “Instead of creating a false echo and drawing the radar to the wrong place, the idea is to produce a signal that will mask the echo of the aircraft, so the radar will be unable to detect the aircraft Spectra is protecting.”
New Avionics For Gripen, Typhoon And Rafale | Defense content from Aviation Week
Yes you should thank IAF for choosing this superb plane
CHEERS