Why isn’t India buying American fighter jets?

[IndianTiger]

F-16 is a single engined 70s aircraft while Rafale is a modern fighter which has still room for improvement




You got that correct..We have learnt a lot from Pakistani F-16 experience. As for proving Rafale did not go much chance except for Libya may be where it gave a stellar performance. If you look at it almost in every poll about best tanks Leopard 2 comes on top of Abrams M1A1, but how many wars did Leo fight.

Hey you are Right.

 

[savVY]

Problems
No.1 TOT (Agreed)
No.2 conditions (explain bit more?)
No.3 US supply to Pakistan (C-17, C-130, P8i are also American lol)
No.4 we don't want to send any msg. to russia. (You already send message to Russia that is why Russia is now selling more weapons to China)
No. 5 much better planes are available (Rafale, EFT) (nor Rafale nor EF are battle proven and also not many countries interested except few in these both and UK/French tech far behind as compare to American technology reliability and quality - especially Naval and Airforce tech)

Reasons
1- We haven't made any decision on 4 years of evaluation, we simply doing INKY PINKY PONKY during this time.
2- We have much wealth that we have given to brits during there time in India now we want to have other country a chance
3- We want to waste our money in costly plane so we selected RAFALE and EFT in finals.
4- We want better looking plane in our arsenal, do hell with armament and avionics.
5- For 4 continuous years you people said that we are poor country so we just want to prove you that we can buy them ( to make you happy ) instead of cheap american planes.
6 - C17, C130, P8i are also american and we buy them for there looks as we cant evaluate them.
7- If you respect American tech then may your govt. buy them one day instead of chinese and please ask them to come with F-22 beacause of its look.

Hope these can make you happy and please give us some tanks too we are running low on Arjuns and T-90s.

 

[Alfa-Fighter]

oh Man the point is simple,

A) When India test Nuclear Weapons every country Condemn Indian test other then France n Russia.
B) They also impose Sanction on Indian other then France n Russia.
C) during argil War, India Modify Mirages themselves to carry our precision strikes , French didn't object the modifications done by India by themselves. US Planes come with inspections and we can't do any local modifications " or indian Jugaad"
D) During Kargil war French also send us Urgent Military Supplies.
E) Russia and French hounder deals with no sections which can't be case with US or Europe.

 

[savVY]

They still offered India to join the F-35 program. And India rejected it

The F-22? Hell, they aren't even selling it to Japan

The F-16 and F-18 are much more proven than the Rafale and EFT. The latter whom don't even sport AESA yet (but soon).

Please again read our requirements of MMRCA
1- 2 engine plane ( F-35 out)
2- Operational and can be delivered ( F-35 out).

If F-16 and F-18 are that much battle proven then Bangladesh can consider them in future but we want planes that will perform supportive role for MIGHTY SU 30-MKI .
The main reason is our requirement of bidding include full ToT (uncle sam is not ready even in F-16 and F-18 case) because we are paying for that. How can i imprint this line on your brain that WE ARE PAYING FOR FULL TOT

---------- Post added at 11:21 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:19 AM ----------

And what are those Parameters?

I can understand that Typhoons had some problems in the hot weather of the Indian Sun/desert....but F-16s? C'mon?

Pakistan, Egypt, Turky, Scandinavian countries and Israel have operated F-16s in all possible weather conditions possible......so i don't see how F-16 failed the parameter.

My guess is that India didn't want offensive weapons to be at the helm of uncle Sam....nothing else. F-16 is a proven fighter.....Rafale is not.

TOT TOT TOT TOT

 

[jha]

Pokhran-II,Kargil and very recent Haidley episode are some of the reasons why American Jets were not chosen..

 

[Harry Potter]

Pokhran-II,Kargil and very recent Haidley episode are some of the reasons why American Jets were not chosen..

Pokhran and Kargil are old issues.Headley may have been an American citizen but was of Pakistani origin.
I have a feeling that N-MMRCA winner will be American.
The main reason that US lost low level of ToT offered.

 

[OrionHunter]

The Americans sold f 16s to Pakistan about 30 years ago. They withheld planes, spares, weapons etc. during the 90's.

Spot on! Americans are NOT trust worthy. They can put the screws on you at any time of their choosing. They are known to use arms and spares to arm-twist (pun unintended!) They screwed Pakistan by suspending supply of weapons and spares twice earlier and imposed sanctions on Indian companies after Pokhran. We don't want them doing that in the middle of a future war, do we?

And what were they thinking when they offered us the antique 40 year old F-16 platform? The contention that purchase of even derelict weapons platforms would establish a 'long-term supply and training relationship between the air forces of the world's biggest democracies, great powers with the capability to fundamentally shape security order in Asia over the coming century' is utter hogwash.

An ephemeral strategy laced with semantics don't win wars. Period!

 

[SQ8]

Spot on! Americans are NOT trust worthy. They can put the screws on you at any time of their choosing. They are known to use arms and spares to arm-twist (pun unintended!) They screwed Pakistan by suspending supply of weapons and spares twice earlier and imposed sanctions on Indian companies after Pokhran. We don't want them doing that in the middle of a future war, do we? [/B]

I doubt that with the importance India holds today the US will act against it.
The India of the 20th century was not the India today.
Today's India has a massive stake in the global economy and more importantly the US has a massive stake in it.
If India did acquiesce to be America's most allied ally, the US would have no qualms handing over Pakistan to India on a platter.
But that takes away the ability of India's independent decision making capacity, and would have left it on less than equal terms.
right now its the US that is bending over for India and India is exploiting it very smartly.
Pakistan is no longer a factor here, the internal situation is bad enough that India simply has to shut its doors and given circumstances Pakistan will crumble anyway into multiple warlord states.
The Focus is China.. a possible gradual Vassal state takeover of Bangladesh and eventually. further expansion into the far east.
The middle class must not just grow, it must usurp the poor as well. Potential that can be exploited if only India starts behaving colonially soon.

 

[rahul_rao]

if not thn why you go for C130, C-17, P8i, Apache ???????

as we are not buying them in great numbers..... and chances of above a/c being shot down in enemies country is very low when compared to fighter jets.... so having a fear of their technology being spread to other countries for free.... strings are attached