MMRCA news and discussions.

[AJSINGH]

also John u have couple of questions u have to answer
1- Which engine is for super hornet upgrade that will be given to india
2-when did any BVR missile shoot down Mig 25
3-Will chinnok able to provide close air support
4-Is block 3 appache be sold to india without any strings attached
5-If sh is such a good aircraft why didnt any country induct SH into its AIR FORCE

 

[AJSINGH]

NOT TO FORGET MIG 35 HAS HIGHER SERVICE SELLING...higher top speed and much much more agile that the SH...plus come with russian reliability

 

[AJSINGH]

in operation desert shield .....On the opening night one F-15E tracked a MiG-29 and attempted to engage it but had difficulties in acquiring the MiG-29's thermal signature in order to target an AIM-9 Sidewinder. The missile was eventually fired but failed to hit its target. Several other F-15Es simultaneously tried to engage the lone MiG-29 but errors and bad luck prevented them from getting the kill. One F-15E was actually flying past the Iraqi jet and maneuvered in for the kill but the pilot hesitated to take the shot both because he was unsure where his wingmen were and because he didn’t get a good tone with the Sidewinder missile

 

[AJSINGH]

MiG-35: Top Candidate for Air Force MRCA Deal | India Defence

 

[AJSINGH]

MiG-35 is outfitted with aviation electronics of new generation, including a powerful radar. The aircraft also has optoelectronic systems to fight air and ground targets, a powerful defense complex and latest airborne weapons.

“MiG-35 is virtually a new modification of the old fighter, but it is quite competitive. Its low price and technical advantages leave Western rivals behind,” Konstantin Sivkov of the Academy for Geopolitical Problems told Pravda.ru. “It would also be better for India to buy this fighter for compatibility reasons. The political aspect and the foreign orientation of the political leadership play the most important role on the market of arms. The future tender will test the political orientation of India ,” the expert said.

Russia has all chances to sign the contract with India at this point. The two countries have been maintaining friendly relations with each other for many years. One should not forget the ties between Russia’s MiG Corporation and its Indian partners either. MiG fighters originally appeared in India in 1963, whereas MiG-21 used to be the basic aircraft of the Indian Air Force for years.

The cooperation continues today as well. India’s navy receives the MiG-29K/KUB carrier fighter on a regular basis. The personnel of the Indian Air Force undergoes the technical training in Russia . To crown it all, MiG modernizes India’s MiG fighters and supplies them with necessary spare parts.

 

[Daredevil]

MiG-35: Top Candidate for Air Force MRCA Deal | India Defence

This is 2 years old news. And we are yet to declare a winner. It will take at least one year to declare.

 

[AJSINGH]

more than 1 year ........

 

[Tamil]

MiG -35 is the Best Option as of my wish

 

[natarajan]

unless if it comes with aesa and permit for customization like sumki

 

[John]

well the R-77/R-27 are all gr8 weapons on paper, the fact remains most of Russian BVRs in our inventory are malfunctioning. now what they are capable of doing is useless if CAG is not happy with the way they function (or dont in this case) and please no talk about storage conditions, we know how to store weapons. The mig-29 has been shot down many a time and again this idea of poor training doesn't hold true becaue they were shot down in Serbia as well which btw had recieved soviet training for its fleet of mig-29s. the F-15 incident you speak of is the mig-25 (not mig-29) which evaded many missiles and those missiles were Aim-7s and not the Aim-120. The Aim-120 has killed mig-29, mig-25s, mig-23s, mig-21 etc. so far every mig-29 has fallen victim of the Aim-120 many a time.

The SH' upgraded engine is the GE F 414-EPE, 118KN+ thrust per engine, 236KN per aircraft, up from 98KN per engine. We have the choice to go for it.

Boeing's Super Hornet seeks export sale to launch 20% thrust upgrade

Two MiG-25s were shot down by USAF F-15Cs during the Gulf War. After the war, in 1992, a U.S. F-16 downed a MiG-25 that violated the no-fly zone in southern Iraq. In yet another incident, two MiG-25s approached a pair of F-15s, fired missiles (which were evaded by the F-15s), and then outran the American fighters. Two more F-15s joined the pursuit, and a total of ten air-to-air missiles were fired at the MiG-25s, though none reached them.

TVC isn't needed for the SH which already boasts very good nose pointing abilities, TVC increases maintenance costs and complexity. Mig-35 was never a favorite, Navy was always intersted in SH and considering the broad nature of the requirements of this deal, mig stands no chance, the mig's PGM abilities are a joke compared to the SH. Russian are taking baby steps at precision bombs and are way behind EU and US in that matter. The US weapons SH allow for long range, precise and cost effective targeting and distribution of this info using SH's awacs abilties. SH's radar and avionics outperform all the others except the Rafale which has a better EW suite. The mig-35 can't deploy those long range BVRs like the R-77M etc because its AESA can only track a 3m2 target at 130km, all those missiles are useless on the mig, rather they fit better on the MKI, even if we acuire the missiles it will be for the MKI and not the mig. The mig is lame. While the SH has already fired its Aim-120D at the mig at over 130km.

Chinook does carry a minigun/machine gun, its competitor the mi-26 doesnt, is a bigger target, lacks decent spares and is very old. Chinook will win the deal for 16 Heavy lift choppers. Chinook's service cieling is also around 3000ft higher.

Now Apache-3 block 3 should be available but we cant expect complete tot for 22 choppers let be realistic. They will be acquired off the shelf and a comprehensive spares support agreement will be reached which will allow us to maintain and operate locally without any external support.

Trials will end next year summer and decision will be taken by 2010 december, we are facing shortages and you think we will delay further, no way, the first aircraft will have to arrive by late 2013 or early 2014 at the latest.

 

[John]

Dassault Rafale
Twin turbofan multi mission fighter.

This page lists the major suppliers to the Dassault Rafale aircraft program.

Manufacturer
Dassault Aviation (France)

Suppliers

Materials / Composites
Hexcel Composites (USA) Carbon Fibre: Carbon fibers, structural adhesives, honeycombs, prepregs, sandwich panels and reinforcement fabrics

Materials / Lubricants
Orelube Corporation (USA) Synthetic Lubricants: Boelube

Components / Electrical Components
Labinal (France) Wire Harnesses: Electrical wiring systems

Components / Fasteners
Avibank Mfg. Inc. (USA) Pins, bolts, fasteners & accessories

Components / Mechanical Components
Eaton Aerospace Phelps Valve (USA) Pumps, valves, level sensors, pressure switches, refuel/defuel manifolds, and couplings

Components / Sensors, Transducers & Detectors
Goodrich Sensors & Integrated Systems (USA) Sensors/Transducers: Pitot probe; ice detectors; air data total air temperature sensors

Airframe Systems / Airframe Assemblies
Saint-Gobain Sully (France) Transparent Canopies: Blister windscreen/canopy, gold coated to reduce radar reflection

Airframe Systems / Crew Seating
Martin Baker Aircraft (United Kingdom) Ejector Seats: Mk 16 zero/zero ejection seat

Airframe Systems / Environmental Systems
Liebherr-Aerospace Lindenberg GmbH (Germany) Cabin Pressure Control Systems:
Technofan (France) Air Conditioning Equipment: Cockpit air conditioning system

Airframe Systems / Landing Assemblies
Messier-Bugatti (France) Carbon Brakes: ; Brake-by-Wire Systems:
Messier-Dowty (France) Aircraft Landing Gear: Main landing gear & nose landing gear

Airframe Systems / Oxygen Systems & Equipment
Air Liquide (France) Oxygen Generation Systems: OBOGS

Airframe Systems / Safety & Security Systems
Ducommun Technologies, Inc. (USA) Warning Systems/Equipment: Master caution and warning assemblies
L'Hotellier (France/USA) Fire Fighting/Detection Systems: Fire detection and extinction

Airframe Systems / Weapons Systems
Thales Airborne Systems (France) Surveillance/Air Defense Radar: RBE-2 active electronically scanned array radar
Thales North America Inc. (France/USA) Electronic Warfare Systems: SPECTRA integrated electronic warfare system operating in electromagnetic, laser and infra-red domains

Avionics / Flight and Data Management
Moog Controls (UK) Automatic Flight Control Systems: Primary flight controls

Avionics / Imaging and Visual Systems
Thales Optronics (Bury St Edmunds) Limited (France/UK) Airborne Reconnaissance Infrared: Front sector optronic system

Power Systems / Auxiliary Power
Microturbo S.A. (France) Auxiliary Power Units: Rubis 305 APU

Power Systems / Electrical Power Systems
ECE (France) Power Distribution Equipment: Primary onboard electrical distribution system

Power Systems / Engine Components
Aerotech Herman Nelson, Inc. (Canada) Engine Preheaters: Portable heaters

Power Systems / Engines
SNECMA Moteurs (France) Turbofan Engines: M88-2 engines including low-emissions combustor, single-crystal turbine blades and powder metallurgy disks

Power Systems / Fuel Systems
Le Bozec Filtration et Systemes (France) Fuel Filters:
RUAG Aerospace (Switzerland) Fuel Tanks & Systems: Under wing fuel tanks

Power Systems / Power Transmission
Hispano Suiza (France/Spain) Mechanical Transmissions: Engine power transmissions and hydromechanics

Production / Production Equipment
LASELEC SA (France) Marking Equipment: Cable & wire laser marking equipment

Production / Tools
Le Creneau Industriel (France) Machine Tools: CNC machine tools

Testing / Test Equipment
EADS Test & Services (France) Automated Test Equipment: Automatic test equipment & ground test system

http://www.airframer.com/aircraft_detail.html?model=Dassault_Rafale

Spectra EW suite is made in US. Rafale will have TOT issues as well, not so simple as we think. but i guess with so many US parts, Rafale is till good option because we can squeeze unkil for all those US weapons on Rafale, Aim-120D, SDB, SLAM-ER etc on Rafale would be nice.

 

[AJSINGH]

well the R-77/R-27 are all gr8 weapons on paper, the fact remains most of Russian BVRs in our inventory are malfunctioning. now what they are capable of doing is useless if CAG is not happy with the way they function (or dont in this case) and please no talk about storage conditions, we know how to store weapons. The mig-29 has been shot down many a time and again this idea of poor training doesn't hold true becaue they were shot down in Serbia as well which btw had recieved soviet training for its fleet of mig-29s. the F-15 incident you speak of is the mig-25 (not mig-29) which evaded many missiles and those missiles were Aim-7s and not the Aim-120. The Aim-120 has killed mig-29, mig-25s, mig-23s, mig-21 etc. so far every mig-29 has fallen victim of the Aim-120 many a time.

The SH' upgraded engine is the GE F 414-EPE, 118KN+ thrust per engine, 236KN per aircraft, up from 98KN per engine. We have the choice to go for it.

Boeing's Super Hornet seeks export sale to launch 20% thrust upgrade

Two MiG-25s were shot down by USAF F-15Cs during the Gulf War. After the war, in 1992, a U.S. F-16 downed a MiG-25 that violated the no-fly zone in southern Iraq. In yet another incident, two MiG-25s approached a pair of F-15s, fired missiles (which were evaded by the F-15s), and then outran the American fighters. Two more F-15s joined the pursuit, and a total of ten air-to-air missiles were fired at the MiG-25s, though none reached them.

TVC isn't needed for the SH which already boasts very good nose pointing abilities, TVC increases maintenance costs and complexity. Mig-35 was never a favorite, Navy was always intersted in SH and considering the broad nature of the requirements of this deal, mig stands no chance, the mig's PGM abilities are a joke compared to the SH. Russian are taking baby steps at precision bombs and are way behind EU and US in that matter. The US weapons SH allow for long range, precise and cost effective targeting and distribution of this info using SH's awacs abilties. SH's radar and avionics outperform all the others except the Rafale which has a better EW suite. The mig-35 can't deploy those long range BVRs like the R-77M etc because its AESA can only track a 3m2 target at 130km, all those missiles are useless on the mig, rather they fit better on the MKI, even if we acuire the missiles it will be for the MKI and not the mig. The mig is lame. While the SH has already fired its Aim-120D at the mig at over 130km.

Chinook does carry a minigun/machine gun, its competitor the mi-26 doesnt, is a bigger target, lacks decent spares and is very old. Chinook will win the deal for 16 Heavy lift choppers. Chinook's service cieling is also around 3000ft higher.

Now Apache-3 block 3 should be available but we cant expect complete tot for 22 choppers let be realistic. They will be acquired off the shelf and a comprehensive spares support agreement will be reached which will allow us to maintain and operate locally without any external support.

Trials will end next year summer and decision will be taken by 2010 december, we are facing shortages and you think we will delay further, no way, the first aircraft will have to arrive by late 2013 or early 2014 at the latest.

like i said dont go by the CAG report because they induction rate of new missile is lower than that which are passed their expiration date ..plus teh BAG report is not finished yet ...if this trend continues buying missile when old missile have passed their shelf life then we will have malfunction missile ,,not the fault of russia or indian storage capacity but fault with our own policy of weapons purchase ...also the decision wont be made so fast ...they wont IAF wont compramise on technical evalution just because squadron strength is decreasing ...and that F-15 not able to shoot down is of Mig 29 and not Mig 25 ...check it on wikipedia ...there have been only 4 instances that any american fighter has shot down Mig 29 mostly in Ksovo conflict ..plus they were old Mig 29 from the mid 1980s era .a gift to serbia ...like we do with african nations when we phase out our own fighter jets ..poor training does hold true because soviet or russian pilots they themself are undertrained ...

TVC is very well needed and loved By IAF ..and will give an edge in the final decision.one of the main reason that IAF is interested in Mig 35 ..it aksi feature OLS ..does HS feature that ..do note that Mig 35 is still ind development and will feature more and butter upgrades where SH is saturated and will be replaced By F-35

also when u said that Mig 35 will not be able to us the maximum potential of R-77 ..then u are basing this view that the current radar on Mig 35 will not develop further ..whereas that is not true...by the time Mig 35 enters the Trial rounds ..or the decision the Russian ASEA radar will be mature enough beating the SH

The Super Hornet is in approximately the same weight class as the Su-30, and is, in every way, a heavy hitter, with all the attendant cross-section and logistics issues. The IAF has expressed apprehensions about the Super Hornet's logistics footprint (and its overall impact on ownership costs), though these have been discussed only internally -- they will be taken up during the foreign leg of the field evaluation tests (FETs). The Super Hornet is a rugged, beast of an airplane no doubt, but there remains a substantial quarter in the IAF which is still hung on the apprehension that it is, ultimately, a maritime strike fighter. "Let's face it. The development of the Super Hornet was with the US Navy in mind. The exports to other country's air forces are simply bonuses. It is a maritime strike fighter, with a maritime role development history behind it. Fielding it as an air force jet is borne from commercial considerations. Both Boeing and Lockheed are trying to maximise profits from the F-18/F-16 production lines before they have to shut shop for the F-35," says one senior IAF pilot, who does not fly anymore. The Indian government has opened its Boeing IDS account with the P-8I Poseidon deal -- the government may be wary of laying it on too thick with one vendor.

 

[John]

well Russia is also trying to squeeze the mig-29 production just like US with F-18/F-16. many of the malfunctioning r-77s were part of the batch acquired after Kargil when IAF ordered 2000 missiles. many KH-31a/p our primary anti radiations missiles are also malfunctioning. R-77s missiles have a shelf life of 8 yrs while Aim-120s have a shelf life of 10 years, hence even the R-77 M if acquired will only be fit for 8 years while atleast aim-120D will stay another 2 years.

SH is by no mean saturated, the apg-79 has already been upgraded twice, the latest RAAF SHs carry APG-79 V-3 radars. RAAF also bought SHs and not just USN and we'll buy it too.

Two variants of the Zhuk-A exist: the FGA-29 (The current radar with max. detection range of 130km for 3m2 rcs) and the follow on FGA-35 which will boast an improved detection range of 200 km with 60 targets tracked, the radar will also support a maximum mapping resolution of 1*1m in air to surface mode. The FGA-35 will feature a 700mm antenna with an increased number of transmit and receive modules to between 1000-1,100, a 20 degree incline and a peak power of 6 kW. The Zhuk AESA has MTBF of 600hrs.

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/4484/zhukaemj2.jpg

The first FGA-29 version is now being tested on the mig-35 in weapons trails, even its proposed increment the FGA-35 doesn't match the APG-79 max. detection range of over 500km. The SH can command over 36 aircraft in battle. The APG-79 has a MTBF which is unparalleled with 15,000hrs MTBF for the Array itself and 1250+ hrs for the radar. Mig-35s airframe has a life time of 5000-6000 hrs, SH has 6000hrs.

Raytheon Company: AN/APG-79 AESA Radar Active Electronically Scanned Array

Look, It's the Green Hornet! Navy to Test Biofuels in F-18 Fighter Jet : TreeHugger

its also being tested soon with Biofuels which will again drastically cut its fuel costs, F-18SH will be almost as cheap to operate as the Gripen per flight hour by the end of next year. The F-18G has begun coming off the line recently and upgrades are already being worked on. LM will integrate the IRST in the forward fuesalage and the new engine will increase thrust and reduce fuel burn whihc is good enough to make it even better.

well TVC isn't a must and Rafale, Gripen NG dont have it yet. EF T-3 will recieve it later, SV comes with MATV option. Now you go check the mig-25 and mig-29 link on wiki and see how it fared in its past encounters. mig-25 outran missiles and not mig-29. Mig-29 was shot down every where it flew.

Mikoyan MiG-29 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[John]

besides they cant start production of mig-35 before 2013, so we'll recieve it only in 2016, plus Russian habit of delays, give or take 2017,,, are you kidding me... if thats the case, we should have simply ordered the f-35. No way...mrca has already been delayed so many years, IAF wont buy it. If ordered in end 2010, the SH can be delivered by end 2013, production takes 36 months and its the only line 3 months ahead of schedule.

Russia aims to start making MiG-35 fighters for India in 2013 | Top Russian news and analysis online | 'RIA Novosti' newswire

 

[p2prada]

Navy was always intersted in SH

IN was never interested in the SH. They were interested in the F-35 and Su-33 and are presently interested in procuring more Mig-29k.

and considering the broad nature of the requirements of this deal, mig stands no chance, the mig's PGM abilities are a joke compared to the SH. Russian are taking baby steps at precision bombs and are way behind EU and US in that matter. The US weapons SH allow for long range, precise and cost effective targeting and distribution of this info using SH's awacs abilties.

India or Russia cannot afford PGMs like the US employs. Dropping a couple of dumb bombs is cheaper and more effective. PGM's is just a show of power, in other words, just to show off. Nothing effective. American and French Cluster Bombs are better; cost effective and more deadly.

The mig-35 can't deploy those long range BVRs like the R-77M etc because its AESA can only track a 3m2 target at 130km, all those missiles are useless on the mig, rather they fit better on the MKI, even if we acuire the missiles it will be for the MKI and not the mig. The mig is lame. While the SH has already fired its Aim-120D at the mig at over 130km.

The Mig-35 radar will soon be superior to the BARS used on the MKI. And will evolve further by the time IRBIS AESA is operational.

 

[John]

the OLS

In air combat, the optronic suite allows:

Detection of non-afterburning targets at 45 km range and more;
Identification of those targets at 8 to 10 km range; and
Estimates of aerial target range at up to 15 km.
For ground targets, the suite allows:

A tank-effective detection range up to 15 km, and aircraft carrier detection at 60 to 80 km;
Identification of the tank type on the 8 to 10 km range, and of an aircraft carrier at 40 to 60 km; and
Estimates of ground target range of up to 20 km.


While the SH's ATFLIR does all the same functions out to range well over 40NM or over 75km+ and can be used with the APG-79, the sensor fusion is gr8, the SH's new IRST will go onboard the forward fuesalage is made by LM which is similar to the IRST on the F-22.

http://www.raytheon.com/capabilities/products/atflir/

 

[John]

IN was never interested in the SH. They were interested in the F-35 and Su-33 and are presently interested in procuring more Mig-29k.



India or Russia cannot afford PGMs like the US employs. Dropping a couple of dumb bombs is cheaper and more effective. PGM's is just a show of power, in other words, just to show off. Nothing effective. American and French Cluster Bombs are better; cost effective and more deadly.



The Mig-35 radar will soon be superior to the BARS used on the MKI. And will evolve further by the time IRBIS AESA is operational.

no the evolved version Zhuk AE will have a max detection range of 200km, it will come no way near the MKI's or SH's AESA. the current Zhuk AE FGA-29 has max detection range of 130km for 3m2 rcs, while the future upgrade will increase detection range to 200km for 5m2 target.

MiG-35 sensor suite unveiled.


Zhuk AE will be superior to the BARS because it an Active array, it will still fall below the BARS in detection ranges. Speaking of affordability, the EU weapons are almost 2 to 3 times more expensive than US weapons, yet we seem so eager to go for Rafale which will need weapons like ASSM, Apache, Stormshadow, Sagem LGBs etc which are very expensive compared to US counterparts. By paying $38,000 for SDB which can hit a target 110km away, IAF can hit a far away target reducing risk to the aircraft and achieve its mission. Or by engaging a single CBU-97SFW the SH can take out 40 tanks, it can carry 4 such weapons and can destroy upto 160 targets in a single sortie at range of 65km. the cost of such destruction is a little over $1.2 million and distance to target is still 50km, enough time to run back home for medals. Money is not an issue when that money spent gives results to the IAF and peace of mind to the pilot. Most Russian PGMs the pilot will have to get close to the target, too close for comfort, you forget a cheap anti aircraft gun is still good enough to shoot down any aircraft.

 

[p2prada]

no the evolved version Zhuk AE will have a max detection range of 200km, it will come no way near the MKI's or SH's AESA. the current Zhuk AE FGA-29 has max detection range of 130km for 3m2 rcs, while the future upgrade will increase detection range to 200km for 5m2 target.

MiG-35 sensor suite unveiled.

All those figures are wrong. The AESA figures for the Russian radars, including the BARS is not known. The figures you are throwing around are bad estimates by analysts. Even the American radar ranges are unknown. The only official statement about the range of the Zukh was very vague. The official said "hundreds of kilometres," that is all that is known about the Zukh.

the EU weapons are almost 2 to 3 times more expensive than US weapons, yet we seem so eager to go for Rafale which will need weapons like ASSM, Apache, Stormshadow, Sagem LGBs etc which are very expensive compared to US counterparts.

Price does not matter. Why do you think the whole of Europe gave up on the Aim-120 and are waiting for the Meteor. Any Aim-120s inducted will be temporary, a stop gap measure. Most of American weapons like the PGMs is not practical. It's like saying tanks must give up their shells and fire only ATGMs. That will be foolish.

Anyways, mass production of the European weapons will cut costs in the long run. This will be beneficial for us if we go European. We may even get manufacturing rights for most weapons, hopefully. But, if we go for American, we can only source them and not build them.

By paying $38,000 for SDB which can hit a target 110km away, IAF can hit a far away target reducing risk to the aircraft and achieve its mission.

Or by engaging a single CBU-97SFW the SH can take out 40 tanks, it can carry 4 such weapons and can destroy upto 160 targets in a single sortie at range of 65km.

Like U said. It makes no sense dropping small PGMs when you have cluster bombs. Cheaper by the dozen. Russian weapons are like that. They are plain and simple to use and also cause a lot of destruction. It's just that the CBU-105 has no peers. IAF will be getting these very soon for their jags and mirages.

the cost of such destruction is a little over $1.2 million and distance to target is still 50km, enough time to run back home for medals. Money is not an issue when that money spent gives results to the IAF and peace of mind to the pilot. Most Russian PGMs the pilot will have to get close to the target, too close for comfort, you forget a cheap anti aircraft gun is still good enough to shoot down any aircraft.

The range is not right. Any pilot will require visual confirmation even during war to engage targets. Technologically too, the "small" American weapons will have to work in a dense electronic environment. It is not possible for the PGM to gain even 60% accuracy in such an environment at such long ranges. The PGMs may even miss their targets by miles.

Also, Battle Tanks and APCs have something called the smoke grenade. With this, PGMs are completely and thoroughly nullified. No amount of PGMs will get through smoke. This is where you need your Dumb bombs. Your $1000000 bomb is stopped by a $100 smoke canister or even a cheaper method (tank engine spewing out smoke).

Most American weapons are over-hyped and have a high PR value. It's similar to how most people on the planet still like the F-15 and F-16 compared to the Flanker. American media at its best. Those large defence companies also need to come out with new stuff for continued funding from the govt without which their entire industry will collapse due to less demand. It's just like NASA releasing every little detail on signs of life for continued funding. Desperate lot.

Boeing and LM will promise IAF the moon. But, they will never deliver completely. The Americans still don't trust us when it comes to military technology. Even the Phalcon ToT was denied to us by the Americans. The EF group have no choice since they are broke. So, are the French. We can use this to our advantage. Swedes use American technology and will pose problems. Only the French are the most reliable suppliers after the Russians. Spain, Italy and Britain bend to American pressure easily. We cannot pin our hopes only on Germany to bail us out if we go for EFT. Whereas, Mig-35 give us nothing new in technology.

 

[AJSINGH]

well Russia is also trying to squeeze the mig-29 production just like US with F-18/F-16. many of the malfunctioning r-77s were part of the batch acquired after Kargil when IAF ordered 2000 missiles. many KH-31a/p our primary anti radiations missiles are also malfunctioning. R-77s missiles have a shelf life of 8 yrs while Aim-120s have a shelf life of 10 years, hence even the R-77 M if acquired will only be fit for 8 years while atleast aim-120D will stay another 2 years.

SH is by no mean saturated, the apg-79 has already been upgraded twice, the latest RAAF SHs carry APG-79 V-3 radars. RAAF also bought SHs and not just USN and we'll buy it too.

Two variants of the Zhuk-A exist: the FGA-29 (The current radar with max. detection range of 130km for 3m2 rcs) and the follow on FGA-35 which will boast an improved detection range of 200 km with 60 targets tracked, the radar will also support a maximum mapping resolution of 1*1m in air to surface mode. The FGA-35 will feature a 700mm antenna with an increased number of transmit and receive modules to between 1000-1,100, a 20 degree incline and a peak power of 6 kW. The Zhuk AESA has MTBF of 600hrs.

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/4484/zhukaemj2.jpg

The first FGA-29 version is now being tested on the mig-35 in weapons trails, even its proposed increment the FGA-35 doesn't match the APG-79 max. detection range of over 500km. The SH can command over 36 aircraft in battle. The APG-79 has a MTBF which is unparalleled with 15,000hrs MTBF for the Array itself and 1250+ hrs for the radar. Mig-35s airframe has a life time of 5000-6000 hrs, SH has 6000hrs.

Raytheon Company: AN/APG-79 AESA Radar Active Electronically Scanned Array

Look, It's the Green Hornet! Navy to Test Biofuels in F-18 Fighter Jet : TreeHugger

its also being tested soon with Biofuels which will again drastically cut its fuel costs, F-18SH will be almost as cheap to operate as the Gripen per flight hour by the end of next year. The F-18G has begun coming off the line recently and upgrades are already being worked on. LM will integrate the IRST in the forward fuesalage and the new engine will increase thrust and reduce fuel burn whihc is good enough to make it even better.

well TVC isn't a must and Rafale, Gripen NG dont have it yet. EF T-3 will recieve it later, SV comes with MATV option. Now you go check the mig-25 and mig-29 link on wiki and see how it fared in its past encounters. mig-25 outran missiles and not mig-29. Mig-29 was shot down every where it flew.

Mikoyan MiG-29 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mig 35 was specifiically developed for MMRCA competition ..plus Mig 29 will not shut shop because orders are still coming in ..CAG report is done in 2009 isnt it ...R-77m were bought in 1999 ..so do the math 10 years ...shelf life
and can u post any link which says that shelf life of AIM 120 is 10 years and cheaper than R-77.SH will be phased out once F-35 comes online..everyone knows that ..only the remaining will be in the serivce ..in our case if we buy SH we will use those aircraft till 2040.so the question is of upgrades.whereas Mig 35 being new aircraft ..will have many many more upgrades .
Talking about Mig35 asea radar u yourself know that 2 versions are already out .the next will be better than the SH...and paste the link that the SH radar has 400km detection range .Mig 35 airframe life has been increased significantly ...IAF knows this well because we have Mig 29SMT now.Plus Russia does not have much free media espicially under putin ...they dont publically release specification about their sensitive military technology accurately ...USAF does not even know the radar signature of the barrs radar on Mki...let alone the range and maximum potential
About bio fuels..DRDO has its own project of bio fuel ...the project is adjacent to my place
Dont u see that IAF loves TVC ...if not why it has placed order of MKi with TVC

About Mig 29 being shot down ...yes i checked myself not only from wikipedia from other sources also
Mig 29 were shot down only 4 times by USAF fighters ..other were lost to bomb and poor pilot training
Mig 25 fared well because its ultimately 1970 aircraft ( america had nothing at that time against Mig 25 )
plus in operation desert shield Mig 25 shot down F-15C and because of Mig 25 threat ...many bombing missions were aborted

 

[AJSINGH]

besides they cant start production of mig-35 before 2013, so we'll recieve it only in 2016, plus Russian habit of delays, give or take 2017,,, are you kidding me... if thats the case, we should have simply ordered the f-35. No way...mrca has already been delayed so many years, IAF wont buy it. If ordered in end 2010, the SH can be delivered by end 2013, production takes 36 months and its the only line 3 months ahead of schedule.

Russia aims to start making MiG-35 fighters for India in 2013 | Top Russian news and analysis online | 'RIA Novosti' newswire

when have russia delayed supply of arms to india ..except the aircraft carrier ...like i said the decision wont be taken as fast as u think ..its india after all..we bargain like shit and then there is political decision to be take care of