shree835
BANNED
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2010
- Messages
- 3,005
- Reaction score
- -19
- Country
- Location
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar with his recent statement that by the end of this year a Private defence company will be selected to produce one or two fighter jet to replace retiring Migs from India air force has caused a flutter among International fighter jet manufacturers.
Buzz among Indian Defence Journalist among major publications is that Lockheed Martin F-16 might be pushed to India has one of the fighter jets which will be Made in India by Private defence firms for Domestic and Export Market which could be also used as a major spare hub for more than 26 air-forces around the world.
But what Parrikar will have difficulty answering is why India could even want a legacy aircraft which Lockheed Martin at its fort worth, Texas facility is producing only one unit per month and don’t have orders beyond 2017?
According to Lockheed Martin’s own Sale Projection, F-16 production line will have great difficulty to push beyond 2020 that too only if it lands with additional orders from middle east or South America countries, but Lockheed Martin is also aware that many of its operators also have surplus F-16 which can shoulder on for another decade with right upgrade packages and can lead to inter-government sales among its operators .
Let us assume that by 2020 F-35 captures 50% of the market share of the global fighter market and its price falls to $85 million per unit after streamlining of its production line, it also means that many of Us allies which are current operators of F-16 will eventually become F-35 operators more or less diminishing any export prospects for Made in India F-16s.
If India is Making F-16s purely for domestic purpose Questions will again remain is why Indian Air force is forced to buy a legacy American fighter jet which Airforces around the world are retiring from their fleet and by next decade or so questions of making India Spares hub too is marketing gimmick since there will be enough retired F-16s which could be used as spares replenishment by other operators for their ageing fleets.
Another American jet offered to India is Boeings F/A-18E/F Super Hornet which never had major export success like Lockheed Martin’s F-16 and also has even further export prospects under current fighter jet market where most of the airforces are currently debating whether to go for affordable fighter jets or procure next-generation fighters like F-35 which simply makes Boeings F/A-18E/F Super Hornet undesirable due higher unit cost .
Boeing without many orders for F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and its Electronic warfare variant E/A-18G will have difficult to keep its production line running even beyond 2018 and the last batch of orders are mostly coming for its Electronic warfare variant.
Boeing also has been marketing Advanced Super Hornet Concept which will have two additional features like conformal fuel tanks and enclosed weapons pod which are aimed at providing low cost near Stealth fighter jets with reduced radar signature.
Boeing is also pushing AESA radar and all new cockpit and internal display with improved engine which could provide that extra acceleration which accidenety lead to its downfall in MMRCA technical evaluation rounds conducted by Indian Airforce due to reported engine performance shortfall.
Both F-16 and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet will lose its current operators to American F-35 who in efforts to maintain interoperable with Us systems will stick to next generation US-made fighter jets so has to maintain training and weapons systems.
The only thing which might have interested India Military planners and bureaucrats could have been cheaper price tag American jets usually carry due to streamed line production line and bulk purchase orders placed by air force around the world.
F-16 Variants can cost from $40 million to $65 million depending on the variants and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet can cost from $55 million to $65 million or $80 million inclusive of support costs. if India does choose to produce any of American legacy fighter jet is India it might be purely for making up its depleting air force squadrons while providing cheaper air power cost to the country.
Buzz among Indian Defence Journalist among major publications is that Lockheed Martin F-16 might be pushed to India has one of the fighter jets which will be Made in India by Private defence firms for Domestic and Export Market which could be also used as a major spare hub for more than 26 air-forces around the world.
But what Parrikar will have difficulty answering is why India could even want a legacy aircraft which Lockheed Martin at its fort worth, Texas facility is producing only one unit per month and don’t have orders beyond 2017?
According to Lockheed Martin’s own Sale Projection, F-16 production line will have great difficulty to push beyond 2020 that too only if it lands with additional orders from middle east or South America countries, but Lockheed Martin is also aware that many of its operators also have surplus F-16 which can shoulder on for another decade with right upgrade packages and can lead to inter-government sales among its operators .
Let us assume that by 2020 F-35 captures 50% of the market share of the global fighter market and its price falls to $85 million per unit after streamlining of its production line, it also means that many of Us allies which are current operators of F-16 will eventually become F-35 operators more or less diminishing any export prospects for Made in India F-16s.
If India is Making F-16s purely for domestic purpose Questions will again remain is why Indian Air force is forced to buy a legacy American fighter jet which Airforces around the world are retiring from their fleet and by next decade or so questions of making India Spares hub too is marketing gimmick since there will be enough retired F-16s which could be used as spares replenishment by other operators for their ageing fleets.
Another American jet offered to India is Boeings F/A-18E/F Super Hornet which never had major export success like Lockheed Martin’s F-16 and also has even further export prospects under current fighter jet market where most of the airforces are currently debating whether to go for affordable fighter jets or procure next-generation fighters like F-35 which simply makes Boeings F/A-18E/F Super Hornet undesirable due higher unit cost .
Boeing without many orders for F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and its Electronic warfare variant E/A-18G will have difficult to keep its production line running even beyond 2018 and the last batch of orders are mostly coming for its Electronic warfare variant.
Boeing also has been marketing Advanced Super Hornet Concept which will have two additional features like conformal fuel tanks and enclosed weapons pod which are aimed at providing low cost near Stealth fighter jets with reduced radar signature.
Boeing is also pushing AESA radar and all new cockpit and internal display with improved engine which could provide that extra acceleration which accidenety lead to its downfall in MMRCA technical evaluation rounds conducted by Indian Airforce due to reported engine performance shortfall.
Both F-16 and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet will lose its current operators to American F-35 who in efforts to maintain interoperable with Us systems will stick to next generation US-made fighter jets so has to maintain training and weapons systems.
The only thing which might have interested India Military planners and bureaucrats could have been cheaper price tag American jets usually carry due to streamed line production line and bulk purchase orders placed by air force around the world.
F-16 Variants can cost from $40 million to $65 million depending on the variants and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet can cost from $55 million to $65 million or $80 million inclusive of support costs. if India does choose to produce any of American legacy fighter jet is India it might be purely for making up its depleting air force squadrons while providing cheaper air power cost to the country.
