Let me just say, if we in Pakistan had 20 bill to burn on more fighters, and had a dire specific requirement, I would opt to spend that money on the JF-17, if the JF-17 due to design limitations could not fulfil that role, I'd like to see it go to another project maximum Pakistani input, that incorporates our industry as much as possible, promoting self sufficiency.
Really? Even if that meant a gap of about 15-20 years before you actually saw a fighter emerge?
Many people here are making some very silly assumptions:
1) For $16BN (NOT $20+ BN, how many times??) India is only getting 126 fighters, absolutely nothing more
2)That India is buying from abroad means no money will be spent on India's domestic aviation industry
3) The orders for Rafale will in some way hurt the orders for the LCA
When in reality:
1) For $16 BN India will get the planes, training, spares, weapons, ToT AND $8 BN will be ploughed back into the Indian aerospace industry.
2) Not at all, aside from the $8 BN that will be coming in from Dassualt, ADA/DRDO and HAL will continue to be getting increasing funds for R&D, not to mention the increasing opening up of the industry to Indian private entities.
3) In NO WAY, this is just stupidity. The IAF will be looking to get in excess of 200 LCAs and the IN another 40-50.
The fact of the matter is even for $20 BN USD India couldn't make a plane up to the Rafale's standards before 2030 and Pakistan couldn't do so for at least 3 decades (if it went alone). So does that mean you let your military standstill as its opponents (China) grow stronger and stronger? Let's get one thing clear- the Rafale is going to meet a very specific need in the IAF's fleet, it is not coming as a "Gucci" item, it isn't just some vanity purchase but born out of a tangible threat perception.