Air Cdre Kaiser Tufail (Retd) Quite clearly, the inadequacy of IAF’s Su-30MKI and MiG-29 twin-engine fighters in the air superiority role led to the decision to acquire the Rafale, ostensibly a more modern and capable multi-role fighter. While both Russian fighters are highly maneuverable in a...
pakistanpolitico.com
Air Cdre Kaiser Tufail (Retd)
@vstol Jockey @randomradio @Milspec @Picdelamirand-oil
Some of it is correct.
The crux of the argument being MKI not being able to communicate I think is incorrect.
The MKI very much should have been able to track the Pakistani jets beyond the border. Following are my inputs.
1> For IAF it has never been free for all, even in Kargil war , Mig29's were able to lock on to the F16's with it's older Phazatron radar, and R27ER but did not lob a missile. Even now I think rules of engagement from IAF did not clear IAF to shoot beyond the border.
2> If the above was not the case it would be the known efficacy of the R77, RVV-AE MKI's were carrying. What has been a travesty and what I have been yelling for the last decade is India is using a 3 decade old BVR system for the MKI. the RVV AE, since it's induction Russians have proposed reconfiguration with RVV PD - Ramjet model, K77M Aesa Dual pulse motor Model, And the K77ME Aesa Ramjet. Indian airforce sat on its *censored* not inducting any of them, neither looking at the Derby ER, all the while derby was qualified on MKI's in early 2000's.
We kept hearing about IAF looking to integrate Meteor on MKI, and eventually MBDA said a flat out no to IAF. With a once a year test fire of Astra 1 and II, and general delivery rate on any project from DRDO, we knew very well the missile wont be ready in time to be inducted to replace the RVV A but IAF slept on it as long as it could, and guess what it showed.
3> In testing R27ET/ER combination has always been superior to the R77, and IAF needs to go back to the R27ER/ET combo untill it finds the right upgrades for the MKI.
4> SU30MKI - Was inducted starting 2002. That is close to 2 decades ago, and the aircraft has not seen a single capability upgrade. Yes, we have put on MFD and cleaned the cockpit, but there has been no change in sensors, no change in Radar, no new a2a missiles inducted. There is no clarity on upgrades of the system, that is a big hole in our inventory, a 272 twin-engined Heavy combat aircraft size hole in our warfighting capability.
In closing, we are in a state where the economy is going through a pretty rough patch now. When we had the opportunity, we squandered the opportunities by spending money on needless shit on things that would let us fight the war that we
want to fight rather than the things we need to win the war we
need to fight .
We kept wasting time on negotiating ShinMaywa US-2 than the Falcon Awacs which were actually needed. We kept negotiating Apache all the while flying with obsolete AAMs.
We used Spice bombkits in balakot and complained lack of BDA all the while the KH59 Kingbolts are sitting in storage.
