But i want to know your final judgement on JF 17 in contrast to LCA given the information you know. I promise i won't make any comments on your judegment/opinion.
okay.. but I AM ALSO RESTRICTING any comments on this by other members and will give no replies.
As briefly as possible..so I may leave somethings out.
The LCA was destined to be what the Jf-17 is now. A low cost multi-role solution for a lightweight slot.
The JF-17 gives the PAF the ability to defend on its own turf under its own radar cover and ECM coverage to an acceptable extent.
That was the program goal, it has been met.
The LCA was destined to replace and improve upon the slot that the Mig-21 held in the IAF back in the 90's.
And while it has finally reached that goal today, and has better avionics than the JF-17 in some respects.. its late.
Its late so much that while its a fine platform now, the growth and upgrades will push it out of the original concept it was destined to be. So the Tejas is not a failure.. nor are the technologies developed during the program.. but the program goal is.
There is also another key difference.
The JF-17 has boosted the PAF's potential from its baseline, its given it a boost to compete to a certain extent for its ORBAT.
The Tejas doesn't actually add anything to the IAF's complete arsenal that it does not already have in some form(MKI,M2K) or will have (Rafale). And by all reports, its a program that no service of the Indian armed forces actually displays love for.
On a platform level.
In a knife fight..turning fight.. unless the Tejas gets a first shot kill(which is likely considering its arsenal)..it is dead meat... The JF-17 is a fine dogfighter..and the Tejas suffers from the same limitations that the M2K suffers from when going against the F-16.
In BVR, it may go the Tejas's way since its ECM suite is known to be good while the JF-17's is an unknown.
Moreover, the Derby is a deadly missile while performance figures for the SD-10 cannot be publically disclosed to give an accurate picture.
In reliability.. the Tejas takes the cake with its composite design(more structurally sound)..and engine(GE-404.. reliable).
But only once its in service will official figures show.
But in a nutshell.. I would give JF-17 the better points.. not because its a better aircraft or otherwise..
but simply because its become what it was always set out to be(on time)..and has surpassed those goals to some extent.
The Tejas is like the prodigy no-one cares for, its a brilliant little thing(relatively).. but its just not there on time.