Don't we need to sign foundational agreements before signing F16 deal..
Also LM have to develop the Block 70IN variant ..1-2 years enough for that ?
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Don't we need to sign foundational agreements before signing F16 deal..
Also LM have to develop the Block 70IN variant ..1-2 years enough for that ?
Bro, F16s being delivered up to 2033, flying with IAF until 2070s ie a HUNDRED years after the F16 first flew, only in India!
This is a joke of epic proportions. At least LCA MK.2 will be able to build in future technologies and be decvloled to IAF requirements, India will have to pay through the nose for F16s to be customised to Indian requirements.
It will require years and years of talks between India and US to get framework for off the shelf purchase of F16 cleared for India along with weaponary it will take even longer to get a F16 line in India cleared.
Anyone thinking this is viable see how long it has taken to get even 22 UNARMED Guardians sold to India and even that is not finalised yet.
Best case scenario is F16 deal is signed in 2025, will F16 even be in production by then?
This just isn’t going to happen. Only SE jet IAF will buy is LCA.
Frankly, if i was (i) cynical (ii) indian pmo, i'd sign a mou for F-16 and strategic areement, but never order the F-16...
Let me get this straight.
You are comparing USSR/China to India/US?
They were ideologically aligned and fighting the same imaginary enemies. They had shit load in common.
They even made a treaty in the 50s for that.
Tell me now how is India and US aligned? Tell me one instance where India is more than anything but a preferred customer. The moment India stops buying, we will be spanked so hard. The moment we act against their ideology, we will be dropped.
So tell me, what do you define that relation?
What’s the word you looking for? Tired of Indians deluding themselves thinking they suddenly become equals to the west.
You are an army man. Expect better from you.
I know, its pathetic. But due to the evolving security dynamics and the inability for LCA to keep to its timelines, the situation may eventually force us to do it.
A Gripen deal is unlikely because the Swedes don't offer us any strategic value, nor can it offer us any meaningful ToT other than limited GaN technology.
That is also one of my concerns. GoI might decide to speed up the process and sign the foundation agreements without proper vetting, that may put us on the back-foot later on.
As far as developing Block 70 is concerned, the sub-systems are more or less mature. The only delay would be to actually integrate all of them into the airframe and certify the Block as a whole.
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He is talking about the on and off relationship that the USSR and China had. They even fought a border war in 1968. So, after that, the Soviets got closer to India while China cosied up to the US and Western Europe until Tiananmen.
Sino-Soviet split - Wikipedia
So we may now have to switch sides, like the Chinese did. All that Chinese talk of "black cat, white cat" happened after the Chinese became friendly with the US. That's why they opened up their economy to western investment.
Nothing will happen in the fighter front until after elections. Let's just hope for movement on 36 more Rafales by then.
The US will most likely be really busy with N Korea first. And it looks like Trump has been cutting Iran some slack since they are following through with the nuclear weapons deal. Trump won't be able to get anywhere with N Korea if he openly reneges on the deal with Iran.
36 more MKI. Some are saying they may push it to 54. 36 Rafale. 123 LCA. 36 more Rafale. That's the best we can manage by 2025. That's 200-250 jets. We will be retiring 200-250 jets by then, not counting attrition of other jets. So this won't take us to 42 squadrons, but we will maintain 34-36 squadrons by 2025 with the above orders.
We don't just need plane for plane replacement, we actually need to have a net gain. I understand there is a line of thinking that because aircraft nowadays are so much more capable, and there are assets like AWACS and tankers, you need less aircraft to achieve the same objectives. And for some countries, this sort of thinking would be acceptable.
But India doesn't have that luxury. We have a dual front collusive threat from Pakistan and China. And to handle that, we need a larger air force than we currently have, and we need those numbers to consist of more capable aircraft than we currently have. To that end, Rafales are urgently needed, and LCA's are urgently needed to make up the MiG's numbers.
The only problem now, is how to solve the problem Parikrama had brought up earlier about the Sukhoi not being an ideal FWD base fighter. I guess between that problem, and the perpetually delayed LCA, there's the need for an SE MMRCA. And if we're getting an SE MMRCA it's almost certainly going to be the F-16, no matter how much everyone dislikes it.
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I can't believe what i am reading,looks like everybody in PMO and MOD has lost their mind, their is no sense , nothing in this deal. 10 squadrans ,even Japan a pure American vassal haven't that much F 2s
The aviation arm of the Indian Navy will double its aircraft fleet in the coming decade to nearly 500, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba said here today.
“We have a naval air wing, which has 238 aircraft at the moment. It has a combination of fighters, helicopters and maritime patrol aircraft, both-long range and short range. And we have a plan in place…in a decade’s time this Naval air wing will grow to close to 500 aircraft of different types,” Lanba said at a press conference.
Navy to double aircraft fleet to 500 in next decade: Sunil Lanba
General News, Questions And Discussions - Indian Navy
@Picdelamirand-oil @halloweene @randomradio @Hellfire @Ashwin @Abingdonboy @Nick @Parthu @Tarun @Arpit @Ashutosh @Arvind @Shashank @Levina @GuardianRED @all
First, open talk of the expansion of air wing. Finally, we are moving .. Rafale M, NMRH, Predator B, MPA, etc will be coming..,
“We have a naval air wing, which has 238 aircraft at the moment. It has a combination of fighters, helicopters and maritime patrol aircraft, both-long range and short range. And we have a plan in place…in a decade’s time this Naval air wing will grow to close to 500 aircraft of different types,” Lanba said at a press conference.
Navy to double aircraft fleet to 500 in next decade: Sunil Lanba
General News, Questions And Discussions - Indian Navy
@Picdelamirand-oil @halloweene @randomradio @Hellfire @Ashwin @Abingdonboy @Nick @Parthu @Tarun @Arpit @Ashutosh @Arvind @Shashank @Levina @GuardianRED @all
First, open talk of the expansion of air wing. Finally, we are moving .. Rafale M, NMRH, Predator B, MPA, etc will be coming..,
I strongly support having a mean, lean but state of the art navy. Our navy should not fall for the numbers but I would like to have them an edge on qualitative aspect of fighters they operate over IAF. I trust their leadership a ted more than IAF one.
I hope our navy will have the first hands on 5th gen fighters. 3 squads and we are a formidable force.
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Those two helicopter tenders (NMRH, NUH) alone would add 200+ to the airwing. Nothing surprising about his statement.
It's not the first time. They have been saying this for more than a decade now.
Any non classified snippets post meeting ?
My spoiler prediction is ..
IAF continues its steadfast Rafale requirements, supports Lca
PMO continues pushing F16
US continues its policy but probably giving bit of sweetener in the deal.
Chatter on Russian side summit update
Possible deals to be of
1. Fresh batch of Mi 17 V5 helos
2. Approx 300-400 new T-90MS
3. A big size deal (possible deals include 4 frigates or 2+ squad MKIs among other stuff)
All other deals need further discussion including ka226, SSN lease, S400 and Super MKI (as disclosed earlier)
An IGA will be signed soon followed by actual contract in next 6 months.
Possible deals to be of
1. Fresh batch of Mi 17 V5 helos
2. Approx 300-400 new T-90MS
3. A big size deal (possible deals include 4 frigates or 2+ squad MKIs among other stuff)
All other deals need further discussion including ka226, SSN lease, S400 and Super MKI (as disclosed earlier)
An IGA will be signed soon followed by actual contract in next 6 months.
An IGA on all the products mentioned above or some of them ? Kindly clarify .
On these 3, plus on some other things too. But these 3 are the big ticket things.
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