I think that depends on what you define as low RCS. Rafale is not true stealth, but it has one of the lowest RCS of any fourth gen. It is the only fourth generation aircraft to incorporate sawtooth panels, something that not even Su-57 has achieved.
Sure, but that advantage goes away the minute you start hanging missiles and fuel tanks outside. As much as I mock su-57 for not being a true 5th generation aircraft, it's RCS will be an order of magnitude lower than any aircraft carrying missiles externally
In your opinion where do you see IAF in 20 years (in no of squadrons) considering they have made a push for make in india, and their stated goal of 42 squadrons.
Also considering the fact that post russian ukraine war, there will be a different world. Keeping in mind Indian reliance on russian weapons and its ambition to have western military products and part of Quad or china containment factor for US.
Right now, there are basically 4 places you can buy weapons from: US, Europe, Russia and China. India can buy the latest/greatest from Europe and Russia, but not from US/China. With India continuing to stay neutral in the Ukraine conflict, it would be very hard for me to see US providing the latest military hardware like F-35 to India. I think India have seen what it takes to have access to F-35 and other similarly advanced American weapons. You have to be at least 90% aligned with America on foreign adventures and give up your operation sovereignty to America. I don't think it makes sense for India to do that in the long term if it wants to be a respected super power. As such, it just needs to bite the bullet for a good number of years and continue to develop its military industrial complex. Handing money off to the Russians to locally produce MKI was not good for India's domestic industry. Handing more money off to the Russians for the pretense of cooperating on a 5th generation aircraft is not good for India. The result of that is what you have right now.
I think there is no realistic path for India to obtain real 5th generation aircraft capability for the rest of this decade. So, it should spend the minimum money possible on buying more aircraft in the class of Rafale or F-15E or typhoon. Don't worry about locally producing and such. Just buy what you need to meet basic defense need. You are never going to develop a competitive local industry by license producing 2nd tier aircraft from other countries. All that does it drive up cost per aircraft. They need to work spend as much money on MCA development as possible. Spend more money with Safran to develop the next generation engine for MCA. If we get to 2030 and they still don't have 5th generation aircraft, then buying from one of the European projects like the tempest would be the best option. At least with that, they can get an aircraft that in theory is better than the present day version of f35 and j20. India might not get that until late 2030s though. If Russia ever gets su57 development finished, that's the other 2030 option for iaf. But I must warn you rather whether china sells paf j20 or fc31, both aircraft will have stealth and sensor advantage over su57.
In the end, India needs to develop its own 5th gen aircraft. There is no reason it should take longer to do it than turkey.
That is their inferiority complex speaking. I was going to write something else but thought it better that we ignore them and instead concentrate on getting ourselves more stronger.
Our weakest link remains our fragile economy and low reserves which will not allow us any lee way unless we rectify it. We need to put our heads down and concentrate on economic build up for the next 5-10 years. Till such time that we do so we will remain vulnerable to external pressures.
A
You have to understand that India is in a terrible position militarily right now. 15 years ago, it could hang its hope on having a more powerful flanker than China. Right now, China has 3 times the number of J-20s as India has with Rafale. And the gap between PLAAF and IAF will continue to increase over the next 10 years. Not only that, the 2nd best systems that China can supply to PAF will be increasingly more advanced than the latest hardware they can get from Western countries. They have no choice but to hope that Rafale can beat J-20 and Su-30MKI can beat J-16/J-10C.
.
