Abingdonboy
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30% less? There isn't a chance the F-18ASH (an entirely unfunded and unproven machine) will be anything like 30% cheaper than the Rafale- what utter nonsense. The price difference will be very negligable mark my words and for a near identical price you are getting a plane (F-18ASH) that is perhaps 75% as capable as the Rafale, imfringes India's soverigenty and comes with zero industrial benefits- is that a good deal to you?So you are saying f3r would better than ash. But with all weapons and training package ash will still cost 40 to 50% less than rafale. We know that French weapons are exorbitant whereas Americans are cheapest in west.
One favourable aspect of 18 are its growlers unmatched ew capability and engine tot.
If ash cost even 30% less than rafale we should go for it.
Well said, this sort of thing happens before every high-level Indo-US meet (whether it be heads of state of high level cabinet ministers) and then things die down until the next meeting. Inbetween there is almost negliable progress on these much hyped projects/deals/policies and one is always left underwhelmed at the outcome of any such bilateral meet- they ALWAYS fail to live up to the expectations. It is illustrative of the Indo-US relationship as a whole, there is a lot of "buzz" and noise around it but there is little tanigble progress to be seen.I said before.. nothing will change.. even LSA is not agreed.. I said right DM MP is a man who is blocking all such foundation agreements inspite of what he says in public,,
There is no mention of so called what could be offered as pre guaranteed technology transfer point under MII..
Thats why i said before inspite of what media claims, its the french side which is not using any PR activity at all and is facing the flak and bashing from US,Russian,Swedish and Indian parties/people/journalist/analysts to Defense reporters .. and yet they are slowly doing what they do best.. quietly try and finish the deal with MOD and sign it ..
@Abingdonboy
Is it not the case where media over hyped US-India relationship whereas ground realities and realistic expectation meant if such cooperation has to come it will take more like 5-10 years what media and folks like Ajay Shukla is trying to say will come in days and months..
It isn't the IAF to blame- they rejected the F-18 remember? It is this GoI/MoD that is taking the unprecedented step of inviting fighters that have already FAILED their own technical criteria, it's total absurdity but these guys are so eager to prove their "decisive" and "innovative" credentials. It's like you have given the keys to your car to a 5 year old, don't be surprised when they crash it.You know i did not write before one small point,,
we have to be hypocrites really if we do agree for F18s case of 7.5G when we have actually manhandled, harassed and shown step son treatment to our LCA and has been insisting higher Gs as part of its FOC....
Its indeed a shame that doing so we created such a mess of delaying our own homegrown jet which by now we could have then inducted by increasing its productivity per year to a higher number..
The nation needs to be told why we have higher ASQRs for Tejas and relaxed ones for F18s if we really agree for 18s.. Perhaps MOD themselves needs to say that..
Or may be defense reporters or even like Mr Shukla should explain how its acceptable for 18s to have 7.5G versus Tejas 8.5Gs....
It already is.The present government will be lame duck by October
The next POTUS will be in office in Jan 20 2017 and they will take at least 8-12 months to get on top of their job so, best case scenerio, India gets such ToT clearance 24 months from now and from there it will take Boeing and the MoD 3-4 years to get to an agreeable contract (if it is possible) and first deliveries will only be 36 months after that date and God knows how long it will take Boeing to set up production in India.Here we ALSO need to wait and see the policies of NEXT US President
The timelines just aren't agreeable from an Indian perspective.
The PM cannot micro-manage every department, there is great scope for Parrikar to derail projects and work to his own agenda. IMO if Parrikar was 100% focused on the IAF's needs the Rafale deal would have been signed a few months back- he is playing spoilsport and trying to be too clever for the role he occupies.@PARIKRAMA
DM Parrikar takes his brief from the PM
PM only goes by -- Things Done / Not Done : ie Only RESULTS matter to PM
Parrikar cannot stall either Rafale or US deals for ever
If the Bureaucracy tells the PM that Parrikar is being obstinate then he will have
to go BACK to GOA (for fishing and sun bathing )