StealthFlanker
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in my opinion that gonna be very expensive
Imported Single Engine Fighter Jet Contest
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vayuu1
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But, say if it is produced in India in bulk and if it is indigenous, who knows, it might be relatively less expensive, it also will be very potent platform.
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republic_roi97
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you are only convinced.... your self !
Well I'm done convincing you sir, have a good day whoever and wherever you might be. Anyways, I have always been with your point of view at the same time precisely the opposite point of view. I am happy that government is making a decision and I hope that they make it soon, As of me, I am a F-16 block 70/72 fan, but Gripen has always been in my best fighter list, therefore, no heartbreak if it gets selected, in fact would be a moment of joy. 
WolfPack86
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Selling Fighter Planes To India Means Now Building Planes The In India
In mid-October, the government of India kicked off a new program to attract foreign aircraft makers to build military fighter jets for the Indian Air Force in India using the foreign companies’ technology. India is dangling an initial quantity of some 200 single-engine fighter planes, with the possibility of hundreds more.
According to a report at Defense News, the Indian Ministry of Defense has invited “some overseas participants” to bid on the program. India reportedly would prefer a government-to-government transaction based on pricing and trials from invited vendors.
The United States, Sweden and Russia are allegedly the leading contenders, with Lockheed Martin Corp, SAAB and, probably, Russia’s United Aircraft as the expected bidders.
In late September, India signed an agreement with France to acquire 36 Dassault Rafale fighter jets for a reported $8.85 billion. According to a report from Reuters, the deal with Dassault was originally supposed to include 126 of the twin-engine Rafale’s, but no agreement could be reached on the terms of production in India.
Lockheed Martin has offered to transfer the entire production of its F-16 fighter to India, making the country the exclusive producer of the single-engine F-16. SAAB, makers of the Gripen single-engine fighter, has also said that it is ready and able to produce the planes in India.
Defense News reported that the new fighter program is intended to replace 11 squadrons Russian MiG 21s and MiG 27s that are being retired over the next 10 years. Each squadron consists of 18 planes each, for a total of 198 aircraft. The total could go much higher however:
The Indian Air Force is already facing shortage of combat jets as it has around 33-34 operational fighter squadrons, while officials believe they would need 45 squadrons in a hypothetical confrontation with China or Pakistan.
Forty-five squadrons equal 810 aircraft.
The F-16, the Gripen and the Rafale are fourth-generation fighters. The U.S. Air Force’s single-engine F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is a fifth-generation aircraft, as is the twin-engine Russian Sukhoi T-50 PAK-FA that is expected to begin deliveries to the Russian Air Force next year. India and Russia signed an agreement in 2007 to develop a fifth-generation fighter based on the PAK-FA, but the deal has foundered on disagreements over technology transfer, costs and the number of aircraft to be built.
http://www.indiandefensenews.in/2016/11/selling-fighter-planes-to-india-now.html
In mid-October, the government of India kicked off a new program to attract foreign aircraft makers to build military fighter jets for the Indian Air Force in India using the foreign companies’ technology. India is dangling an initial quantity of some 200 single-engine fighter planes, with the possibility of hundreds more.
According to a report at Defense News, the Indian Ministry of Defense has invited “some overseas participants” to bid on the program. India reportedly would prefer a government-to-government transaction based on pricing and trials from invited vendors.
The United States, Sweden and Russia are allegedly the leading contenders, with Lockheed Martin Corp, SAAB and, probably, Russia’s United Aircraft as the expected bidders.
In late September, India signed an agreement with France to acquire 36 Dassault Rafale fighter jets for a reported $8.85 billion. According to a report from Reuters, the deal with Dassault was originally supposed to include 126 of the twin-engine Rafale’s, but no agreement could be reached on the terms of production in India.
Lockheed Martin has offered to transfer the entire production of its F-16 fighter to India, making the country the exclusive producer of the single-engine F-16. SAAB, makers of the Gripen single-engine fighter, has also said that it is ready and able to produce the planes in India.
Defense News reported that the new fighter program is intended to replace 11 squadrons Russian MiG 21s and MiG 27s that are being retired over the next 10 years. Each squadron consists of 18 planes each, for a total of 198 aircraft. The total could go much higher however:
The Indian Air Force is already facing shortage of combat jets as it has around 33-34 operational fighter squadrons, while officials believe they would need 45 squadrons in a hypothetical confrontation with China or Pakistan.
Forty-five squadrons equal 810 aircraft.
The F-16, the Gripen and the Rafale are fourth-generation fighters. The U.S. Air Force’s single-engine F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is a fifth-generation aircraft, as is the twin-engine Russian Sukhoi T-50 PAK-FA that is expected to begin deliveries to the Russian Air Force next year. India and Russia signed an agreement in 2007 to develop a fifth-generation fighter based on the PAK-FA, but the deal has foundered on disagreements over technology transfer, costs and the number of aircraft to be built.
http://www.indiandefensenews.in/2016/11/selling-fighter-planes-to-india-now.html
WolfPack86
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After the Rafale Deal, Is the Ghost of the MMRCA Back in India?
Last month, India and France concluded a long-awaited deal that would see the transfer of 36 Dassault Rafale multi-role fighters to India in fly-away condition. Despite lingering questions around pricing, the Rafale deal will help the Indian Air Force fill an important capability starting in 2019, when the first Rafale jet is expected to arrive in India.
However, 36 jets still leaves the IAF far short of its sanctioned squadron strength. The Indian Air Force ideally wants to field between 42 and 45 squadrons by the late-2020s and getting there will require additional procurement — especially as much of its existing inventory continues to march toward obsolescence and some of its newer jets, like the Su-30MKI, have faced technical difficulties in recent years as well.
Of course, before we had the 36-jet government-to-government take on the Rafale acquisition, India had the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) tender — once known as the “mother of all defense deals.” Through the MMRCA, India sought to acquire 126 jets, seeking to manufacture 112 within India. Ultimately, liability and quality assurance issues bogged down negotiations with Dassault, leading to the collapse of the MMRCA altogether.
Though the MMRCA is dead, its ghost continues to linger. Reports have persisted throughout 2016 that the Indian Air Force is pushing for a large fighter acquisition, with a significant domestic manufacturing component, in line with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” initiative.
Sanjeev Miglani reports at Reuters that Delhi may pursue a 200-to-300-jet deal for single-engine planes in India. If concluded with a single manufacturer, the deal may be India’s largest ever, even dwarfing the original MMRCA.
In line with previous reports, the United States’ Lockheed Martin and Sweden’s Saab are interested in offering their F-16 and Gripen fighters respectively. Lockheed may be looking into setting up an assembly line in India to offer jets for export to third countries as well. Boeing, another U.S. firm, may look to offer its F/A-18 Hornets as well, as I discussed earlier this year.
The Indian Air Force may look to fully retire its Soviet-era fighter inventory, helping partly alleviate the maintenance, logistics, and supply costs associated with maintaining a fighter fleet comprised of platforms from several external providers, including Russia, France, and now potentially the United States or Sweden.
In addition to helping the IAF get closer to its sanctioned squadron strength, any potential deal that may be in the offing will hinge on technology transfer — something that India missed out on with the evaporation of the MMRCA and the terms of the final Rafale deal. As the MMRCA saga and the two-year negotiation process for the government-to-government Rafale deal demonstrate, getting from planned procurement to a concluded deal may be difficult.
http://www.defencenews.in/article.aspx?id=29011
Last month, India and France concluded a long-awaited deal that would see the transfer of 36 Dassault Rafale multi-role fighters to India in fly-away condition. Despite lingering questions around pricing, the Rafale deal will help the Indian Air Force fill an important capability starting in 2019, when the first Rafale jet is expected to arrive in India.
However, 36 jets still leaves the IAF far short of its sanctioned squadron strength. The Indian Air Force ideally wants to field between 42 and 45 squadrons by the late-2020s and getting there will require additional procurement — especially as much of its existing inventory continues to march toward obsolescence and some of its newer jets, like the Su-30MKI, have faced technical difficulties in recent years as well.
Of course, before we had the 36-jet government-to-government take on the Rafale acquisition, India had the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) tender — once known as the “mother of all defense deals.” Through the MMRCA, India sought to acquire 126 jets, seeking to manufacture 112 within India. Ultimately, liability and quality assurance issues bogged down negotiations with Dassault, leading to the collapse of the MMRCA altogether.
Though the MMRCA is dead, its ghost continues to linger. Reports have persisted throughout 2016 that the Indian Air Force is pushing for a large fighter acquisition, with a significant domestic manufacturing component, in line with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” initiative.
Sanjeev Miglani reports at Reuters that Delhi may pursue a 200-to-300-jet deal for single-engine planes in India. If concluded with a single manufacturer, the deal may be India’s largest ever, even dwarfing the original MMRCA.
In line with previous reports, the United States’ Lockheed Martin and Sweden’s Saab are interested in offering their F-16 and Gripen fighters respectively. Lockheed may be looking into setting up an assembly line in India to offer jets for export to third countries as well. Boeing, another U.S. firm, may look to offer its F/A-18 Hornets as well, as I discussed earlier this year.
The Indian Air Force may look to fully retire its Soviet-era fighter inventory, helping partly alleviate the maintenance, logistics, and supply costs associated with maintaining a fighter fleet comprised of platforms from several external providers, including Russia, France, and now potentially the United States or Sweden.
In addition to helping the IAF get closer to its sanctioned squadron strength, any potential deal that may be in the offing will hinge on technology transfer — something that India missed out on with the evaporation of the MMRCA and the terms of the final Rafale deal. As the MMRCA saga and the two-year negotiation process for the government-to-government Rafale deal demonstrate, getting from planned procurement to a concluded deal may be difficult.
http://www.defencenews.in/article.aspx?id=29011
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I think it's from the higher interest of India you put all in your own small fighter : Tejas.
And the assistance of SAFRAN to end the developpment of Kaveri could be a very helpfull help.
republic_roi97
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Rightly put sir, can not agree more, however, its the need of the hour with ever increasing threat from expansionist china and some of our "friendly" neighbors, that we must have more equipments.
WolfPack86
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LIVEFIST | REVEALED: Lockheed-Martin’s 3-Point F-16 Pitch To India
https://twitter.com/livefist?lang=en
https://twitter.com/livefist?lang=en
AmoghaVarsha
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Did he say that USAF wants to operate F 16s for 30 more years?
WolfPack86
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India's Startegic Win
In July, Lockheed Martin announced that it would manufacture the most advanced version of the F-16 fighter aircraft (the Block 70/72) exclusively in India as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “made in India” program. Lockheed Martin will likely co-produce the plane with Tata Advanced Systems Ltd, which has a standing partnership with Lockheed Martin to produce other airframes such as the C-130 cargo plane and the Sikorsky S-92 helicopter. The announcement was quickly derided by defense wonks who see the F-16 as an outdated workhorse that is used by India’s adversary, Pakistan. However, the deal could be truly transformative, turning India into an exporter of a fighter aircraft with a truly global market.
The F-16 has many detractors in India. There are those who argue that the United States cannot be trusted, implying that Washington will block the collaboration at some point in the future when India has grown reliant on the system. After all, this is what happened to Pakistan in 1990. Others allege that the true motivation for the deal is greed: Lockheed Martin simply wants to take advantage of a recent surge in tensions between Pakistan and India to sell different versions of the same system to both. And that presents another problem: some reject the plane on the facile grounds that India would not want to fight Pakistan using the same platform as its adversary would use. This concern reveals ignorance of the different versions of the airframe and the avionics, sensors, and munitions packages involved.
Even more sinister, some in India simply cannot fathom that Washington wants India to be a world-class power because they believe (without evidence) that the United States seeks to retain “Pakistan as a regional balancer against India.” For these doubters, there simply must be a negative explanation for the deal, even if they do not know what it is. Perhaps the arrangement is an effort to dump an aged, unwanted platform onto India, which my stifle India’s efforts to acquire a fifth-generation aircraft.
More serious critiques stem from the Indian military aviation community’s belief that India needs a two-engine aircraft to provide acceleration and air dominance in anticipation of a “dogfight” with the adversary; the F-16 has a single engine. Beyond ignoring the F-16’s 76:1 air-to-air win:loss ratio, this view focuses excessively on a tactic that is becoming ever-more irrelevant and which India’s Su-30s and Rafales already execute well. India’s multirole aircraft must be reliable, sophisticated, and flexible enough to fly large numbers of strike and patrol sorties in limited warfare and high-threat environments—and the F-16V can do this cheaply enough to shore up India’s collapsing force structure.
The F-16 detractors’ views have varying degrees of validity, but they all miss a larger and more important aspect of this deal: through it, India will become an exporter of a highly lethal fighter platform with a massive extant global market. No other aircraft India was considering offers this enormous opportunity. If India plays its cards correctly, it could have a veto on sales of the plane to countries that undermine India’s interests—such as Pakistan.
Although the technical merits of the F-16 are comparable to those of other aircraft on offer, this scheme is unique in that it will afford India a leadership position in an established long-term supply chain. The market for spare parts and upgrade for the F-16 is larger than for other aircrafts simply because this plane makes up 15 percent of the world's total military aircraft inventory. Because most of the world lags a generation behind the United States and the Indian Air Force, there will certainly be a multibillion-dollar market for F-16 maintenance, repair, and overhaul for decades after the F-35 fully supersedes its predecessor in the West.
India might be able to use its market dominance as a springboard for additional deals with U.S.-supplied client states and to participate in the development of innovative technologies for the next generation of aircraft. India, in that case, would skip from being a so-called price taker for next-generation aircraft to being a price setter.
Successful coproduction, meanwhile, will sow the seeds for a new set of indigenous businesses and labor markets. To be sure, at first, India will require access to external technology, money, and human capital to complete the manufacturing. But both the external investor—Lockheed Martin—and the local recipient (most likely Tata) stand to benefit from the capacity building that will follow. The result could be a vast network of contractors and subcontractors along with research centers and spinoffs that these businesses can create. That could spur technologically savvy expats to return to or invest in their homeland.
The best contemporary example of a technology transfer in aerospace becoming a springboard for economic development is what occurred in China. In the 1980s, China’s aviation industry initiated small-scale joint ventures with Western firms and then gradually worked its way up the value chain. By the early 2000s, all the makers of top-tier engines and airframes, including GE, Rolls Royce, Boeing, and Pratt and Whitney, had joint ventures in China. Not coincidentally, as China’s defense spending skyrocketed in the early 2000s, its arms imports declined. In that same period, India’s rose. China’s newly acquired expertise in computer-aided manufacturing dramatically accelerated the production of its first fourth-generation aircraft, the JH-7, J-10, and FC-1. The latter (now branded ‘JF-17’) has become the backbone of the Pakistani Air Force.
Distrust of foreign technology suppliers is not a good rationale for rejecting capacity building joint ventures in favor of import purchases. Even Japan—by far the most successful role model for autonomy in airspace engineering—built its capacity for military-industrial production by coproducing more than two dozen weapons systems with the United States.
With the F-16 deal, India can make up for lost time. It need not surreptitiously adapt Western civilian technology to military applications as China has in aerospace and shipbuilding, or follow the Japanese model of incremental gains. In one fell swoop, India would leap virtually overnight into the top tier of military manufacturers worldwide and establish itself as a pivotal player for at least the next two decades.
Put another way, this is not an aircraft buy: it is an industrial transformation on a massive scale and a major strategic win for India.
http://www.indiandefensenews.in/2016/11/indias-strategic-win.html
In July, Lockheed Martin announced that it would manufacture the most advanced version of the F-16 fighter aircraft (the Block 70/72) exclusively in India as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “made in India” program. Lockheed Martin will likely co-produce the plane with Tata Advanced Systems Ltd, which has a standing partnership with Lockheed Martin to produce other airframes such as the C-130 cargo plane and the Sikorsky S-92 helicopter. The announcement was quickly derided by defense wonks who see the F-16 as an outdated workhorse that is used by India’s adversary, Pakistan. However, the deal could be truly transformative, turning India into an exporter of a fighter aircraft with a truly global market.
The F-16 has many detractors in India. There are those who argue that the United States cannot be trusted, implying that Washington will block the collaboration at some point in the future when India has grown reliant on the system. After all, this is what happened to Pakistan in 1990. Others allege that the true motivation for the deal is greed: Lockheed Martin simply wants to take advantage of a recent surge in tensions between Pakistan and India to sell different versions of the same system to both. And that presents another problem: some reject the plane on the facile grounds that India would not want to fight Pakistan using the same platform as its adversary would use. This concern reveals ignorance of the different versions of the airframe and the avionics, sensors, and munitions packages involved.
Even more sinister, some in India simply cannot fathom that Washington wants India to be a world-class power because they believe (without evidence) that the United States seeks to retain “Pakistan as a regional balancer against India.” For these doubters, there simply must be a negative explanation for the deal, even if they do not know what it is. Perhaps the arrangement is an effort to dump an aged, unwanted platform onto India, which my stifle India’s efforts to acquire a fifth-generation aircraft.
More serious critiques stem from the Indian military aviation community’s belief that India needs a two-engine aircraft to provide acceleration and air dominance in anticipation of a “dogfight” with the adversary; the F-16 has a single engine. Beyond ignoring the F-16’s 76:1 air-to-air win:loss ratio, this view focuses excessively on a tactic that is becoming ever-more irrelevant and which India’s Su-30s and Rafales already execute well. India’s multirole aircraft must be reliable, sophisticated, and flexible enough to fly large numbers of strike and patrol sorties in limited warfare and high-threat environments—and the F-16V can do this cheaply enough to shore up India’s collapsing force structure.
The F-16 detractors’ views have varying degrees of validity, but they all miss a larger and more important aspect of this deal: through it, India will become an exporter of a highly lethal fighter platform with a massive extant global market. No other aircraft India was considering offers this enormous opportunity. If India plays its cards correctly, it could have a veto on sales of the plane to countries that undermine India’s interests—such as Pakistan.
Although the technical merits of the F-16 are comparable to those of other aircraft on offer, this scheme is unique in that it will afford India a leadership position in an established long-term supply chain. The market for spare parts and upgrade for the F-16 is larger than for other aircrafts simply because this plane makes up 15 percent of the world's total military aircraft inventory. Because most of the world lags a generation behind the United States and the Indian Air Force, there will certainly be a multibillion-dollar market for F-16 maintenance, repair, and overhaul for decades after the F-35 fully supersedes its predecessor in the West.
India might be able to use its market dominance as a springboard for additional deals with U.S.-supplied client states and to participate in the development of innovative technologies for the next generation of aircraft. India, in that case, would skip from being a so-called price taker for next-generation aircraft to being a price setter.
Successful coproduction, meanwhile, will sow the seeds for a new set of indigenous businesses and labor markets. To be sure, at first, India will require access to external technology, money, and human capital to complete the manufacturing. But both the external investor—Lockheed Martin—and the local recipient (most likely Tata) stand to benefit from the capacity building that will follow. The result could be a vast network of contractors and subcontractors along with research centers and spinoffs that these businesses can create. That could spur technologically savvy expats to return to or invest in their homeland.
The best contemporary example of a technology transfer in aerospace becoming a springboard for economic development is what occurred in China. In the 1980s, China’s aviation industry initiated small-scale joint ventures with Western firms and then gradually worked its way up the value chain. By the early 2000s, all the makers of top-tier engines and airframes, including GE, Rolls Royce, Boeing, and Pratt and Whitney, had joint ventures in China. Not coincidentally, as China’s defense spending skyrocketed in the early 2000s, its arms imports declined. In that same period, India’s rose. China’s newly acquired expertise in computer-aided manufacturing dramatically accelerated the production of its first fourth-generation aircraft, the JH-7, J-10, and FC-1. The latter (now branded ‘JF-17’) has become the backbone of the Pakistani Air Force.
Distrust of foreign technology suppliers is not a good rationale for rejecting capacity building joint ventures in favor of import purchases. Even Japan—by far the most successful role model for autonomy in airspace engineering—built its capacity for military-industrial production by coproducing more than two dozen weapons systems with the United States.
With the F-16 deal, India can make up for lost time. It need not surreptitiously adapt Western civilian technology to military applications as China has in aerospace and shipbuilding, or follow the Japanese model of incremental gains. In one fell swoop, India would leap virtually overnight into the top tier of military manufacturers worldwide and establish itself as a pivotal player for at least the next two decades.
Put another way, this is not an aircraft buy: it is an industrial transformation on a massive scale and a major strategic win for India.
http://www.indiandefensenews.in/2016/11/indias-strategic-win.html
WolfPack86
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I don't know if he said USAF wants to operate F-16 for 30 more years. But if it is true i will be more happiest person in the planet.Did he say that USAF wants to operate F 16s for 30 more years?
AmoghaVarsha
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3. How does L-M address concerns that the F-16, albeit upgraded, is a legacy fighter at the end of its active life?
The F-16 is the most combat proven aircraft in history and the F-16 Block 70 is the most technologically advanced F-16 ever offered. The updated avionics suite leverages technologies developed as a part of Lockheed Martin’s efforts on our fleet of 5th Generation fighter aircraft. Major elements of these advanced avionics are included in major upgrades for multiple F-16 customers around the world and already slated for integration on more than 300 aircraft that will be flown for decades. These elements will also form the basis for upgrades and aircraft life extension for U.S. Air Force F-16 aircraft as they seek to operate their fleet for 30-plus years into the future. Global demand for new production F-16 aircraft also remains strong in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, and South America.
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with time, the F16 become heavier and heavier (at the beginning it was a daylight dog fighter !)
More than 40 years after, the actual (and futur) F16 always have the same initial wings ! With time F16 become a sort of F104 : an engine with 2 small wings !
It's a solution of the past.
F16 was a great fighter, but it's not a solution for the next 40 years !
Bahamut
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We can for the Japanese F2 way and increase the wing area by 50%.............
republic_roi97
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Somewhere I saw a clip that F2 is not very good and is facing some problems. Not sure though where. Will find out and post though.
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The original idea was the "agiile falcon", with greater wings. but it stay at a paper stage.
japanese F2 line is closed. And it costs a lot. It's no more an option.
Bahamut
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The Jap wanted to maintain their aerospace industry even if each jet cost 500$million in fly away cost.Jap buy weapons not to fight but to maintain their manufacturing industry
WolfPack86
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'Make In India' Fighter Choice May Be Limited To Single-Engine Jets
After confirming the acquisition of 36 Dassault Rafale fighters off-the-shelf from France, India has invited proposals from the U.S., Sweden and Russia to transfer technology and produce a single-engine fighter in-country. The latest move seems to preclude any “Make in India” offers from Dassault for the twin-engine Rafale, as well as Eurofighter (for the Typhoon) or Boeing (for the F/A-18). India has a requirement for approximately 100 more fighters.
The invitation was in the form of letters handed to the ambassadors of the three countries. Lockheed Martin has already responded, offering an upgraded “F-16 Block 70.” It is believed that SAAB will follow, with an offer for the Gripen E. It is unclear what Russia might offer, since both the MiG-29/35 and Sukhoi Su-30/35 series are twin-engine designs.
“What we have offered, we believe is unprecedented,” said Randy Howard, head of F-16 business development for Lockheed Martin. The company has committed to transfer F-16 production from Fort Worth to India in phases. The proposal would make India the world's largest supply base for F-16s. Lockheed Martin has sold 4,588 F-16s to 29 customers, and many of those aircraft have a 30-year life that requires the continuing supply of spares and support.
“Bringing the production to India will have a positive impact on affordability for India and the global fleet,” said Howard.
The Block 70 appears to be an alternative designation for the F-16V upgrade that is currently in flight test. The upgrade’s APG-83 AESA radar is a big plus, according to Howard. “It has commonality with the APG-81 on the F-35, a wide field-of-view, and picks up 20 targets,” he said.
The F-16V also features a one-gigabyte Ethernet data system and a 6x8-inch center pedestal cockpit display. Lockheed Martin is currently producing one F-16 per month for Iraq at Fort Worth, but the line could close at the end of next year when that country’s order for 36 C/D models is completed. (The aircraft are being delivered slowly, because of U.S. concerns about Iraq’s stability. The company had handed over 10 to Iraq by the end of August.)
A dampener could be India’s concern about neighboring Pakistan, which has acquired 41 upgraded Block 52 F-16s. “Given the warming of the U.S.-India strategic relationship, it is unlikely that Pakistan will be given the upgraded aircraft, nor would it like to buy from India,” said a retired air force official. Recently, Pakistan’s efforts to purchase eight more F-16s from the U.S. failed following a row over financing.
SAAB is offering the soon-to-fly Gripen E, already the subject of a licensed production deal with Brazil. In a media briefing earlier this year Richard Smith, SAAB’s head of Gripen marketing and sales, noted that in the previous Indian evaluation of the Swedish jet “we were ruled out before the commercial bids were opened.” But, he continued, “we are a perfect fit there.”
SAAB has offered India co-development of an airborne AESA radar that it has been designing in Sweden. This benefits from Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology that SAAB has introduced on the Giraffe ground-air surveillance radar. This radar is an alternative to the ES-05 AESA radar designed by Leonardo (formerly Selex Gallileo) that will be fitted to the Gripen Es for Brazil and Sweden. The Swedish GaN radar could also be fitted to India’s indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), and SAAB has offered to assist India with the LCA Mk II. This jet is to be powered by the same GE F414 engine that is to be found on the Gripen E.
At the time of the Rafale contract signing, Dassault boss Eric Trappier seemed confident that the French jet would be considered for additional licensed production. Early last month, Trappier and Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani signed a joint venture, Dassault Reliance Aerospace, for aerospace technology transfer. The venture will help the French company meet the 50-percent offset obligation in the Rafale contract. Whether it will lead to the Rafale being produced in India now seems less likely.
“I’m sure whoever gives the best deal will win. All the aircraft are very capable,” said Indian Air Force commander ACM Arup Raha.
“It will depend upon who provides the best transfer of technology; and, of course, the price tag,” he continued.
http://www.indiandefensenews.in/2016/11/make-in-india-fighter-choice-may-be.html
After confirming the acquisition of 36 Dassault Rafale fighters off-the-shelf from France, India has invited proposals from the U.S., Sweden and Russia to transfer technology and produce a single-engine fighter in-country. The latest move seems to preclude any “Make in India” offers from Dassault for the twin-engine Rafale, as well as Eurofighter (for the Typhoon) or Boeing (for the F/A-18). India has a requirement for approximately 100 more fighters.
The invitation was in the form of letters handed to the ambassadors of the three countries. Lockheed Martin has already responded, offering an upgraded “F-16 Block 70.” It is believed that SAAB will follow, with an offer for the Gripen E. It is unclear what Russia might offer, since both the MiG-29/35 and Sukhoi Su-30/35 series are twin-engine designs.
“What we have offered, we believe is unprecedented,” said Randy Howard, head of F-16 business development for Lockheed Martin. The company has committed to transfer F-16 production from Fort Worth to India in phases. The proposal would make India the world's largest supply base for F-16s. Lockheed Martin has sold 4,588 F-16s to 29 customers, and many of those aircraft have a 30-year life that requires the continuing supply of spares and support.
“Bringing the production to India will have a positive impact on affordability for India and the global fleet,” said Howard.
The Block 70 appears to be an alternative designation for the F-16V upgrade that is currently in flight test. The upgrade’s APG-83 AESA radar is a big plus, according to Howard. “It has commonality with the APG-81 on the F-35, a wide field-of-view, and picks up 20 targets,” he said.
The F-16V also features a one-gigabyte Ethernet data system and a 6x8-inch center pedestal cockpit display. Lockheed Martin is currently producing one F-16 per month for Iraq at Fort Worth, but the line could close at the end of next year when that country’s order for 36 C/D models is completed. (The aircraft are being delivered slowly, because of U.S. concerns about Iraq’s stability. The company had handed over 10 to Iraq by the end of August.)
A dampener could be India’s concern about neighboring Pakistan, which has acquired 41 upgraded Block 52 F-16s. “Given the warming of the U.S.-India strategic relationship, it is unlikely that Pakistan will be given the upgraded aircraft, nor would it like to buy from India,” said a retired air force official. Recently, Pakistan’s efforts to purchase eight more F-16s from the U.S. failed following a row over financing.
SAAB is offering the soon-to-fly Gripen E, already the subject of a licensed production deal with Brazil. In a media briefing earlier this year Richard Smith, SAAB’s head of Gripen marketing and sales, noted that in the previous Indian evaluation of the Swedish jet “we were ruled out before the commercial bids were opened.” But, he continued, “we are a perfect fit there.”
SAAB has offered India co-development of an airborne AESA radar that it has been designing in Sweden. This benefits from Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology that SAAB has introduced on the Giraffe ground-air surveillance radar. This radar is an alternative to the ES-05 AESA radar designed by Leonardo (formerly Selex Gallileo) that will be fitted to the Gripen Es for Brazil and Sweden. The Swedish GaN radar could also be fitted to India’s indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), and SAAB has offered to assist India with the LCA Mk II. This jet is to be powered by the same GE F414 engine that is to be found on the Gripen E.
At the time of the Rafale contract signing, Dassault boss Eric Trappier seemed confident that the French jet would be considered for additional licensed production. Early last month, Trappier and Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani signed a joint venture, Dassault Reliance Aerospace, for aerospace technology transfer. The venture will help the French company meet the 50-percent offset obligation in the Rafale contract. Whether it will lead to the Rafale being produced in India now seems less likely.
“I’m sure whoever gives the best deal will win. All the aircraft are very capable,” said Indian Air Force commander ACM Arup Raha.
“It will depend upon who provides the best transfer of technology; and, of course, the price tag,” he continued.
http://www.indiandefensenews.in/2016/11/make-in-india-fighter-choice-may-be.html
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REVEALED: Lockheed-Martin’s 3-Point F-16 Pitch To India
A significant jump in life after a service life extension of the F-16 Block 70 platform. Total Indian autonomy on who can buy made-in-India F-16s or be part of the resulting supply chain that will be governed entirely by India. A choice of avionics and kit currently under test on the F-35 family of fifth generation fighters. These are the three broad pitch points Lockheed-Martin puts forth as it looks to win India’s next big fighter contest — the Make In India Fighter (MIIF, unofficially). Lockheed-Martin, which had one of the most visible campaigns for India’s erstwhile M-MRCA contest, has clearly re-energised itself for what is, by all accounts, a much more significant piece of Indian pie this time, a contest reported first here on Livefist. As the world’s largest defence firm primes itself for a face-off against what could be a much smaller line-up than the six-horse M-MRCA, Livefist puts some questions to Abhay Paranjape, National Executive for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Business Development in India:
1. Outline the major contours of L-M’s Make in India (MII) F-16 Block 70 offer.Lockheed Martin is offering India the exclusive opportunity to produce, operate and export F-16 Block 70 aircraft. Exclusive F-16 production in India would make India home to the world’s only F-16 production facility, a leading exporter of advanced fighter aircraft, and offer Indian industry the opportunity to become an integral part of the world’s largest fighter aircraft supply chain.
2. How does the current programme differ qualitatively from the M-MRCA programme, which also envisaged a major MII component?
Leveraging technologies from our 5th Generation fleet of aircraft, the F-16 Block 70 aircraft is the most technologically advanced F-16 ever offered. These advances include the APG-83 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar, a new high resolution center pedestal display, a new mission computer significantly enhancing processing and storage capacity, and a new 1 gigabit Ethernet databus. Further leveraging recent structural life extension efforts performed for the U.S. Air Force, the F-16 Block 70 will deliver a 50 percent or more increase in additional service life to 12,000 hours or beyond – a significant increase over competing aircraft. From an industrial program perspective, Lockheed Martin’s offer to move all future F-16 production to India is unprecedented, as it would place Indian industry at the center of the world’s most extensive fighter aircraft supply base. None of our competitors can offer that.
3. How does L-M address concerns that the F-16, albeit upgraded, is a legacy fighter at the end of its active life?
The F-16 is the most combat proven aircraft in history and the F-16 Block 70 is the most technologically advanced F-16 ever offered. The updated avionics suite leverages technologies developed as a part of Lockheed Martin’s efforts on our fleet of 5th Generation fighter aircraft. Major elements of these advanced avionics are included in major upgrades for multiple F-16 customers around the world and already slated for integration on more than 300 aircraft that will be flown for decades. These elements will also form the basis for upgrades and aircraft life extension for U.S. Air Force F-16 aircraft as they seek to operate their fleet for 30-plus years into the future. Global demand for new production F-16 aircraft also remains strong in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, and South America.
4. If the Indian government presses a single-engine stipulation, the F-16 could square off against the Gripen NG. What’s your pitch on how the F-16 Block 70 over the Gripen NG?
Lockheed Martin is the recognized leader in the design, development and manufacture of the world’s most technologically advanced fighter aircraft. The F-16 Block 70 aircraft leverages avionics technologies from our 5th Generation fighter aircraft to deliver an aircraft with unrivaled speed, agility, range, and payload. We offer proven, unmatched experience developing international fighter production capacity having previously established F-16 production lines in four countries and F-35 production lines in two countries. Our offer to establish exclusive F-16 production in India to meet worldwide demand for new F-16 aircraft is without precedent and the opportunity for Indian companies to play a major role in the industrial base that supplies necessary parts for a global fleet of more than 3,200 aircraft is unmatched.
5. Pakistan operates F-16s and looks to operate more. Would the future of Pakistan’s fleet be in Indian hands in the event of a successful MII F-16 programme?
As has always been the case, future F-16 production decisions would be subject to government-to-government discussions.
6. Sweden’s Saab has sweetened its Gripen pitch to India by offering Gallium-Nitride (GaN) radar technology as a spin-off. How does Lockheed-Martin propose to beef up its offering?
Lockheed Martin’s F-16 offer to India—the exclusive opportunity to produce, operate and export F-16 Block 70 aircraft—is without precedent. In addition to proposing the most technologically advanced F-16 ever offered to the Indian Air Force, exclusive F-16 production in India extends this Make in India opportunity beyond mere “assemble in India” or “manufacture in India,” to a long-term industrial opportunity for India. Our experience developing fighter production capacity around the world is unmatched. Lockheed Martin has previously established F-16 production lines in four countries and F-35 production lines in two countries. Our F-16 offer also includes the unmatched opportunity for Indian companies to play a major role in the industrial base that supplies parts for a global fleet of more than 3,200 aircraft. The long-term effect of establishing the sole F-16 production line in India will be to position Indian industry as a major contributor in the production of components and sub-components necessary to support the growing worldwide F-16 fleet.
http://www.livefistdefence.com/2016.../UQMw+(LiveFist+-+The+Best+of+Indian+Defence)
A significant jump in life after a service life extension of the F-16 Block 70 platform. Total Indian autonomy on who can buy made-in-India F-16s or be part of the resulting supply chain that will be governed entirely by India. A choice of avionics and kit currently under test on the F-35 family of fifth generation fighters. These are the three broad pitch points Lockheed-Martin puts forth as it looks to win India’s next big fighter contest — the Make In India Fighter (MIIF, unofficially). Lockheed-Martin, which had one of the most visible campaigns for India’s erstwhile M-MRCA contest, has clearly re-energised itself for what is, by all accounts, a much more significant piece of Indian pie this time, a contest reported first here on Livefist. As the world’s largest defence firm primes itself for a face-off against what could be a much smaller line-up than the six-horse M-MRCA, Livefist puts some questions to Abhay Paranjape, National Executive for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Business Development in India:
1. Outline the major contours of L-M’s Make in India (MII) F-16 Block 70 offer.Lockheed Martin is offering India the exclusive opportunity to produce, operate and export F-16 Block 70 aircraft. Exclusive F-16 production in India would make India home to the world’s only F-16 production facility, a leading exporter of advanced fighter aircraft, and offer Indian industry the opportunity to become an integral part of the world’s largest fighter aircraft supply chain.
2. How does the current programme differ qualitatively from the M-MRCA programme, which also envisaged a major MII component?
Leveraging technologies from our 5th Generation fleet of aircraft, the F-16 Block 70 aircraft is the most technologically advanced F-16 ever offered. These advances include the APG-83 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar, a new high resolution center pedestal display, a new mission computer significantly enhancing processing and storage capacity, and a new 1 gigabit Ethernet databus. Further leveraging recent structural life extension efforts performed for the U.S. Air Force, the F-16 Block 70 will deliver a 50 percent or more increase in additional service life to 12,000 hours or beyond – a significant increase over competing aircraft. From an industrial program perspective, Lockheed Martin’s offer to move all future F-16 production to India is unprecedented, as it would place Indian industry at the center of the world’s most extensive fighter aircraft supply base. None of our competitors can offer that.
3. How does L-M address concerns that the F-16, albeit upgraded, is a legacy fighter at the end of its active life?
The F-16 is the most combat proven aircraft in history and the F-16 Block 70 is the most technologically advanced F-16 ever offered. The updated avionics suite leverages technologies developed as a part of Lockheed Martin’s efforts on our fleet of 5th Generation fighter aircraft. Major elements of these advanced avionics are included in major upgrades for multiple F-16 customers around the world and already slated for integration on more than 300 aircraft that will be flown for decades. These elements will also form the basis for upgrades and aircraft life extension for U.S. Air Force F-16 aircraft as they seek to operate their fleet for 30-plus years into the future. Global demand for new production F-16 aircraft also remains strong in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, and South America.
4. If the Indian government presses a single-engine stipulation, the F-16 could square off against the Gripen NG. What’s your pitch on how the F-16 Block 70 over the Gripen NG?
Lockheed Martin is the recognized leader in the design, development and manufacture of the world’s most technologically advanced fighter aircraft. The F-16 Block 70 aircraft leverages avionics technologies from our 5th Generation fighter aircraft to deliver an aircraft with unrivaled speed, agility, range, and payload. We offer proven, unmatched experience developing international fighter production capacity having previously established F-16 production lines in four countries and F-35 production lines in two countries. Our offer to establish exclusive F-16 production in India to meet worldwide demand for new F-16 aircraft is without precedent and the opportunity for Indian companies to play a major role in the industrial base that supplies necessary parts for a global fleet of more than 3,200 aircraft is unmatched.
5. Pakistan operates F-16s and looks to operate more. Would the future of Pakistan’s fleet be in Indian hands in the event of a successful MII F-16 programme?
As has always been the case, future F-16 production decisions would be subject to government-to-government discussions.
6. Sweden’s Saab has sweetened its Gripen pitch to India by offering Gallium-Nitride (GaN) radar technology as a spin-off. How does Lockheed-Martin propose to beef up its offering?
Lockheed Martin’s F-16 offer to India—the exclusive opportunity to produce, operate and export F-16 Block 70 aircraft—is without precedent. In addition to proposing the most technologically advanced F-16 ever offered to the Indian Air Force, exclusive F-16 production in India extends this Make in India opportunity beyond mere “assemble in India” or “manufacture in India,” to a long-term industrial opportunity for India. Our experience developing fighter production capacity around the world is unmatched. Lockheed Martin has previously established F-16 production lines in four countries and F-35 production lines in two countries. Our F-16 offer also includes the unmatched opportunity for Indian companies to play a major role in the industrial base that supplies parts for a global fleet of more than 3,200 aircraft. The long-term effect of establishing the sole F-16 production line in India will be to position Indian industry as a major contributor in the production of components and sub-components necessary to support the growing worldwide F-16 fleet.
http://www.livefistdefence.com/2016.../UQMw+(LiveFist+-+The+Best+of+Indian+Defence)
