Egg On Obama’s Face! The Battle For The Indian Air Force Pie!

The contract for 126 MRCAs (With an option for another 63) amounting to more than $10.6 Billion is at stake. The Indian Air Force has finally short listed two fighters out of the six after comprehensive trials and combat efficiency tests in all weather conditions and terrain.

Barack Obama tried very hard but he's lost out on India's biggest defense deal. Despite Obama writing a letter in favor of US fighters the Indian Air Force has short listed France's Rafale and Eurofighter's Typhoon for the 10 billon dollar deal.

Earlier this year on his visit to India Obama said, "The United States Government is offering India two of the most advanced multi mission combat aircraft in the world-the Boeing F/A-181N and the Lockheed Martin F-16IN. Let me assure you the US is a willing capable & reliable defense partner to India. High technology defense sales are increasingly a cornerstone of our strategic partnership. This type of technology is only provided to our closest allies and partners."

Despite Obama's offer, the US President has lost out on the more than 10 billion dollar deal that he was pushing for, the US fighters F16 and F18 are out of contention in India's biggest defense deal.

It’s astonishing that Obama says that the F-16IN and F/A-18IN are two of the most advanced multi mission combat aircraft in the world! That’s a lot of hot air! The F-16E/F is based on an obsolete 40 year old platform design that originated in a set of specifications the United States Department of Defense issued in 1974 and hence does not conform to the program’s primary directive. The F/A-18IN is just marginally better and just about 4th generation.

Here are the two contenders that are short listed:


Eurofighter Typhoon


Dassault Rafale

And those that lost out…


MiG-35


F-16C Fighting Falcon


JAS-39D Gripen


F/A-18 Super Hornet

The F-35 was on offer too, but the lead delivery time was half a decade away. Otherwise this one could have been a sure shot winner!


JSF F-35 Lightning

And here’s a sneak peek of the 5th generation Sukhoi T-50 PAK FA, which Russia and India are jointly producing. 250 are to be built for the Indian Air Force at HAL, Bangalore, India and would be operationalized by 2015-16.


T-50 PAK-FA

And here’s a detailed Analysis of the Sukhoi T-50 PAK-FA….

The available evidence demonstrates at this time that a mature production PAK-FA design has the potential to compete with the F-22A Raptor in VLO performance from key aspects, and will outperform the F-22A Raptor aerodynamically and kinematically. Therefore, from a technological strategy perspective, the PAK-FA renders all legacy US fighter aircraft, and the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, strategically irrelevant and non-viable after the PAK-FA achieves IOC in 2015.

Well, the T-50 is still some time away, but all said I feel the French Rafale will finally beat the competition for the multi billion dollar deal.




Pics courtesy:
Businessweek
Fighterplanephotos
Knowledgerush
flightglobal

www.timesnow.tv...
www.ausairpower.net...

The F-22 would have been a good bet too . It has done extremely well in exercises against F-15s, with reported kill ratios of up to 108:0 during Exercise Northern Edge. But The US Senate had voted to halt its production, handing president Barack Obama a significant victory in his drive to curb defense spending.

Has it been finalized or officially announced by IAF? or its based on speculation of the insiders?

Award vs Contract is a big difference and takes a lot of time you know

reply to post by hp1229

Yep! It's official. The two planes mentioned above in the OP have been short listed. Now whether the Eurofighter will be finally selected or the French Rafel is a matter of conjecture at this stage.