Imported Single Engine Fighter Jet Contest

[tejas warrior]

No,Lockheed in UAE exhibition said all future F-16 will be made in USA.

Let's not go with one comment by any Lockheed personal.

If F16 deal happens, it will be G2G. So, let's wait for Modi-Trump meet.

There will be Hard negotiations.

Everything will emerge clearly then.

 

[WolfPack86]

IDN Take: Exit The Americans, Enter Swedes With Cost Edge
The Challenge of every air force is - from acquisition to phase out - that of cost. Fighter aircraft need to be at the cutting edge of technology but at the same time, need to fit into national budgets and be 'frugal' in operations and maintenance. India with a very long sea and land boundaries that are vulnerable from may sides, commensurately need many more operational aircraft. This approach was inherent in development of the Gripen from its very inception.
From the first stages of the Gripen design, key support cost parameters such as aircraft reliability, maintainability, and test-ability received equal priority with various operational and technical design objectives. The overall design requirement from the Swedish Air Force was for the complete Gripen Weapon System to counter the trend of increasing operating and support costs that have historically been a consequence of operational capability improvements. As a result, each Gripen operator would experience fewer failures, lower maintenance down times and an exceptionally low life support cost.
SAAB officials mentioned to IDN that the support system design of Gripen optimizes all the key functions such as maintenance, training, supply and support resources. It is extremely flexible and can well meet each specific customer's individual requirements and priorities.
The next generation Gripen-E is designed by SAAB to meet the demands of current and future threat scenarios, while at the same time meeting stringent peacetime requirements for flight safety, reliability, training efficiency and low operating costs. This is achieved through the judicious application of state-of-the-art technology and materials, integrated computer systems and advanced aerodynamics and sensors. The result is a fighter with the highest levels of integration effectiveness and interoperability in a wide range of roles, with low acquisition costs, minimal support requirements and affordable operating and through life costs.
The Gripen is substantially lower in its Life Cycle Cost (LCC) than contemporary fighters, including single engine fighters. A study by IHS Jane's estimates the flight hour cost of Gripen at $ 4,700 per hour (2012 USD), with its closest competitor being the F-16 Block 40/50 at an estimated $ 7,000 per hour.
Also, a review of the Gripen's total cost by IDN (operational, maintenance, production and development) and its operational prowess clearly shows that for more than a decade now, the cost has been declining even as the operational effect has consistently increased.
Operational Availability
While minimum cost is one priority, of equal importance is fighter availability. Gripen is designed for combat effectiveness with a very high sortie generation rate. The fighter's advanced mission support system has been conceived to ensure that Gripen can meet and sustain extremely high operational availability requirements. Combined with the multi-role capabilities of the fighter, and its high mission effectiveness, Gripen's outstanding availability performance makes it a true force multiplier.
Let us examine how the Gripen is designed to break the ever increasing operational cost curve?

• Modern diagnostics and tests systems like "Built in Tests" and "Fault Localization Systems" that automatically indicate to technicians which part is faulty
• High Mean Times Between Failure
• Low Mean Times To Repair
• Software driven upgrades
• Easy access to equipment bays and LRU
• Fuel efficient single engine design (given that engine maintenance costs are a large part of total maintenance)
• Low ground support equipment
• Low manpower requirements

SAAB shared the experience of Gripen operators, who confirm to the above mentioned cost per flight hour analysis is completely met.
Therefore, IDN believes that the Gripen would be a fantastic acquisition proposition for our Air Force given the fighters pedigree, its several technological lead and SAAB's unstinting commitment and support to India's MMRCA project.
http://www.indiandefensenews.in/2017/02/idn-take-exit-americans-enter-swedes.html

 

[WolfPack86]

Build F-16's in India and Sell them Internationally

Earlier this month, a delegation of U.S. government and business officials flew to New Delhi. Its mission: to reassure the Indian government that the U.S. really wants them to replenish its fighter fleet with F-16s. It’s the right move for a lot of reasons — some of them potentially uncomfortable to the new Trump administration.

The Indian Air Force is working to replace its aging fleet of third-generation, Soviet-era jets with up to 250 fighters that could defend its interests against China and Pakistan should a conflict arise. Late last year, India agreed to purchase 36 French Rafales, but most of its new fighter-jet orders will be filled through a competition between the Swedish JAS 39 Gripen and America’s F-16 Fighting Falcon.

Performance and cost will help determine the outcome, but the Indian government has also stipulated that the winner will also have to commit to producing the fighter in India. It’s a precondition that may not sit well with Trump administration officials focused on preserving American jobs. But sealing a fighter deal would be an important step in strengthening U.S.-India ties. That’s desirable because the two countries share both democratic values and a growing geopolitical concern about China.

Last year, President Obama declared India its first “Major Defense Partner,” the latest development in a defense relationship that grew steadily closer over the past two U.S. administrations. Selling them the F-16 would be another concrete demonstration of America’s commitment to this vital strategic relationship. And solidifying India’s role as a major defense partner will go a long way toward keeping that region of the world in balance.


Performance and Cost

The original JAS 39 Gripen, designed by SAAB in the 1980s and initially fielded in the late 1990s, was a fourth-generation multirole fighter. The JAS 39E, which first flew in 2008, is a significantly improved version. The E-model boasts an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, a robust sensor package that includes Infrared Search and Track (IRST), and a processor that allows real-time data fusion. The jet reportedly costs $85 million a copy, roughly the same as the projected price tag for the stealth F-35A when it enters full-rate production.

The Gripen’s competition is Lockheed’s 4+-generation F-16 Block 70, a variant of the Block 60 developed for and sold to the UAE. Thanks to more than $3 billion in UAE-funded research and development, the new F-16 has a fiber-optic data bus that can handle a thousand times more information than its predecessor. With an estimated price tag of $55 million, the Block 70 also has an AESA radar, an internal IRST, and fuselage-hugging conformal fuel tanks that free up wing stations for more weapons.

Other factors that India will consider include cost per flight hour and the logistics for acquiring munitions and major subcomponents made outside the country. The Swedish-designed Gripen, for example, is powered by U.S.-made General Electric motors, and its munitions will come from both American and European suppliers. This makes the logistics a bit more complicated for SAAB’s candidate.

But the Gripen costs $4,700 per flight hour, far lower than the F-16’s $7,000 hourly rate. That may be enough to even out the initial price difference between the two competitors over time.

Both jets are solid performers and, like Gripen, Lockheed has offered to produce or even move the F-16 production line to India. In the end, the decision will likely come down to logistics and the military-to-military relationship—both factors that favor the F-16. But the production line move may become a sticking point in the U.S.


Producing the F-16 in India

Both the JAS 39 and the F-16 have already been either assembled or produced outside their countries of origin. But the impending closure of the F-16’s production line in Fort Worth complicates matters.

The U.S. Air Force bought its last F-16 in 1997. Since then, the production line has been sustained solely by foreign military sales. Unfortunately, those sales have dwindled in the last several years due to global competition and a vacillating U.S. policy on foreign military sales.

Bahrain and Taiwan, which both operate the F-16, have petitioned the U.S. to allow them to buy more, but those sales were thwarted by the Obama administration. With no other purchase in the works, Lockheed Martin plans to shut down the line at year’s end.

Lockheed can’t win the contract unless President Trump, who won his election on a buy-American platform, allows F-16 production to move, at least in part, to India. But if the Trump administration blocks the move, New Delhi will likely buy the Gripen and the Fort Worth production line will close as scheduled — and that will dim the futures of some 450 American manufacturers and businesses that supply F-16 parts.

Maintaining F-16 production in India would help shore up those companies. Over time, some of those jobs may also shift from the United States to India, but the complexities of production and the sheer number of independent suppliers will leave room for negotiations and decision space on the best way for both countries to fulfill this deal.

Finally, New Delhi’s fighter decision will also affect the United States’ global security posture. A U.S. victory would bolster our bilateral alliance and improve India’s military capacity, capability, and interoperability with U.S. forces. This would help balance Chinese assertiveness without requiring a greater U.S. military footprint in the region.

This is a golden opportunity for the new administration. By approving this sale and allowing India to produce the F-16, President Trump would strengthen our global security posture, bolster our relationship with India, and save American jobs that would otherwise be lost if and when the last F-16 rolls off the line in Fort Worth.
http://www.defencenews.in/article.aspx?id=250749

 

[aliyah]

heard that f-16 deal is final n will be sign when modi visit US

 

[WolfPack86]

heard that f-16 deal is final n will be sign when modi visit US

Do you have any links or any source

 

[aakash_2410]

I was under the impression that India was gonna buy Block 70 tranche.

 

[TPFscopes]

Latest SAAB GRIPEN CRASH AT THAILAND

 

[WolfPack86]

F-16s- Made In India

India is in the market for a new fighter plane—actually, about 200 new fighter planes. The country's fleet of MiG-21s is aging and increasingly prone to accidents, so it is seeking a replacement capable of air superiority and ground-attack missions. Initial reports suggested that the indigenously produced TEJAS light combat aircraft (LCA) might play this role. The TEJAS, however, has been plagued with problems; a government investigation identified 53 design flaws, including under powered engines, excess weight, poor maneuverability, lack of fuel capacity, under performing radar, and maintenance shortcomings. Thus, despite a development process spanning more than 30 years, the TEJAS remains unfit for combat duty. A TEJAS Mark-II will supposedly address many of the first edition’s shortcomings, but flight testing is not expected to commence until late 2018.
Indian leaders are therefore looking to foreign manufacturers to produce a single-engine fighter in India, in accordance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s so-called Make in India initiative. It appears that New Delhi will choose between Lockheed Martin’s F-16 Fighting Falcon and Saab’s JAS-39 Gripen. The F-16 and the Gripen are highly capable and technically well matched, and both have their advocates in the Indian strategic community. The Falcon is particularly attractive, however, because of its ubiquity; it is one of the most widely used fighter aircraft in the world. By taking over production, India would be tapping into a large market for the plane and related products and services.
For all of India’s recent economic and technical achievements, it lacks the ability to develop a world-class fighter on its own.
Lockheed Martin is offering to move its entire production line for the iconic fighter plane from Texas to India. That would be a second-best option for all involved. From a U.S. perspective, the optimal outcome would be to acquire India as an F-16 customer while continuing to produce the plane in Texas and keeping the associated jobs at home. From an Indian perspective, the best outcome would be the development of an indigenous fighter aircraft to avoid reliance on anyone else’s technology. Such independence has always been an important Indian strategic goal.
But neither side has any real alternative. For all of India’s recent economic and technical achievements, it lacks the ability to develop a world-class fighter on its own, as the LCA project painfully and repeatedly demonstrated. Insisting on an indigenous solution would result in endless delays and a sub-standard product, seriously compromising Indian security. Further, the Tejas is already built largely from imported parts, including U.S. engines. Thus, by buying a foreign aircraft, India is actually forgoing less autonomy than it initially might appear.The United States, for its part, needs partnership with India to ensure that F-16 production continues. The United States acquired its first operational F-16s in 1979 and received its last plane in 2005. With no new F-16 orders scheduled beyond this year, the Texas assembly line could soon shut down. A deal with India would not keep the U.S. plant open, but it would at least ensure that the aircraft remains in production, generating employment and revenue from such sources as parts orders and licensing fees. These benefits would grow as India sells planes to new or returning third-party customers, which could include Bahrain, Colombia, and Indonesia, among others.
Perhaps most important, the Lockheed deal would give India and the United States an opportunity to work together on a significant, technically sophisticated defense project. That would build trust and bind the two countries closer as China’s rise creates uncertainty in the Indian Ocean and Asia-Pacific region. Indo-Swedish cooperation on the Gripen would undoubtedly be a good thing as well. It is not, however, as strategically valuable to India or the United States as a closer Indo-American partnership.
http://www.indiandefensenews.in/2017/03/f-16s-made-in-india.html

 

[WolfPack86]

Will Lockheed Martin get its govt approval to manufacture F-16 "Fighting Falcon" Jets in India
The wait for locally made weapons made longer by sudden change at defense ministry.
by Sudhi Ranjan Sen
One of the key decisions facing Defense Minister Arun Jaitley will be the policy on 'Strategic Partners' (SP) upon which Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' policy in defense manufacturing hinges. Manohar Parrikar's sudden shift back to Goa as Chief Minister leaves the policy on Strategic Partners — finalized but not yet operationalised — in a limbo.
Launched in 2014, 'Make in India' was one of Modi government's first initiatives. The aim was to turn India into a global manufacturing hub. Manufacturing weapon systems was a priority. India is still the world's largest importer of weapons systems. The idea was simple. A foreign and Indian manufacturer would tie up to produce weapon system in India for the armed forces. Technology and know-how would automatically be shared with the Indian companies building a defense manufacturing Eco-system in the country.
As New Delhi reached out to global defense giants to set-up defense manufacturing in India, it faced a twin challenge — how to choose the Indian manufacturer and how to choose the foreign manufacturer to form a strategic partnership.
The Search For Non-Discriminatory Model
For over a year, the Defense Ministry has been trying to bridge two variant views on how to form strategic partnerships. One view favored using the time-honored and safe but not always effective route of giving Ordinance Factory Boards (OFB) and Defense Public Sector Units such as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited primacy in choosing the Indian SP. The opposing view sought to give a greater play to the nascent private defense manufacturers of India.
After much debate to ensure a non-discriminatory policy, Parrikar hammered out a consensus at a meeting at his residence days before he left for Goa. "It is now up to the next Defense Minister," said a senior defense ministry official.
Deciding on the Indian Manufacturer
Sources said the Ministry of Defense will put out a list of criteria or benchmarks for Indian manufacturers to be considered for any strategic partnership. These benchmarks include the company's financial turnover, infrastructure, engineering and manufacturing capabilities, human resource, quality control and life-cycle support system.
To ensure competition in each sector — such as fighter aircraft, land systems, and submarines — there will be more than one Indian manufacturer in the fray. This is contrary to previous recommendations which said only one Indian manufacturer be selected, nominated as the Indian arm of the strategic partner.
How To Choose The Foreign Vendor Or Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)?
Sources said, as per the policy, New Delhi will select the foreign manufacturer based on parameters such as technology transfer and government approvals. The Defense Procurement Policy (DPP) — the policy that guides all defense acquisition — gives preference to products that are designed, developed and manufactured in India. "Therefore any OEM ready to design and develop a weapon system with an Indian partner and subsequently manufacture in India will get a preference," sources said.
What Will Be Manufactured Through The SP Model?
The SP model would be used to manufacture fighter aircraft, helicopters and submarines in India, sources said. The Indian Air Force is likely to lose about 10 squadrons in the next three years. The aging single engine Russian made MiG-21 fighters will be decommissioned. Similarly, the Indian Navy desperately needs submarines. It has about dozen conventional submarines — all of which are over 25 years old. It needs at least 24 conventional submarines.
Although the policy is ready, political compulsions prevented it from being operationalised. It is now up to the new Defense Minister to take it forward. At stake is an indigenously made weapons platform.
http://www.indiandefensenews.in/2017/03/new-strategic-partners-policy-to.html

 

[WolfPack86]

After much debate to ensure a non-discriminatory policy, Parrikar hammered out a consensus at a meeting at his residence days before he left for Goa. "It is now up to the next Defense Minister," said a senior defense ministry official.
This is good Parikkar has done a excellent job by bringing out consensus Between Defense Public Sector Unit and i really miss Parikkar

 

[WolfPack86]

Flightglobal: #Gripen E on target for debut flight in second quarter
https://twitter.com/hashtag/gripen

 

[WolfPack86]

Saab shifts #Gripen M focus from Brazil to India | IHS Jane's 360
https://twitter.com/hashtag/gripen

 

[WolfPack86]

Decision On Strategic Partnership Model And FICV Expected Soon From New Defense Minister Arun Jaitley

Defense minister Arun Jaitley may tinker slightly with the strategic partnership (SP) model readied by the ministry under Manohar Parrikar. An early decision on the FICV project is also expected shortly, official sources said
According to official sources, internal discussions took place between Jaitley and senior bureaucrats on the issues in seeking immediate attention. An early decision on SP model as also on the much delayed FICV project has been prioritized as those amongst the over dozen odd other issues, officials added
While it was not immediately known what final shape the SP policy will take, the document prepared under Parrikar states that the probable strategic partners with being selected based on a variety of parameters including financial capability, technical strength, assets, manufacturing and infrastructure facilities besides engineering strengths and past performance.
As per the proposed policy, at least 3-4 companies will be selected and then the foreign OEM will select the appropriate partner.
There could also be two foreign OEMs (with sufficient technical capabilities) selecting two different Indian companies as partners for a particular segment (fighter aircraft, submarines, and helicopters).
These shortlisted parties including a foreign OEM and it’s Indian partner will them compete through commercial bids for securing the final orders.
This could well be the first big policy initiative by Jaitley in the coming days.
Sources said a decision on the FICV proposal is also one of the identified priorities.
The FICV proposal as readied by the MoD had been stuck following some observations by the finance ministry which now with Jaitley holding the dual charge will be expedited, senior MoD sources said.
Sources also pointed out that Mr. Jaitley may continue as India’s defense minister for a much longer time than what is being thought of by observers as a minister in charge in the interim.
The coming days are crucial and are expected to unfold the much-awaited initiatives from the defense ministry and as expected by the industry players.
The defense sector has been identified as the biggest contributor in the government’s Make in India initiative. (Text Courtesy: DAP)
http://www.indiandefensenews.in/2017/03/decision-on-strategic-partnership-model.html

 

[captscooby81]

Hope Jaitley saab don t tinker to much and screw up the work done by parrikar .. He has his own nonsense shit of taking time to get things moving ..

 

[WolfPack86]

Defence Minister Arun Jaitley addresses India Russia Military Industrial Conference

 

[captscooby81]

Bahut hoagya bhai yeh Love in moscow drama.. Its time we move towards others also use every country which wants to take a piece of India s defence manufacture cake .. We should not simply give the entire cake and the cherry to the russians .. Bloody taken us for Good ride last 40 years with every fucking defence deal . From 1$ INS vikramaditya to Su30 MKI ...

Defence Minister Arun Jaitley addresses India Russia Military Industrial Conference

 

[WolfPack86]

India is too slow : Lockheed Martin to shift F-16 production line to South Carolina

The end of an era is coming as production of Lockheed Martin’s F-16 Fighting Falcon is being shifted from west Fort Worth to South Carolina.

Lockheed will begin moving the production line to its facility in Greenville, S.C., at the end of the year after delivering the last of the iconic jets being built for Iraq in September, said Ken Ross, a spokesman for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Fort Worth.

The F-16 has been a mainstay of Lockheed’s mile-long production line, but the Fort Worth plant needs the room as it ramps up production of the F-35 Lightning II, he said. Currently, 8,800 employees work on the F-35 and about 200 work on the F-16. It is expected that the F-16 employees will be allowed to transition to work on the F-35.

“As part of our effort to make room for the F-35 production here in Fort Worth, the F-16 production line must be relocated,” Ross said.

Over the life of the program, Lockheed has delivered more than 4,500 F-16s, including 3,600 built in Fort Worth. Since the company hasn’t booked any orders for new F-16s beyond the planes for Iraq, it would take about two years to start it back up in South Carolina once a new order is received, Ross said.

Moving production to South Carolina makes sense for several reasons, company officials said.

First and foremost, Lockheed Martin is ramping up activity on the F-35 in Fort Worth and expects to hire an additional 1,800 employees through 2020 as work on the stealth fighter hits full production. Last year, Lockheed built about 50 F-35s and expects to build up to 160 a year by 2019.

“The space we use for the F-16 will be consumed by the F-35,” Ross said.

Secondly, the Greenville plant is where the new T-50A trainer will be built if it wins a competition to build the aircraft for the Air Force. The T-50A is considered an “offshoot” of the F-16 design, so the economics of having the two lines together makes sense, Ross said.

Lockheed continues to pitch building the F-16 in India. India wants to modernize its aging military fleet of about 650 planes and the Indian Ministry of Defence has set up a competition to build a new single-engine fighter in that country as part of a “Make in India” initiative.

But the Trump administration has made it clear it will scrutinize any deal that may shift jobs overseas and has said it plans to take a “fresh look” at the India deal. Lockheed argues that the Indian contract, while moving production overseas, would still be a boost to the domestic economy.

Lockheed still thinks the F-16 is the right aircraft for India and is providing information to the federal government about that deal, Ross said.

Lockheed is also seeking to make additional F-16 sales to U.S. allies.

“We have a lot of pursuits ongoing but no new orders yet,” Ross said.
http://www.defencenews.in/article.aspx?id=251132

 

[Butter Chicken]

Very good news from our perspective

 

[WolfPack86]

Trump administration asked to push for F-16 sale to India

Two top Senators have urged the Trump administration to push for the sale of F-16 fighter jets to India to build its capability to counter security threats and balance China's growing military power in the Pacific.

Senators Mark Warner from Virginia and John Cornyn from Texa in a joint letter to US Defence Secretary James Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said, the Trump administration must make the fighter jet acquisition a priority during initial bilateral discussions with India.

India has launched an effort to expand its combat aircraft fleet and the competition has reportedly narrowed down to Lockheed's F-16 and Saab's Gripen.

Noting that the last F-16 for the US Air Force rolled off the production line in Fort Worth in 1999, the two Senators said India remains the only major F-16 prospect customer.

"A primary factor in India's decision will be compliance with Prime Minister Modi's 'Make in India' initiative, which will require establishing some level of local production capacity," Warner and Cornyn wrote.

"Given the strategic significance of India selecting a US aircraft as the mainstay for its future Air Force and the potential for a decision this year, we ask that the administration make the fighter acquisition a priority during initial bilateral discussions," they said.

Warner, who is a Democrat and Cornyn from the Republican Party are the co-chairs of the influential Senate India caucus, the only country specific caucus in the US Senate.

"We urge you to weigh in forcefully with the White House on the strategic significance of this deal, both to America's defence industrial base and to our growing security partnership with India," said the letter dated March 23.

Making a strong case for the sale of F-16s to India, the two Senators said this would represent a historic win for America that will deepen the US-India strategic defence relationship and cement cooperation between our two countries for decades to come.

"It would increase interoperability with a key partner and dominant power in South Asia, build India's capability to counter threat from the north, and balance China's growing military capability in the Pacific," they said.

India, they said, increasingly serves as an integral partner in the United States' security architecture in the volatile South Asia region, helping to protect our joint interests and deter common threats, and has emerged as a critical trading partner, they noted.

As such "it is in our national interest to work with India to progress democratic principles through regional security partnership and burden sharing," they said.

"To this end, we support the co-production of our legacy F-16 aircraft in India to help sustain the United States' current fleet of aircraft and aid a critical Indian security need with a proven American product," Cornyn and Warner wrote.

The competition for the fighter jets, they wrote, presents an opportunity to solidify and strengthen the significant gains made in the bilateral US-India defence relationship over the two previous administrations, they said.
http://www.defencenews.in/article/Trump-administration-asked-to-push-for-F-16-sale-to-India--251176

 

[Adnan Jumean]

i think its old and expensive .......