I said it before and i will say it again.
This tender is just going to boil down to 4 planes.
Single engine aircraft will take hike.
SAAB has messed up its chance's wi and crosses over into LCA territory. MOD and DRDO would never allow it.
F-16 , IAF has been training to shoot them down not keep them flying.Despite LM good offer, the fact that Pakistan has them , means they will be a no go
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So now we are left it 4 planes ,
Mig-35 ( Too many delays have to wait till 2014 , till first delivery, MOD wont accept it.) its a safe buy , but there are better options.
F-18 ( I don't think it can win just based on technical merits , if it wins it s political ) it's half hearted to buy a plane which is not what we really wanted , its expensive to induct , cost more than the MKI with out most of the capabilities.
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Euro fighter( very good offer , very expensive and possible delays)
Rafale( very good offer , very expensive , commonality with Mirage systems makes training and induction slightly less expensive, france has also offered to Equip the Rafale with Kaveri engines when completed, as well as give us the AESA source code.)
Rafale is the best offer , but its technical capabilities and cost effectiveness still need to be taken into consideration. Most interesting it that the Rafale also has a fair chance of winning the naval MRCA . Which itself will be based on the MMRCA. It's consideration and a possible way to bring down costs.
Same goes for the typhoon , which can still edge out over the French plane.
Its going to come down to these two. both are brilliant planes , we get what we pay for with both of them and more(Euro fighter partnership/(France) Help with indigenous development). What else can you really ask.
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what will be interesting however is if our prediction about the first round knock outs are wrong. That can essentially change the whole view of the competition. and what kind of aircraft the IAF wants