Thanks for replying.
Well, that was exactly my point that USAF who always set trends in military aviation has learned that it is unified fighter design which can make job done with minimum of effort in design, manufacture, maintain, support, upgrade rather than having 2 or 3 different platform.
the Americans have a problem with their numbers...their economy is not getting them the numbers they've always had...your point of their looking for universally applicable equipment to substitute for more than one type of armament is very valid...but it is actually a tough but a clever choice...
it's not just the navy planes that they are implementing this concept...the US IMO is using the cost-cutting and employee shelving techniques used in a company struggling to make profits...they are trying to slowly get planes that act as force multipliers even in small numbers...their tech advancement allows them to do so...
it is said that the raptor can take out battle groups on it's own with at most the need of a good AWACS link...so inducting a F-22 would save maintenance costs which would have incurred had the USAF inducted say F-16s...doesn't mean that the F-16 is a bad plane now does it?
I would not entirely agree that the future is with the usage of single very capable aircrafts that can be used in different battle configurations...
their tech advancement allows them the freedom to include the best in one fighter...
while the other countries trail...for example...generally it is considered that a navy plane should be double-engined for increased range operating over high-seas....now the JSF is single engined and has a greater range and combat radius than the F-18SH which is a twin-engined plane...
the Su-30 mki has it's own problems...it needs a relatively larger landing strip...when compared to the mig-29 and the LCA...and all our current and under construction /ac carriers haven't got a sizable landing strip.
Su-30 mki also has a large RCS...we'd definitely want different a/cs with different RCSs if we can't afford one VLO or stealth a/c...
but the trend is changing fast...with manufacturers making different versions of the same aircrafts...take rafale...saab...LM...they have different versions of the same a/c...
see the IAF/IN is still third world...and we have dedicated a/cs for different areas...an ELINT a/c would be stuffed with electronic equipment and have lesser armament...
while an interceptor would be a single engined high speed chaser with large AAMs...
an air-superiority would have a capable BVR capability....now we are following the trend...LCA has a naval version as well...which has a more powerful airframe...it's a start and shows our recognition of the changing trend...but countries like india,Russia and China and all other would still have some time before they stick to planes that have very little chance of being shot down...to do all their work.
your orginal qn was the need of the MRCA contract...well the mig-21s make up the bulk of our airforce...they are obsolete by most standards..we need a better plane...a 4.5 gen would be the best...the mig-29 are very good but are still 4 th gen...and so are the mirages...and thye are quite few in numbers...
the MRCA winner and the SU-30 mki would represent the IAf in the future...
you must have also noticed tenders for heavy bombers and airlift platforms..and the development of the LCH...and the acquisition of the AWACS...we are bent on using dedicated single role a/cs...and the MR in MRCA might well be a misnomer...
I am talking about FUTURE not PRESENT or PAST. So future lies with unified platform with multiple configuration (real fruit of true Mulitirole).. I believe MKI is complete multirole fighter which can easily configured with Air,Land and Sea op configurations. Now what MMRCA will server that MKI can't.
we need to fill in the gap fast...the migs are not getting younger and keeping all eggs in one basket wouldn't help India as it did not help you in the past...even if we go for the mig-35 we'd show that we are capable of buying stuff from the west also....and it's the quality that matters and not loyalty.
also as long as the MKI can be shot down...we'd not want our whole a/f to have MKIs only....for
a)a single fault in them would jeopardize our entire fleet
b)it'd give them ruskies and the execs at rosborneexport unprecedented power on us
That's what i am asking because MKI is not a dedicated bomber nor it is a dedicated air dominance thing but it is a huge beast able to take on anyrole carrying all kind of weapons.
so it is an air-dominance fighter...if it can carry a large amount of weapons and of various kinds...it has a PESA radar albeit the most powerful PESA(well the Bars is only superseded by the Irbis and I think we are getting the Irbis now) and a very large RCS...it can't be the first a/c to go into battle deep into enemy lines...it might be very difficult to kill by other a/cs but an easy target for most SAM systems...
"real implication of the contract...." What are those?
well the political ones...I am lazying away from the prospect of having to elaborate on them...but we can discuss them if it is needed..but I guess you mgiht already understand the political implications of the massive 10 billion dollar contract...