Indian Air Force: News & Discussions

[PD_Solo]

Globemaster escorted by 2 Sukhoi mki.

 

[PD_Solo]

Tejas skills by Gr Cap Madhav R of 45 Sqd

 

[PD_Solo]

Tejas making a landing.

 

[PD_Solo]

Sarang heli formation...

/

and the cross over break..

 

[rishivashista13]

Great display by Tejas [emoji106] [emoji106]
Superb Boss like entry [emoji123] [emoji123]
मज़ा आ गया ।

Sent from my Micromax Q380 using Tapatalk

 

[ezsasa]

Usually i dismiss what ajai shukla says, but somehow i have a feeling this news can be true. Looks like Govt is testing the waters..

A global contest has restarted for supplying India a medium, multi-role fighter, with the Indian Air Force (IAF) inviting top international fighter jet manufacturers to set up a production facility in India.

Business Standard has learned that Indian embassies in Washington, Moscow and Stockholm wrote on Friday tofighter jet manufacturers in these countries to confirm whether they would partner an Indian company in building a medium, single-engine fighter, with significant transfer of technology to the Indian entity.

The confidential document sent by the embassies is not technically a “Request for Information” (RFI), which is a precursor to a “Request for Proposals” (also known as a tender). However, it serves the same purpose, which is to determine which vendors are interested and what they are willing to offer.

By specifying that the IAF requires a single-engine fighter, the latest letter differs from an earlier tender, issued in 2007, for 126 medium, multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA). The MMRCA tender, which had no such stipulation, saw six vendors fielding four twin-engine and two single-engine fighters. The twin-engine offerings included Dassault’s Rafale, Eurofighter GmbH’s Typhoon, Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and RAC MiG’s MiG-35. The single-engine fighters offered were Lockheed Martin’s F-16IN Super Viper and Saab’s Gripen D.

The much-hyped MMRCA tender eventually collapsed, with the IAF last month buying a token 36 Rafale fighters. Now, the IAF has kicked off a more focused contest that will feature only single-engine fighters.

Numerous airpower experts have pointed out that the IAF needs single-engine fighters to replace the single-engine MiG-21 and MiG-27 fighters that must be retired in the near future. The Rafale, a medium-heavy, twin-engine fighter, is too expensive for operational tasks that asingle-engine fighter can easily manage.

While Boeing, Eurofighter, RAC MiG, Sukhoi and Dassault would technically be able to respond to the latest RFI, none of them can offer a state-of-the-art, medium, single-engine fighter. Therefore, it seems likely that New Delhi would have to choose between Saab’s Gripen E and Lockheed Martin’s latest F-16 Block 70.

As Business Standard reported earlier, both Saab and Lockheed Martin have kicked off high-stakes, high-voltage campaigns to meet the IAF’s needs. Both have already submitted what theIAF chief, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha described on Thursday as “unsolicited bids” for building their fighters in India.

Saab has linked its offer with assistance to the indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) development programme, which is being spearheaded by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), a unit of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Saab has offered to help ADA in quickly developing the Tejas Mark IA, which the IAF chief said required four improvements — a better combat radar, more lethal weapons, dedicated electronic warfare capability and better maintainability. He said the upgraded Tejas should fly within three-four years.

Saab has also offered to help ADA develop the planned next-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).

Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin is pushing an offer, made through the Indo-US Defence Trade and Technology Initiative (DTTI), to shift its F-16 production line from Fort Worth, Texas to India.

A new, more advanced version of the F-16, designated the Block 70, has been offered to entice India.

Air Headquarters insiders say there is little chance of India buying the F-16, a significantly advanced version of the Block 50/52 that the Pakistan Air Force operates. Since Washington is aware of this important bias, it remains to be seen whether the US seizes this opportunity to offer India the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, a state-of-the-art fifth-generation fighter.

The IAF is keeping an open mind. On Thursday, Raha stated: “I’m sure whoever gives the best deal [will win]. All the aircraft are very capable, so it will depend upon who provides the best transfer of technology; and, of course, the price tag. It’s on the table; nothing is decided as yet.”

http://www.business-standard.com/ar...ke-single-engine-fighters-116100800638_1.html

 

[IndianHawk]

After 15 years they realized that can make do with a single engine foreign fighter.

 

[SATISH]

Most useless tender ever if RFPs are sent.

 

[sasum]

India needs foreign partners for high-end components and parts like engine, radar, sensors, avionics. These are beyond indigenous capability. It is always wise to develope something from grounds-up. India should not assemble a warplane of foreign design. Let Tejas evolve and AMCA develope .

 

[ezsasa]

Most useless tender ever if RFPs are sent.

It's neither RFP nor tender. Article says it is a pre-RFI.

That would indicate it is probably going to be a govt to govt deal. I can also speculate that by giving these Pre-RFI, Govt is giving them time to formulate their proposal.

 

[ezsasa]

Has gripen and F-16 been tested in Indian conditions before?

 

[IndianHawk]

Has gripen and F-16 been tested in Indian conditions before?

Well f16 been sold all over the world so you get the gist. If it can operate in Pakistan that means it is good for hot and humid conditions.We might need to look at Himalayan condition though.

 

[SATISH]

It's neither RFP nor tender. Article says it is a pre-RFI.

That would indicate it is probably going to be a govt to govt deal. I can also speculate that by giving these Pre-RFI, Govt is giving them time to formulate their proposal.

Still a good for nothing one. I rather have the money pumped into Engine research and completion of the Tejas MK1a/Mk2. This will make much more sense.

 

[ezsasa]

Still a good for nothing one. I rather have the money pumped into Engine research and completion of the Tejas MK1a/Mk2. This will make much more sense.

What about the possibility that govt two different production lines for single engine jets? Half a squadron each can be built every year.

Three more years and we will be teaching 50-60 billion budget at 10% increment from now on. Money may not be a issue going ahead.

 

[cannonfodder]

BAGAL MEIN CHORA; SHEHAR MEIN DHINDORA

 

[Scarface]

They chose the poorest time to come to this realization, when we have our own indigenous single engine fighter in the works, their options are basically limited to something PAF has tremendous experience in operating and a technologically inferior but cheap aircraft (Gripen)

The F-35 seems to be the only viable aircraft in this category for the IAF but if the MoD "isn't interested"

 

[Adioz]

Everybody knows what the result will be. 15 years protracted negotiations and then back to square one.
They do not want F-16 'cause Pakistan has it.
They would not want Gripen 'cause we got LCA.
F-35 is not on offer and without the CISMOA, its not likely to be offered.

Nope. This wont fly.

Maybe the government is just going through a formality and rejecting all single-engine options so that the next time it opens a RFI for MMRCA, they only have F-18 as a contendor.

 

[Scarface]

Everybody knows what the result will be. 15 years protracted negotiations and then back to square one.
They do not want F-16 'cause Pakistan has it.
They would not want Gripen 'cause we got LCA.
F-35 is not on offer and without the CISMOA, its not likely to be offered.

Nope. This wont fly.
View attachment 10914


Maybe the government is just going through a formality and rejecting all single-engine options so that the next time it opens a RFI for MMRCA, they only have F-18 as a contendor.

The F-35 has been on offer to us since 2011,back when we had no LSA and has been repeatedly been offered to us by Pentagon since then

http://thediplomat.com/2011/11/india-and-the-f-35/


The biggest bone of contention among CISMOA, LeMOA/LSA, BECA was the LeMOA which has been signed and the Americans have said India will get access to 99% U. S technology for purchase purposes (not to be confused with ToT), on par with their treaty allies so that's not the issue

The issue is we won't get make in India for the F-35 because it is already a globally manufactured plane, at best we'll get to manufacture some components for it, which won't sit well for the MoD who seems to be of the view that Make in India is more important than quality

And, the money, which the MoD seems to be very stingy with, if they find 85mil/unit Rafales too expensive there won't be any 100+mil units F35s

MoD is simply not considering it, it is definitely on offer to India

 

[Filtercoffee]

Everybody knows what the result will be. 15 years protracted negotiations and then back to square one.
They do not want F-16 'cause Pakistan has it.
They would not want Gripen 'cause we got LCA.
F-35 is not on offer and without the CISMOA, its not likely to be offered.

Nope. This wont fly.
View attachment 10914


Maybe the government is just going through a formality and rejecting all single-engine options so that the next time it opens a RFI for MMRCA, they only have F-18 as a contendor.

The Super Hornet is a naval aircraft why would the IAF choose the air frame? LCA, Gripen and the Super Hornet have the same engine series, maybe because of the same they would?

 

[anoop_mig25]

Has gripen and F-16 been tested in Indian conditions before?

BOTh Gripen and f-16 where tested durning MMRCA test

And i believe F-16 failed test in leh

But donot know about whether F-18 participated in mmrca or not

Between i say its stupid to spent money on new plane .Instead asked HAL/ADA to collaborate one PRIVATE Indian defence manufacture , share WITH THEM WHAT on what they have learn while making tejas and increase tejas manufacturing rate and also with private party in play shortcoming in tejas can be shorted out soon

this in turn would gave rise defence MIC in India as other private palyers would too start investing in defence biz

Or if govs move to gain in relationship with america then its all-together different issue