Imported Single Engine Fighter Jet Contest

[WolfPack86]

F-16 Fighting Falcon Fighter Jet

 

[WolfPack86]

F-16 Fighting Falcon Fighter Jet

 

[WolfPack86]

F-16 Fighting Falcon Fighter Jet

 

[WolfPack86]

F-16 Fighting Falcon Fighter Jet

 

[WolfPack86]

F-16 Fighting Falcon Fighter Jet

 

[WolfPack86]

F-16 Fighting Falcon Fighter Jet

 

[WolfPack86]

F-16 Fighting Falcon Fighter Jet

 

[WolfPack86]

F-16 Fighting Falcon Fighter Jet

 

[WolfPack86]

Pentagon backs proposal to give US fighter jets ‘Make in India’ tag
The Pentagon has backed proposals from US aviation giants Boeing and Lockheed Martin to manufacture top-line fighter aircraft as part of the ‘Make in India’ initiative. The proposals, including breakthrough offers on transfer of technology and licences, were conveyed by US defence secretary Ashton Carter to defence minister Manohar Parrikar last week.

Boeing’s offer is for the versatile F-18 twin-engine fighter while Lockheed Martin’s is for the single-engined F-16. Since every F-18 costs about $100 million and F-16s are close to the $70-million mark each, the proposal represents a very large investment. If either comes through, it will mean setting up of a production line, and will translate into a giant leap for the aviation sector in India.

Government sources said the US has also accepted an Indian non-paper on broader export controls in light of the latter being designated a major defence partner of Washington. The two sides also discussed sharing of sensitive data related to top-end defence technology and possible transfer of high-altitude long-duration drones for maritime surveillance.

The possible Indian acquisition of the battle-proven Predator drone was also discussed. “Defence minister Manohar Parrikar’s visit to the US had significant outcomes with Pentagon agreeing to work on the Indian non-paper for easier export controls,” said a senior official.

New Delhi is pleased with the Pentagon move, but the US departments of commerce and state will have to be partnered to make this happen as clearances on licences and transfer of technology lie within their ambit. “Since a major component of Grippen NG fighter, including the engine and the radar, are US, the latest developments show that there would be no obstacle from Washington on even transfer of technology for Swedish fighter. The Pentagon, however, understands that all these proposals will have to go through the competitive route,” said the official.

During his three-day US visit, Parrikar visited the Boeing Apache and Chinook helicopter factory in Philadelphia with the Indian Air Force (IAF) showing interest in the newly-developed KC-46 strategic tanker to augment the Indian mid-air refuelling tanker fleet.

The IAF’s requirement has been pegged at 126 multi-role fighters. This means at least 90 fighters are to be made in India as the remaining 36 will be Rafales, the deal for which is in the last lap. The IAF’s squadron strength has dwindled to 33, with the mandated strength being 42 squadrons of 18-20 planes each.

http://defencenews.in/article/Penta...give-US-fighter-jets-‘Make-in-India’-tag-7922

 

[A chauhan]

Wolfpack86 looks like F16 fan....

 

[WolfPack86]

Wolfpack86 looks like F16 fan....

Generally i am fan of all fighter jets . My most favourite fighter jets is su 30 mki and tejas lca

 

[WolfPack86]

Is Parrikars ”Cheap But Reliable” Logic Behind India’s F-16 Interest

 

[WolfPack86]

Is Parrikars ” Sasta Aur Tikau ” logic behind India’s F-16 interest ?
Manohar Parrikar Ex-Goa CM and current Defence Minister of India has been closely followed by me (Goan) from the time he became India’s first IITian Chief Minister of Goa nearly 16 years ago . Bhai, as he is popularly known in Goa, has time again has proved himself has a capable administrator who is known to take middle route to balance between cost vs effectiveness when it comes to many infrastructure projects initiated by him in this home state which lead to his elevation to Defence minister with full backing coming from Narendra Modi himself . Parrikar when it comes to infrastructure projects back in Goa is particularly obsessed by Cable Stayed Bridge which traditionally are cheaper to build ,easier on maintenance and can still provide reliability of traditional designs , his obsession to find cheaper and reliable alternatives to expensive and traditional approach is well known among Goa’s BJP karyakarthas . A Recent talk with BJP karyakartha who has worked with Parrikar closely just reinforces my believe that Parrikar has a defence minister will always also look out for Sasta Aur Tikau ( Cheap but Reliable ) options when it comes to defence procurement for the country . While United States is pitching India with their legendary F-16 to India, India having talks with United states on possible Make in India F-16s could be one of the examples where Parrikar seems to be adamant to provide airforce much needed airpower boost but at much-needed lower airpower cost for the country . F-16V aka Block 70 might not be best of 4++ Generation fighter jet at present but is cheaper and brings in higher operational availability than cheaper Russian offerings a right balance between cost and reliability . Parrikar will be fully aware that Indo-Russian Pak-fa and India’s very own AMCA 5th Generation fighter aircraft will always be utmost priority for Indian Air force and always will be first and frontline aircraft which will require high level of funding and investments and F-16 or LCA-Tejas will always be the Second line of aircraft for airforce due to their 4.5 Gen capabilities, which might be one of the reasons why India shelved plans to procure expensive 126 Rafale fighter jets and instead are negotiating for only 36 jets . India can ill afford to buy expensive 4.5 Generation fighter jets which always will be the second line of fighter jets and will require funds for 5th Generation Stealth fighter jets which air forces around the world is moving to in next few years .
http://idrw.org/is-parrikars-sasta-aur-tikau-logic-behind-indias-f-16-interest/

 

[WolfPack86]

Pentagon Backs Proposal To Give US Fighter Jets ‘Make In India’ Tag

 

[Scarface]

Is Parrikars ”Cheap But Reliable” Logic Behind India’s F-16 Interest

Is India (MoD) even interested in F-16?
I personally don't think so

All the F-16 offers have been from LM's side,the only time India has been open to F-16s is when they sent RFP to LM during MMRCA

 

[bose]

India needs to increase its fighter strength substantially to take care of China & India both... and we have to do it in next 3 - 4 years minimum... I am afraid we are failing in that account... Decision are taking too long to implement ... this is not good for India...

India should do what is good for her immediately ... time for analysis - paralysis is long over...

India will accept LM F- 16 offer or not is other aspect ... but F- 16 blk 70 will be be more than enough to take care of Chinese & its poddle Pakistan for next 10 to 15 years ...

 

[Scarface]

India needs to increase its fighter strength substantially to take care of China & India both... and we have to do it in next 3 - 4 years minimum... I am afraid we are failing in that account... Decision are taking too long to implement ... this is not good for India...

India should do what is good for her immediately ... time for analysis - paralysis is long over...

India will accept LM F- 16 offer or not is other aspect ... but F- 16 blk 70 will be be more than enough to take care of Chinese & its poddle Pakistan for next 10 to 15 years ...

I'd agree with you if it weren't for the existence of J-20 and it being in production.
They seemed to have made tremendous progress in fighters ever since they hacked into LM's database.

 

[WolfPack86]

Why Are US Fighter Aircraft Firms Trying Their Best To Woo India.

In the present decade, since 2010 to be precise, India has been the focus of the global arms trade. As a spokesperson for a major defence firm told reporters in India in August this year: "India is the new epicentre of the world's most extensive, industrial defence network."
Despite its best efforts at fulfilling its own defence needs, India remains the world's biggest arms importer. And in its ambition to set up 45 squadrons of fighter aircraft, global arms manufacturers see their biggest opportunity.
In 2010, India decided to fulfill all its requirements in one go. It wanted to purchase 126 multi-role combat aircraft through one vendor. At the end of the selection process, the company whose aircraft scored the highest in all field trials was French firm Dassault Aviation's Rafale. The deal would be worth $11 billion - the biggest fighter jet deal the world had ever seen.
However, since then, the deal has fallen through and been revived again, but in a severely downsized manner. India has now decided to buy only 36 Rafale jets, though negotiations over the price are still going on.
Which begs the question - who is going to supply the remaining 90 jets?
Competition Heating Up
While India and France continue to talk about the 36 jets, fighter aircraft manufacturers from around the world are approaching the Narendra Modi government with attractive offers and counter-offers.
All these players are also offering to 'Make in India', and not just for India, but the world.
US-based Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of F-16, and Boeing, which makes the F-18 twin-engined fighter aircraft, are both pushing their cases. Lockheed Martin has gone as far as committing to bring in the whole assembly line of F-16 fighters from Texas to India, provided it gets a big, assured order.
Representatives from Boeing and Lockheed Martin have been actively pushing their case since early this year, and have made several presentations to very senior officials of the Defence Ministry. And now, according to the latest news reports, the Pentagon also has thrown its weight behind Lockheed Martin.
How Lucrative Would The Deal Be?
The US fighter aircraft on offer are good for the price tag, and have been in demand for some time now. Lockheed Martin's F-16s single-engine fighters are sold for an average of $70 million per aircraft, while Boeing's F-18 twin engine fighters go for an average of $100 million per aircraft.
Lockheed Martin has sold 4,588 F-16s so far to 27 international air forces. Among its customers is Pakistan, to whom it has sold 80 F-16s. But the variant sold to Pakistan is F-16 Block 52. A higher block number means a more upgraded and more sophisticated aircraft.
The variant that Lockheed Martin has offered to sell to India is from its latest Block 70 series. These variants reportedly come packed with superior radars, advanced avionics and sensors, and new weapons.
Lockheed Martin's offer of shifting its assembly line to India is attractive because of the potential jobs it would create, since this assembly line will take orders not just for India but for the world.
Advantage US, But Don't Rule Out Others
India is clearly considering acquiring US-made weaponry very seriously. For the past few months, there has been a regular two-way traffic between Indian and American defence diplomats and ministers.
Frank Kendal, the US Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, visited India in July this year, and a big contract for surveillance aircraft was signed between US and India.
Now, on his three-day tour, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar met US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter, signed a strategic logistics agreement and visited the Boeing Apache and Chinook helicopter factory in Philadelphia, with the Indian Air Force keenly looking at the newly-developed KC-46 strategic tanker to augment the Indian mid-air refuelling tanker fleet.
However, apart from the US firms, Boeing and Lockheed Martin, India doesn't seem to have ruled out deals with Sweden's Saab or the Eurofighter Typhoon consortium. Both these firms have reportedly approaching India for the fighter aircraft deal.
Why It's A Pressing Matter For India
Whichever firm it ultimately finalises, India will have to begin the procurement process very soon. The reason India was looking to sign a 126-fighter aircraft deal in 2010 was in context of the combined threat from China and Pakistan, both of whom are upgrading their air forces at a rapid pace.
This is something that the global fighter aircraft firms have known for quite some time.
For 50 years, the Indian Air Force had been equipped with Russian MIG-21 fighters. And now that several of them have been decommissioned, its strength has been reduced to 33 squadrons with about 18 to 20 fighter planes each. This is why it has decided to counter Pakistan and Chinese forces with a strength of 45 squadrons.
The Indian Air Force will get only two indigenously-developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) project (Tejas) aircraft this year, and eight upgraded aircraft by the end of next year. The Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) plans with Russia, and the proposal to upgrade the existing lot of Sukhoi Su-30MKIs are also not going anywhere.
So, companies like Lockheed Martin know that there is no way India is going to immediately fulfill its requirements any time soon. The only way for India to check its rapidly declining Air Force strength will be to look at outright purchase, and do it immediately, to look at fulfilling its fighter aircraft requirement in the next few years.
http://www.indiandefensenews.in/2016/09/why-are-us-fighter-aircraft-firms.html

 

[sorcerer]

Parrikar trip to Bofors land


SUJAN DUTTA

New Delhi, Sept. 8: Defence minister Manohar Parrikar is scheduled to visit Sweden this month in a move that immediately brings Swedish fighter aircraft, the Gripen, into sharper focus for the Indian Air Force.

Not since 1987 has India signed a major defence contract with Sweden. The last one was the Bofors howitzer that ran into controversy over charges of kickbacks during Rajiv Gandhi's regime.


Parrikar's scheduled visit this month would follow a five-day tour of Sweden in June by Indian Air Force Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha. Raha flew in a version of the single-engine Gripen fighter during his visit.

The maker of the Gripen, Swedish firm Saab, have proposed to set up capabilities in India to make the aircraft in India. It has also proposed technological cooperation in developing a Mark II version of the Tejas light combat aircraft.

Parrikar has said in the past that the government would take a decision on a new line of fighter aircraft by the end of the current fiscal.

The Gripen C/D and versions of the F-16 Fighting Falcon (made by the US Lockheed Martin), the F/A-E/F Super Hornet (made by Boeing, also of the US) did not make it through the trials conducted by the Indian Air Force for its tender for 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) since 2007. The Eurofighter Typhoon and the Rafale were "downselected". Rafale beat the Typhoon by quoting a lower price.

The tender was cancelled last year after Prime Minister Modi announced in Paris that India will purchase 36 Rafale aircraft through a government-to-government contract with France. The negotiations have been stalled on issue of price for some months.

But defence ministry sources say that a contract is now likely with a French delegation expected to arrive in Delhi within weeks. The contract could be the largest signed for the IAF with the value upwards of Euro 7 billion (between Rs 56,000 and Rs 60,000 crore).

Sweden and Saab are now pitching the Gripen E for the Indian Air Force requirement of fighter aircraft. Unlike the Gripen C/D variant that was fielded in the trials in India, the Gripen E has a wider undercarriage that folds into its double-delta wings (and not its fuselage).

India believes that with a wider and deeper understanding with the US in recent weeks - as exemplified by the Lemoa - the possibility of acquiring weapons platforms with US-origin equipment has brightened. The Gripen E is powered by US-origin GE-414 engines. Many of its avionics components are also of US-origin.

The IAF is in the process of acquiring the LCA Tejas - said to be home-grown - that is of the same class as the Gripen in the sense that both are single-engined aircraft. The IAF has contracted 120 LCA Tejas with the GE 404 (US-origin) engine while the Gripen E has a more powerful GE 414 engine tailored for it.

Swedish defence minister Peter Hultqvist visited New Delhi and invited Parrikar to the Gripen-manufacturing facilities in June last year. The Swedes have illustrated their offer to develop capabilities by citing experiences in South Africa and Brazil where they have won contracts and are setting up facilities after training local technicians. Hultqvist also visited the facilities of Hindustan Aeronautics and the Bharat Electronics in Bangalore.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1160909/jsp/nation/story_107171.jsp#.V9IudPl97cs

 

[Scarface]

I really hope we don't buy the Gripen , it is quite literally a poor man's aircraft ,the only reason to buy it is if your country doesn't need to spend big on defence or if your country can't spend big on defence

Neither of those apply to India,we need good aircraft considering our geo-political condition.

I don't even see any reason in getting the Gripen now that Boeing is offering to sell and make Super Hornets in India ,Pentagon has also given a written assurance on Transfer of Technology.