36 Rafale, 3 squadrons of Su-30 MKI and LCA MK-II fighter jets to arm the IAF

[Prajapati]

126 Top end European aircraft with all bells and whistles was always going to be a difficult deal. 126 Rafales would have needed ~30 Bill. We are not ready to spend that kind of money especially when the services are in dire need of so many other things.

The stated price (during interview) for 126 Rafale with bells and whistles i.e. 3 separate load of armaments for each AC is 130 Thousand crores or 20 Billion $.

 

[topgun047]

The stated price (during interview) for 126 Rafale with bells and whistles i.e. 3 separate load of armaments for each AC is 130 Thousand crores or 20 Billion $.

The rich European air forces are resisting the induction of AESA on a fleet wide basis except on a few cutting edge squadrons while our IAF insists on AESA as a pre requisite for inducting the lowest tier aircraft.Go figure.

 

[Prajapati]

The rich European air forces are resisting the induction of AESA on a fleet wide basis except on a few cutting edge squadrons while our IAF insists on AESA as a pre requisite for inducting the lowest tier aircraft.Go figure.

While I broadly agree with your assessment of IAF, European AF are part of NATO and have no enemies to say of.

India sits between Pakistan and China.

 

[SrNair]

Rather pragmatic approach. The Tejas will finally live to see its full potential as it should be. Although I think a lot of the strong arming was also done to the IAF to "know their place" and get realistic.

Totally agree with you.Buying those 126 planes means total delay in funding of Navy,Army modernisation and also Fifth gen project.
Parikkar is an IITian .He knows what he is doing.Babus and Air Marshals dont have any choice.

Now Tejas MK 2 will see its full potential and will generates a formidable
aero manufacturing infras in our nation.

 

[Gabriel92]

We need Rafale for SAR operations... with ts suite its a one hell of a fighter but with only 36 during war time how many aircrafts will be available do you think???

IMO,a minimum of ~18-20/36. (If we don't count the Rafale that serve for the formation,and the Rafale that are undergoing maintenance..)

 

[I M Sikander]

126 Top end European aircraft with all bells and whistles was always going to be a difficult deal. 126 Rafales would have needed ~30 Bill. We are not ready to spend that kind of money especially when the services are in dire need of so many other things.

So You mean the indian military strategist are some immature kids who didn't knew about their defence needs and priorities.

 

[SR-91]

Dassault Aviation hopes India would buy more than 18 Rafale fighter jets



Paris: The head of Dassault Aviation said today he had not given up hope of selling extra Rafales to India on top of a deal for 36 aircraft being negotiated by the French government.


Rafale fighter aircraft. Reuters



Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month announced plans to buy 36 Rafales under a government-to-government contract with France, leaving doubts over the status of earlier plans to buy 126 planes, including 18 to be built in France.

"We'll see how about the second stage and how that evolves once the contract for 36 has been signed," Dassault chief executive Eric Trappier said at the rollout of a new business jet.

"I am not disappointed to drop from 126 to 36 planes, because the way I look at it, we are going up from 18 to 36," he told reporters, referring to the aircraft to be assembled at Dassault's own production line at Merignac, southwest France.

"We know that the Indian Air Force's needs far exceed 36 planes," he said.

 

[saurav]

So You mean the indian military strategist are some immature kids who didn't knew about their defence needs and priorities.

They became greedy and wanted the best thing available. Original requirement was of 6 Squads of Mirage-2000s. Later they insisted on buying same number of Rafales. Sadly the govt. played along and assured them that money will not be a problem.

Now with so many years gone and economy not growing at 9%, there is not enough money. IAF brass should have realized this before starting the MRCA saga. This simply wont fly with this new govt. and that's why we are seeing hitjobs daily in different papers quoting anonymous IAF sources and Ex-IAF officers. With LCA maturing, import lobbies are getting edgy.

 

[Storm Force]

36 State of the Art Rafales with Aesa + 51 UPGRADED Mirafge 2000/5 = 86 French fighters

270 Su30mki + 60 upgraded Mig29smt = 330 Russian Fighters

90 Upgraded Jaguar darin 2 = 90 Anglo French fighter

40 Tejas Mark one = 40 Indian Fighters

BY 2020

IDONT SEE ANY ISSUES WITH THIS

POST 2020

Order another 36 rafale
And 83 Tejas MK2


by 2025 EASILY IAF should have

72 Rafale
50 Mirage2000/5
60 Mig29
120 Tejas
270 Su30mki

SCRAP JAGUAR BUY 2025

 

[The_Sidewinder]

36 State of the Art Rafales with Aesa + 51 UPGRADED Mirafge 2000/5 = 86 French fighters

270 Su30mki + 60 upgraded Mig29smt = 330 Russian Fighters

90 Upgraded Jaguar darin 2 = 90 Anglo French fighter

40 Tejas Mark one = 40 Indian Fighters

BY 2020

IDONT SEE ANY ISSUES WITH THIS

POST 2020

Order another 36 rafale
And 83 Tejas MK2


by 2025 EASILY IAF should have

72 Rafale
50 Mirage2000/5
60 Mig29
120 Tejas
270 Su30mki

SCRAP JAGUAR BUY 2025

Well you can count on a few PakFA or FGFA by that time.

Note: I would really appreciate If HAL tested a canarad version of LCA even if as a tech demonstrator

 

[Donatello]

Rather pragmatic approach. The Tejas will finally live to see its full potential as it should be. Although I think a lot of the strong arming was also done to the IAF to "know their place" and get realistic.

Okay, i don't understand how is that pragmatic? I mean, IAF highlighted the needs that they need a new, front line aircraft so they must issue a MMRCA tender. Now this was done during the congress rule. However,the airforce is really like your bureaucracy- it doesn't change just because the government has changed. If IAF would've demanded more than 126, i can understand the Defense minister shutting up that request, but when it was determined that 126 aircrafts are needed, then they are needed?
(although, the small size of IAF and their limited reach in the region, doesn't really need to operate 5-6 types of aircraft, even the USAF streamlined to two front line aircraft.....in the 4th gen and 5th gen era)

 

[Storm Force]

Indian does not need 400 su30mki and rafale fighters

It can't afford the cost to buy and operate so many expensive planes.

It needs to replace the three hundred mjg27/mig21..

Which represent 40% of the iaf nos today

Both of those can be replaced by one type ie tejss.ie 123,fighters by 2025

That leaves 270 mki and small nos of mirage rafale mig29.

 

[Stephen Cohen]

The short point is that IAF will get MORE Rafales after 36

After Two years the economy will boom and there will be plenty of cash available
for defence

 

[IND151]

I think in this age of high tech missiles and satellite technologies, fighter planes are not anymore front line in a war. Fighter planes don't dog fight anymore. Even the enemies are changing. See Syria, and in Iraq. Tejas would do as good as Rafale today.

Nope.

Rafale is way ahead compared to Tejas.

Even if Mk III comes with AESA it wont be match to rafale.

A light fighter cant be match for a medium one especially if later has potential of evolving to 4.75 gen.

The short point is that IAF will get MORE Rafales after 36

After Two years the economy will boom and there will be plenty of cash available
for defence

36 Rafale, 3 squadrons of Su-30 MKI and LCA MK-II fighter jets to arm the IAF | Page 4

 

[I M Sikander]

They became greedy and wanted the best thing available. Original requirement was of 6 Squads of Mirage-2000s. Later they insisted on buying same number of Rafales. Sadly the govt. played along and assured them that money will not be a problem.

Now with so many years gone and economy not growing at 9%, there is not enough money. IAF brass should have realized this before starting the MRCA saga. This simply wont fly with this new govt. and that's why we are seeing hitjobs daily in different papers quoting anonymous IAF sources and Ex-IAF officers. With LCA maturing, import lobbies are getting edgy.

Its high time for indians to fire these inexperience defence strategist.