posted in the wrong section by mistake.
Mods plz move it to the respective section.
thanks.

If India is looking to operate it from a carrier, it was the only option following the short listing of this with the Typhoon, EADS must have known their offer of developing a naval used Typhoon was a long shot, with the Rafale M actually in service.

There is nothing at all wrong with the Rafale, I wish the Royal Navy was buying it too

Funny how the article stresses that no political influences were to be allowed in the decision, then points out that France was the only country not to censure India following the Pakhora II tests?

I do regard the Typhoon as the (just) superior aircraft and have previously written on here that I thought it would win. I wondered how willing France would be to the technology transfer, but they seem to be perfectly willing as the article says. I am still puzzled though how the Typhoon was even short listed in the final two as being, along with Rafale of course, one of the only two that met the technical requirements in every respect?

Given that Typhoon is not, and never was until very recently, designed with carrier ops in mind,how could this be? That is probably why I thought it would win. It seemed that carrier operation was not that important after all.

However I do regard the Rafale as the best operational carrier based fighter in the world today, all things considered. The US certainly put out some great technology, and in that field alone they have an obvious lead, but the airframes they are being offered in are old and tired and, in the case of the F-18 specifically, just not that great. I think when India states it is looking at a 40 year operational life it becomes obvious why the US offerings did not make it through. If the F-35 hadn't turned out to be such a cash hungry hangar queen it might have been different.

I think Indias next big contract after this one will be when the buy the Sukhoi T-50. While the debates can rage on whether it beats the F-22 or not, the fact that aircraft is not for sale means India buying second best if they go anywhere else, and I do include my beloved Typhoon and the F-35 in that

It's really pretty sad the United States never could make the F-35, and make it cheaply enough India would want it.

Malaysia is also buying them and the Royal Thai Air Force is buying Saab Gripens instead of American fighters.

How on Earth did America stop making fighter aircraft other countries wanted? Oh yeah....America's Air industry fell apart due to allllll the cuts made over the years.

Originally posted by Pervius
It's really pretty sad the United States never could make the F-35, and make it cheaply enough India would want it

Since when have India been buying American fighters? Why would any country that behaves in any way politically independently want to buy the F-35 at the price it will eventually run too?

Malaysia is also buying them and the Royal Thai Air Force is buying Saab Gripens instead of American fighters.

Smaller air forces simply can not afford to put their few eggs in the F-35 type basket as it just severely reduces the number of air frames they can acquire with even more money being drained away in keeping these aircraft operating in any kind of stealthy well maintained way. Also the whole question of foreign sales of 'high tech' aircraft is rather political and i am not sure that the F-35 is even on offer to any countries other than the original partners? I suspect the 'buy in' price would be rather significant at this late date?

How on Earth did America stop making fighter aircraft other countries wanted? Oh yeah....America's Air industry fell apart due to allllll the cuts made over the years.

I am not sure that it's a question of want as much as it is a question of affordability. Most countries needs to maintain some kind of air defense force but given the likely enemies it would be extremely inefficient to acquire&operate something as needlessly complex given the limited utility it's stealthiness represents. Only the US can begin to contemplate affording force numbers that ensures that however infrequently it might actually get in the air there will still be enough operable air frames to ensure national defense if not , perhaps, "national security".

As for the 'cuts' i do not know where you get that from as the industry that can come up with such ridiculously expensive and complex toys as the F-117, B-2, F-22, V-22, F-35 was not then and is not today 'underfunded' or facing the type of cuts that would soon result in sanity prevailing. Such airplanes& ridiculously long research and acquisition cycles, with such lackadaisical oversight, can only be the result of little fear of critical considered cuts or a lack of future funding. As long as you provide the correct bribes to the correct people your product just needs to fly occasionally and not kill too many dozens of pilots&crew.

Stellar

How is it that india only has 75% literacy rating, their people live in shacks like savages but they have money to spend on a space program and an air force?

Originally posted by Kutas
How is it that india only has 75% literacy rating, their people live in shacks like savages but they have money to spend on a space program and an air force?

While agreeing with solidshot it's perhaps useful to point out that we do live in world were countries take advantage of other countries and that countries who look unable to defend their borders or their airways stand to lose rather more than the few billions of dollars it costs to occasionally invest in a more credible defense. Obviously in countries that has such issues with poverty the people should have the means to impress their priorities on their representatives in government but given India's location and it's history with it's neighbors India could probably not spend much less than they do even if they could certainly do so more efficiently.

Stellar

His thought was that to replace Jaguar in stead of replacing MiG-29K.
But, our friend didn't see that Rafale will enter IAF after almost one decade later, for that period, the second indigenous carrier for INDIA will entry service, it is hardly to think INDIAN could be such stupid to put all their eggs in one basket, whereas Rafale ordered today would be the best option tomorrow.

I am not saying that MiG-29K are unable to beat Rafale, what I mean is: unlike corrupted Chinese Gov. today, India know better how to convert their foreign exchange reserve to real facility for own benefits.