No proposal to buy F-16 fighter jets for Indian Air Force: MoS defence

[StraightShooter]

No proposal to buy F-16 fighter jets for Indian Air Force: MoS defence
IndiaIANSAug, 04 2017 16:26:07 IST
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There are no proposal to buy F-16 fighter jets for the Indian Air Force at the moment, the government said on Friday.

Representational image. Reuters

This comes as Tata Group and American aerospace giant Lockheed Martin have signed a deal to jointly produce the F-16 fighter jets in India, which was signed during the Paris Air Show in June.

Under the deal, Lockheed will shift its Fort Worth, Texas plant to India.

"There is no immediate proposal to procure F-16 fighter jets for the Indian Air Force. Details of agreements entered into by Indian companies in this regard are not held by the government," Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.

"Any future procurement of fighter jets for the Indian Air Force would be undertaken under the extant procurement procedures," the Minister said.

Earlier this week, Bhamre was asked in the Rajya Sabha if India and the US have agreed for transfer of sophisticated technology and production of F-16 fighter jets under 'Make in India'.

The Minister replied in the negative.

After signing the agreement in Paris, Lockheed Martin in a statement had said: "The F-16 Block 70 is ideally suited to meet the Indian Air Force's single-engine fighter needs and this unmatched US-Indian industry partnership directly supports India's initiative to develop private aerospace and defence manufacturing capacity in India."



Published Date: Aug 04, 2017 04:26 pm | Updated Date: Aug 04, 2017 04:26 pm

http://www.firstpost.com/india/no-p...for-indian-air-force-mos-defence-3894143.html

 

[StraightShooter]

@A.P. Richelieu

F-16 fighter jet sale to India: Centre says no immediate proposal to buy from Lockheed Martin
The government has said there is no proposal to buy Lockheed Martin's F-16 fighter jets for the Indian Air Force at the moment. "There is no immediate proposal to procure F-16 fighter jets for the Indian Air Force.
By: Firdaus Afreen | New Delhi | Published: August 5, 2017 2:41 AM

Details of agreements entered into by Indian companies in this regard are not held by the government,” minister of state for defence Subhash Bhamre said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. (Image: Reuters)

The government has said there is no proposal to buy Lockheed Martin’s F-16 fighter jets for the Indian Air Force at the moment. “There is no immediate proposal to procure F-16 fighter jets for the Indian Air Force. Details of agreements entered into by Indian companies in this regard are not held by the government,” minister of state for defence Subhash Bhamre said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. “Any future procurement of fighter jets for the Indian Air Force would be undertaken under the extant procurement procedures,” Bhambre said. In June this year at the Paris Air show, Tata Group and Lockheed Martin had signed a deal to jointly produce the F-16 fighter jets in India.

Under the deal, Lockheed will shift its Fort Worth, Texas plant to India. Earlier this week, Bhamre was asked in the Rajya Sabha if India and the US have agreed for transfer of sophisticated technology and production of F-16 fighter jets under ‘Make in India’. The minister replied in the negative.

As reported earlier by FE, despite the overdrive by the US-based Lockheed Martin aerospace giants, sources had told FE, “No decision for the aircraft suitable to meet the immediate needs of the IAF is expected to be taken in the next six months.” Sources also confirmed to FE that, “During discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the US President Donald Trump the topic of moving the production line of the Lockheed Martin’s F-16 Block 70/72 to India was not even on the table.”

Lockheed Martin (LM) has offered to move its lone production line of the latest version of fighter aircraft F 16-Block 70/72 to India from Texas to meet Indian and global requirement with a condition: the Indian Air Force (IAF) has to choose the world’s largest-sold fighter aircraft for its fleet. The Block 70/72 F-16 that is proposed is nothing but the same Block 60 aircraft developed for the UAE air force. This was the same aircraft that participated in the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft competition, to supply 126 multi-role combat aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF) evaluation and was rejected, along with Swedish SAAB ‘Gripen’ in 2011.


http://www.financialexpress.com/ind...-proposal-to-buy-from-lockheed-martin/794832/

Here is the timeline for India's Single Engine Fighter for which F-16s and Gripens are competing

1) Strategic Partnership (SP) policy has already been finalized in 2017

2) Vendors to pick their Indian partners by end of 2017 based on SP policy

3) RFP would be issued in 2018 for 200 Jets

4) Proposals would be submitted by the vendors in 2019

5) Limited trials would be completed in 2020

6) Vendor selection would be done in 2021

7) Negotiations would be completed and contract would be signed in 2022

8) First fighter would be inducted in 2024-25



US/LM are eager to push the deal immediately while India/MOD is pushing back saying India is not in a hurry and it wants LM to wait until 2024.


Jun 20, 2017 :

Lockheed Martin teams up with Tata to make F-16 Fighters in India

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/59219549.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

June 22, 2017:

On the eve of Modi's visit to US, Modi does the below.


PM Narendra Modi Thanks Swedish Prime Minister For Supporting 'Make-In-India'
Sweden had participated in a big way in the 'Make-in-India Week' held in Mumbai last year.
All India | Press Trust of India | Updated: June 22, 2017 19:36 IST

by Taboola

PM Narendra Modi expressed his appreciation for Sweden's support to 'Make-in-India'.


NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today had a telephonic conversation with his Swedish counterpart Stefan Lofven during which he conveyed his appreciation for Sweden's support to the 'Make-in-India' programme.

Sweden had participated in a big way in the 'Make-in-India Week' held in Mumbai last year, with Mr Lofven himself attending it along with a large delegation consisting of government officials, heads of agencies and industry leaders.

"Had a good discussion with H. E. Mr. Stefan L fven @SwedishPM on the phone. I deeply appreciate Sweden's support for @makeinindia," PM Modi tweeted.

PM Modi and PM Lofven had jointly inaugurated Sweden's pavilion at the 'Make-in-India Week' last year in which over 18 Swedish companies had participated.


Some of the biggest Swedish participants included ABB, Atlas Copco, Camfil, Ericsson, Ikea, Saab, Sandvik, Scania, SKF, TetraPak and Volvo.

Around 160 Swedish companies are operating in India, employing 160,000 people directly and 1.1 million indirectly.

"Swedish industry has always believed in India as a perfect trading partner, right from the time Ericsson laid the first cables in 1903 to the current times when our companies are looking to raise their investments and their manufacturing units here," Swedish Ambassador to India Harald Sandberg had said then.

http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pm-n...n-lofven-for-supporting-make-in-india-1715792

 

[A.P. Richelieu]

@A.P. Richelieu
...

Here is the timeline for India's Single Engine Fighter for which F-16s and Gripens are competing

1) Strategic Partnership (SP) policy has already been finalized in 2017

2) Vendors to pick their Indian partners by end of 2017 based on SP policy

3) RFP would be issued in 2018 for 200 Jets

4) Proposals would be submitted by the vendors in 2019

5) Limited trials would be completed in 2020

6) Vendor selection would be done in 2021

7) Negotiations would be completed and contract would be signed in 2022

8) First fighter would be inducted in 2024-25



US/LM are eager to push the deal immediately while India/MOD is pushing back saying India is not in a hurry and it wants LM to wait until 2024.

...

As I said before, it does not make sense to make a selection, until You have been able to
test a production version of the aircraft You want.

First Gripen E Production aircraft will be delivered to Brazil and Sweden 2019.

Time schedule matches the Gripen E introduction very well with deliveries,
soon after Gripen E reaches FOC.

Will there be an F-16 production line in 2021, when India makes a decision?
No more F-16 orders after the last F-16IQ is delivered in 2017...

 

[StraightShooter]

As I said before, it does not make sense to make a selection, until You have been able to
test a production version of the aircraft You want.

First Gripen E Production aircraft will be delivered to Brazil and Sweden 2019.

Time schedule matches the Gripen E introduction very well with deliveries,
soon after Gripen E reaches FOC.

Will there be an F-16 production line in 2021, when India makes a decision?
No more F-16 orders after the last F-16IQ is delivered in 2017...

That is the problem.

F-16s would not be available post 2017 while Gripens would not be available until 2019.

Either way India would end up in a single vendor situation which is not desirable.

Unless LM can make a compelling offer, its game over for F-16s. Surely, the Local assembly offer is not flying.

Now, IAF's requirement is 45 Squadrons i.e. 810 fighters

Only 300 SU-30MKIs will remain in service post 2030. All MIGs (21/27/29), M2Ks, Jaguars would be retired by then.

So India would need to induct 500 new fighters in the next decade i.e 50 new fighters very year.

Tejas would only fill 100 of those fighters.

The remaining 400 would be a mix of RAFALEs (Medium) , Gripens (Light), MIG-35/FGFA (Stealth/heavy)

196 - Gripens

126 - RAFALEs

54 - MIG-35s

72 - FGFAs

 

[ashok321]

Crux of the matter:

Earlier this week, Bhamre was asked in the Rajya Sabha if India and the US have agreed for transfer of sophisticated technology and production of F-16 fighter jets under 'Make in India'.

The Minister replied in the negative.

 

[Anish1]

Not immediately nor will take a year or 2.

We do need single engined multirole aircraft capable of replacing the current Mig's

 

[SingaporeGuy]

of course, india used up the funds for the year already.

95% of funds went to feed a large army. 5% for new toys
hence only 36 rafales

 

[faithfulguy]

As I said before, it does not make sense to make a selection, until You have been able to
test a production version of the aircraft You want.

First Gripen E Production aircraft will be delivered to Brazil and Sweden 2019.

Time schedule matches the Gripen E introduction very well with deliveries,
soon after Gripen E reaches FOC.

Will there be an F-16 production line in 2021, when India makes a decision?
No more F-16 orders after the last F-16IQ is delivered in 2017...

LM will still have a line going for a little while longer in Greenville SC for its oversea market. LM can actually shift a line to India. But Trump would insist on build the plane in SC.

 

[A.P. Richelieu]

LM will still have a line going for a little while longer in Greenville SC for its oversea market. LM can actually shift a line to India. But Trump would insist on build the plane in SC.

The last F-16 on order will be delivered this year.
How long can they keep the product line without orders?
Imagine a subcontractor manufacturing some module for the F-16.
An electronic component in the module gets obsoleted.
The manufacturer of the component will issue a last time buy.
The module manufacturer issues a last time buy to LM.
Will LM stock modules in advance of winning the India order?
Does not sound like the American way of business.

Trump is president until January 20, 2021 unless he is impeached and forced to resign,
or wins a second term.
Congress may in any case override him in a lot of matters, why not this?

 

[faithfulguy]

The last F-16 on order will be delivered this year.
How long can they keep the product line without orders?
Imagine a subcontractor manufacturing some module for the F-16.
An electronic component in the module gets obsoleted.
The manufacturer of the component will issue a last time buy.
The module manufacturer issues a last time buy to LM.
Will LM stock modules in advance of winning the India order?
Does not sound like the American way of business.

Trump is president until January 20, 2021 unless he is impeached and forced to resign,
or wins a second term.
Congress may in any case override him in a lot of matters, why not this?

Congress would require 2/3 to override him. It would be tough. But in any case, with the Indian snail pace of getting weapons, most likely, it would not be able to get F-16.

 

[Kinetic]

F-16 is old, but India can still consider if LM can offer F-35 tech with it.

 

[A.P. Richelieu]

Congress would require 2/3 to override him. It would be tough. But in any case, with the Indian snail pace of getting weapons, most likely, it would not be able to get F-16.

You assume all congressmen are as stupid as Trump.
I doubt, that is the case.

 

[faithfulguy]

F-16 is old, but India can still consider if LM can offer F-35 tech with it.

What it's with you Indian begging. Time for India to build something for itself. Wait, India tried and failed miserably.

 

[Rajaraja Chola]

Great news as long as India dont buy its frontline weapons with US.

Not a fan of Gripen, but if we need to boost our numbers, we should go with Gripen and not F16's. US is never an reliable country for an independent country like India

 

[Kinetic]

What it's with you Indian begging. Time for India to build something for itself. Wait, India tried and failed miserably.

We will pay for that, not like you, who take F-16 as blood money for killing 24 soldiers by Apache. BTW we are buying Apache as well.

US killed 24 Pakistani soldiers and denied to even send an written apology on the Pak govt's request
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_NATO_attack_in_Pakistan

US refuses to apologise for Pakistan air strike that killed 24 soldiers
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...istan-air-strike-that-killed-24-soldiers.html

while ...

US to replace two P3C Orion aircrafts for free
https://www.dawn.com/news/637216


US military aid to Pakistan was highest on 2011!!!!

Shame on you loser.