MRCA News & Dicussions (IV)

[p2prada]

As a matter of fact the F-35B/C can be increased to 9G+ at a flick of switch............as can the F/A-18C/D Hornet and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

The Mirage-2000 can handle 13G at a flick of a switch.

 

[arya]

we took how many years to select a plane

how much money time we waste and no one is thikning for nation security

why can any one tell me how much more time it will take place

 

[Crusader53]

The Mirage-2000 can handle 13G at a flick of a switch.

The aircraft would suffer extensive damage and the pilot would be dead.

 

[roma]

we took how many years to select a plane

how much money time we waste and no one is thikning for nation security

why can any one tell me how much more time it will take place

exactly ----- how much longer is it gonna take ??

 

[bharadwaj]

Well the first a/c will arrive here in 2014 so nearly three more years to go!lol
BTW Tejas will achieve IOC today,so YIPPEE!!!!!!

 

[vikramrana_1812]

Rafael pitches Litening pod for India's fighter contest


srael's Rafael has intensified a marketing push to get its Litening G-4 targeting pod on board whichever aircraft eventually wins the Indian air force's medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) competition. The 126-aircraft requirement is one of the most sought-after defence contracts for the next few years and is likely to be worth more than $11 billion. The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, Lockheed Martin F-16, RSK MiG-35 and Saab Gripen NG are in contention for the deal.
Last September, Rafael and Northrop Grumman were awarded a contract by the US Department of Defense to partially fulfil a contract for advanced targeting pods for the US Air Force with the Litening.
The companies are now working together in the Indian market to brief defence establishment figures on the Litening G-4 and how it would interface with the various aircraft bidding for the MMRCA contract.
Separately, Rafael says several air forces are negotiating to buy its Reccelite real-time intelligence and reconnaissance system, following its recent operational performance in Afghanistan.
"The forces there learned that the capabilities of this system and its ground station enable them to detect ambushes and other threats, like improvised explosive devices in almost real time by a fast comparison of the images captured by the system," says Rafael executive vice-president marketing Lova Drori.
Nations to have used the Reccelite sensor in Afghanistan include Germany and the Netherlands. The design is derived from the Litening pod.


http://idrw.org/?p=2261

 

[Godless-Kafir]

Has there been any news release on what that leaked document contains? Did any news reporter get any leads out of it?

 

[Armand2REP]

Has there been any news release on what that leaked document contains? Did any news reporter get any leads out of it?

It talked about industrial offsets... nothing special.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Some people in IAF pointing Gripen as well as Rafale..

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Saab to bring Gripen trio to Aero India
January 9, 2011
By Saurabh Joshi

Swedish defense major Saab is planning to get three Gripen NG aircraft to Aero India, the air show in Bangalore due to be held next month. Inderjit Sial, head of Saab in India told StratPost that while two of the aircraft would conduct flight displays, the third would be on static display. The aircraft is in the race to win the Indian Air Force (IAF) tender for 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA).

The company is also flying in two other aircraft, the Saab 2000, which it is pitching in response to the Indian Navy's Request for Information (RFI) for Medium Range Maritime Reconnaissance (MRMR) aircraft, as well as the Saab 340, a 34-seater aircraft in which the company hopes to interest the Indian Coast Guard in association with the Indian company, Punj Lloyd. The Coast Guard is expected to lease a total of 12 aircraft for maritime patrol.

Saab will also display its RBS-15 Anti-Ship Missile and its Giraffe MB radar which it hopes to offer the Indian Navy as part of a network of coastal defense batteries, as well as its RBS-70 MANPADS missile system and HARD radar, which it is pitching to the Indian armed forces.

Besides this, the company will show off its Head Up Display (HUD) built in association with Samtel for light helicopters and aircraft, which will allow operations in weather conditions that require CAT III facilities.

Stratpost

http://www.saabgroup.com/en/Air/Gripen-Fighter-System/Gripen-for-India/The-Fighter-Gripen-IN/

 

[thecoolone]

A Tribune Exclusive
More muscle to India's air might Eurofighter ahead in IAF deal Likely to pip Russian, US, French jets for $10-billion 'deal of the decade'
Man Mohan
Our Roving Editor
New Delhi, January 10
The buzz has started about which new 'fighter bird' will rule the Indian skies as well as those of enemy. The Eurofighter aircraft, it seems, has emerged the winner after a long 'dogfight' among six foreign 4.5th generation jet planes to clinch over $10-billion Indian Air Force deal for 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA). The second runner-up is said to be the French fighter Rafale.

Despite the aggressive business-oriented visit of US President Barack Obama recently, two major competing American military aircraft makers, Boeing and Lockheed Martin, have lost their pitch.

Growing Indo-US strategic relations have not helped the American diplomatic and arms lobbies to get either of the two planes touch the winning mark. India had shortlisted six aircraft: American Lockheed Martin's F-16IN 'Super Viper', US Boeing's 'Super Hornet' F/A-18IN, European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company NV (EADS)' Eurofighter Typhoon - EADS is a consortium of British, German, Spanish and Italy firms - French D'assault's Rafale, Swedish Saab's Gripen, and Russian MiG-35. The MMRCAs induction is likely to start by 2015.

When the file related to the final evaluation of rival aircraft was shown to Defence Minister AK Antony, highly reliable sources told The Tribune that he said that if this was the case, let it be. The Prime Minister's Office has been made aware about this. Now, a 'political decision' is awaited on this mega deal.

Interestingly, on the New Year eve, an important file relating to the deal was found on the roadside in the Khel Gaon area. The file was supposed to be in the custody of an IAS officer of the rank of director in the defence production wing of the Ministry of Defence. An inquiry has been ordered.

The IAF intends to purchase the MMRCA combat jets to replace its aging Russian-made MiG-21 fleet in phases and help in curbing the recent trend of the depleting squadron strength.

India had floated tenders for this deal in August 2007. The exhaustive technical evaluation of the six global manufacturers' bids was completed last year. Starting from Bangalore, the trials took the competing fighters and their weapons to the hot desert region of Jaisalmer as well as high-altitude Leh.

Incidentally, the IAF 'top guns' - after trials at home and abroad - were said to be in favour of Swedish Saab's Gripen fighters. Boeing's 'Super Hornet' also reportedly gave a tough fight to be among the top four. The Eurofighter is said to be the costliest jet among the competitors.

Lockheed Martin's F-16 lost mainly as the Air Force pilots' community raised a critical question: why should India go for the same fighter aircraft that is with our main regional adversary - Pakistan?

The arrival of Lockheed Martin's F-16 fighter plane for trials had made many in the IAF apprehensive, and they feared that its 'selection' - because of over-pitched American lobbying - might become a 'combat disadvantage' for India. Pakistan has been operating F-16 aircraft since the mid-eighties and is currently flying the F-16 Block 50.

The Russian MiG-35 was 'not touched' by the evaluators as New Delhi and Moscow were busy signing a deal for a fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA).
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110111/main1.htm

 

[Kunal Biswas]

On display at the Saab stand at Aero India 2011. Rafael's Lite Shield.

Lite Shield

Title:Close Protection EscortJamer Electronic Attack Pod

The Lite Shield is a relatively small, electronic attack pod that implements "close protection" to ensure immediate, flexible and constantly available electronic attack capability and response. It is equipped with the most advanced EW components, which shield the strike formation from being detected and engaged prior to completing its mission.

The Lite Shield is mounted on an aircraft's targeting pod station, therefore enabling the jamming aircraft to carry out the primary mission and the electronic attack simultaneously, conserving coordination and resources. The Lite Shield enhances air force attack without impinging on space for the weapons payload.

* Continuously available EW protection
* Full operational flexibility with no need for pre-planning
* One-pod-protection against search radars for an entire formation
* Cost-effect solution eliminating the need for dedicated EW aircraft
* Quickly integrated to any platform that is already certified for the Litening targeting pod.

http://www.rafael.co.il/Marketing/336-1684-en/Marketing.aspx
http://www.rafael.co.il/marketing/SIP_STORAGE/FILES/7/1107.pdf

 

[Kunal Biswas]

 

[p2prada]

The aircraft would suffer extensive damage and the pilot would be dead.

My bad. It is 11G and not to mention an AOA of 31deg. 13G wouldn't kill pilots, only you and me.

Having 7.5G at peace time would mean Pilots will not be trained in 8G and 9G maneuvers. So, that defeats the purpose of the aircraft. As of now only the F-35A is a real fighter.

 

[p2prada]

As time passes, it is getting clearer that any of these 3 will win the deal; Gripen, Rafale or the EF-2000. Perhaps by the time the deal is struck, all 3 will have as capable electronics as the Super Hornet or the Viper.

 

[warriorextreme]

EF and rafale are too much costly

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Armed forces face further £1bn in cuts

The armed forces face the immediate prospect of having to make significant cuts – of well over £1bn a year – on top of those announced in October's defence review, it emerged today.

The Ministry of Defence faces a "nightmare" as it tries to cope with the extra shortfall in this year's planning round, a leading defence analyst said.

The "defence review has not done enough", Michael Clarke, director of the Royal United Services Institute, told a conference in London attended by senior military officers.

The annual gap between commitments and available cash for the armed forces over the next few years could amount to as much as £2bn, a situation Clarke described as unsustainable.

This year's planning round would be a "nightmare", he said. Even with an increase now to bridge the immediate shortfall the military would need more later this decade to meet the objectives laid out in the defence review.

Under the review the current £38bn annual defence budget will be cut by about 7.5% over the next four years. However, the review also laid out plans for a reduced role for the armed forces by 2020. But even that would require a real terms increase in the defence budget in the years following 2015, military chiefs have insisted.

It has also emerged that the RAF is to scrap more than 50 Eurofighter/Typhoon jets which became operational only three years ago at a cost of more than £4.5bn because it cannot afford to update them.

An MoD spokeswoman said it did not recognise the figures on the immediate defence budget shortfall. However, they were not challenged by senior military personnel present at the conference.

Nick Harvey, the Lib Dem armed forces minister, told the conference Labour had allowed a "massive unfunded liability in defence to build up"

UK is scrapping 50 Typhoons because they could no longer afford them.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Saab competition for Aero India 2011

http://gripentopgun.com/aboutus.aspx

 

[Armand2REP]

UK is scrapping 50 Typhoons because they could no longer afford them.

WTF? Those 53 Eurofighters are the backbone of RAF's interceptors. The cost to bring them to Blk 2 is not prohibitive. France is bringing all 93 Rafales to F3 standard while is RAF is cutting off its balls.

 

[neo29]

US bats for its fighter aircraft makers

Ahead of a high technology business development trade mission to India, US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke has advocated for US fighter aircraft manufacturers saying the US is a willing and capable defence partner.

Locke, who would lead the trade mission to India from Feb 6-11, told Indian Ambassador Meera Shankar at a meeting here Tuesday that the US government views high technology defence sales as a cornerstone of the US-India strategic partnership.

Two US planes, Lockheed Martin's F-16 and Boeing's F/A-18 are competing with Russian MiG-RAC's MiG-35, French Dassault's Rafale, Swedish Saab's Gripen and European consortium EADS' Eurofighter Typhoon for a $10 billion deal for 126 fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force.

The tendering process for the 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA), initiated in August 2007, has entered its final phase after the IAF carried out the flight and weapons evaluation of the six competing aircraft for what has been described as the 'mother of all deals'.

Locke met Shankar to discuss bilateral trade and investment issues as he prepares to lead the high technology business development mission that will make stops in New Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore, the Commerce Department said.

Over 70 companies applied to participate in the US mission in order to promote US exports of high technology products and services in key economic sectors: civil-nuclear trade, defence and security, civil aviation, and information and communications technology.

US exports of goods to India are up 15.2 percent through the first 10 months of 2010 and projected to surpass $19 billion for the entire year - an all-time high.

Advanced technologies, including aerospace, specialised materials, information and communications technologies, electronics and flexible manufacturing systems underpinned this growth, the department said.

Overall US exports to India were $16.4 billion in 2009, making India the 17th largest export market. Exports to India through October 2010 reached approximately $16.1 billion.

http://www.sify.com/news/us-bats-for-its-fighter-aircraft-makers-news-international-lbmjOffffdi.html