MRCA conteders narrowed to Eurofighter and Rafael: IAF

[indushek]

I think finally it will be broken in to F/A-18 126 + Rafale 74 no doubt. One has operational aesa and the other will provide it very very soon. EFT is out of the race. Hornet's engine problems etc must be the journalists over enthusiasm. I don't think it has any.

 

[Tshering22]

Nonsense decision if so...as usual the Indians(no offence meant here) picked the shiniest and costliest toy.Not the most useful one.

Its actually pretty unusual, you know. To date, MiGs have been our workhorses and they're not exactly "costly" (though they were the glam boys of their days).

Right said fatman17, until there is no official statement nothing can be said, politics is involved last minute decision are always expected. My bet is still on F/A-18 sh i could be wrong.

Agreed. But I doubt the US Congress would have permitted Boeing to do all that the contract obliges them to do. So even it if won all the heat-cold-humid-thin air trials, it would not make it to the final round simply due to tech denial regimes.

No doubt Super Hornet is a fine fighter jet with a fierce reputation; but its non-technical limitations blunt its prospects.

 

[SpArK]

So its twin engine ones minus the russian basket.

Good news that finally we get some idea about the final winner.
EF is in big trouble with orders going to US that is evident with the sale to OMAN last week.

Hope EF evolves well and lower the price and we get the best of the best.

 

[Tshering22]

So its twin engine ones minu the russian basket.

Good news that finally we get some idea about the final winner.
EF is in big trouble with orders going to US that is evident with the sale to OMAN last week.

Hope EF evolves well and lower the price and we get the best of the best.

Hey Benny, we get to be the official partners in the programme; meaning we have a say in future evolution of the fighter. This along with our own learning experience, itself speaks of the behind the scenes gain that we can possibly get. EJ-200 for Tejas as well is a possible option.

Rafale winning on the other hand makes our good ties with France stronger than before and in exchange get another strategic partner.

If this announcement is true, then I should say it is a smart move by our not-so-smart-generally government because while chasing Russia and USA all along, we should not forget Europe.

 

[Devianz]

I think finally it will be broken in to F/A-18 126 + Rafale 74 no doubt. One has operational aesa and the other will provide it very very soon. EFT is out of the race. Hornet's engine problems etc must be the journalists over enthusiasm. I don't think it has any.

Ohh please.. We are not breaking it into two. If at all... two of the MRCA contenders do happen to enter IAF then it would MRCA winner(just one) and MiG-35(outside MRCA order) to maintain our fleet levels. We already have a maintenance facility for MiG-29 and MiG-29K which are not too different from MiG-35s.

 

[razgriz19]

Man you are wrong its difficult to buy new F-16 and upgrade old ones because the U.S is persuing the MMRCA contender for its F-16 and now India backed from it then they will soon giving us our remaing 14 F-16 blk-15 as well as ready to sell us 32 new f-16s

wat "remaining 14 f-16s blk 15"....????
pak got it back half of embargoed f-16s in past years and other half in soybeans and in other stuff!!
musharraf said in an interview!

NOW back to topic:
i had a feeling since very beginning that EF would win this competition.......and since they r also offering their engine and assistance in tejas (if needed)

 

[blain2]

I am sticking to my guns on this going the way of the SH.

In the end the decision is with the GoI and not the IAF. Unless there are some very specific reasons putting Super Hornet out of contention, it still has as good a chance as the Typhoon and Rafale. The article is mute on why F/A-18 is no longer in contention so I take that to be, negotiations and discussions are still on going. Given the political climate, the chances are greater that an American platform would be picked over that of the French or Euro Consort.

If something more conclusive came up then I would back off my bet, but at this point, I do think the Hornet stands as good a chance as the two choices mentioned here.

 

[sancho]

I think finally it will be broken in to F/A-18 126 + Rafale 74 no doubt. One has operational aesa and the other will provide it very very soon. EFT is out of the race. Hornet's engine problems etc must be the journalists over enthusiasm. I don't think it has any.

MoD said no split and don't forget that the F18SH has one of the least T/W ratios in the competitions, which means it don't have to be engine problems, but simply not enough thust.

Hey Benny, we get to be the official partners in the programme; meaning we have a say in future evolution of the fighter.

No, only production partners mainly for aviaonics, not an equal partner with any say in the developmen (stated by EADS officals).

 

[Moscow]

News source Times now - a reuters production, next confirmed by EADS top official LOL Last year 2009 the top official said rafale was out of the mrca and it was reported by reuters again.

next who confirms this eads source my god tomorrow lockheed will confirm something else wait and watch the IAF reports are not that easy to even get out till today the RFI parameters are not out since 3 years of trying and they claim the IAF report LOL

this kind of news needs to be put into error reporting thread

 

[Moscow]

Now guys relax its an EADS press release ...confirm this from times now source yourself they will reply back surely that the souce is inside info from EADS then think again

 

[Neither Right Nor Wrong]

I am sticking to my guns on this going the way of the SH.

In the end the decision is with the GoI and not the IAF. Unless there are some very specific reasons putting Super Hornet out of contention, it still has as good a chance as the Typhoon and Rafale. The article is mute on why F/A-18 is no longer in contention so I take that to be, negotiations and discussions are still on going. Given the political climate, the chances are greater that an American platform would be picked over that of the French or Euro Consort.

If something more conclusive came up then I would back off my bet, but at this point, I do think the Hornet stands as good a chance as the two choices mentioned here.

It said in the video link provided that IAF is not very happy with SH engine but may rethink and renegotiate its decision .

 

[Moscow]

It said in the video link provided that IAF is not very happy with SH engine but may rethink and renegotiate its decision .

bullshit even the report saya the same about mig35 but the truth is mig35 is using the same mig29 engines that operated in kargil war from good heights so can see the amount of bullshit in it

 

[Neither Right Nor Wrong]

bullshit even the report saya the same about mig35 but the truth is mig35 is using the same mig29 engines that operated in kargil war from good heights so can see the amount of bullshit in it

It could very well all be bull $hit..but as of now ..this is best $hit we have on MRCA competition.

 

[Moscow]

It could very well all be bull $hit..but as of now ..this is best $hit we have on MRCA competition.

best as per who ? the reporters or the forumers did any top IAF official or the evaluating team ever say for or against any of the contenders.

 

[sancho]

bullshit even the report saya the same about mig35 but the truth is mig35 is using the same mig29 engines that operated in kargil war from good heights so can see the amount of bullshit in it

Cool down Moscow, actually the report says that the engine proved to be weak during the trials, not that it has technical issues. So it might have worked, but not as good as other contenders. Don't forget that not the final Mig 35 prototype was fielded in the trials, but a modified Mig 29K version with AESA radar, which means it weighs more than the 11t empty weight that are often speculated. The Leh trials were conducted to show flight performance under difficult climate conditions, with heavy loads.