Can F-35B & C purchased with full tot just like in Rafale deal, And can it be manufactured here licensed with its engine and other avionics so does is there will be any strings attached before purchasing ?
If yes, Very good..
If no in any part of that sentence, Its Obvious..
I would repeat that F35b would be accepted only in case we can't have our own 5th gen of naval variant, whether a single engine PAK FA variant or AMCA etc.... but in the current state, if you find IAC-2 having capability of 70 fixed wing aircrafts then you may have 60 Rafale + 10 F35b only, no more than that, for those operations where stealth characteristics is the key. but you can't even think to have this crap in more than 10 in number, until they do get any success on this trillion dollar project, which we find a total failure. either a project is a success or a failure, and the way IOC of F35 is now delayed till 2018, with already 20 prototypes but still "minimum expected performance" to replace F16s couldn't be achieved, we would advice them to start on a new project now with the experience they gained on F35
Rafale is very expansive in its current form but if India goes for it, as likely, then it will then have a running production line in India from 2020+, with full training on this bird too till then, one aircraft for both IAF and IN, and it all makes Rafale favorite for IAC-2 :thumb:
Rafale will have the same advantage from 2020+, as SU30mki has right now, for what India just signed $4.3billion contract for 42 bird of Super Sukhoi standard. SU30mki has full and running production line in India, with full infrastructure and training etc, so right now its the only cost is of buying new ones on a mature production line only. in the same way, the time Rafale will have got its mature production line with full infrastructure/training etc in India, it will be the price of only bird since 2022+ for IAC-2, the so called best available 4++ 'Multi-Role' aircraft right now :thumb: