Abingdonboy
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2010
- Messages
- 29,597
- Reaction score
- 46
- Country
- Location
IMHO it doesn't change anything. Naturally SAAB can begin production in India sooner than the MK.2 but does that make it worth selling the Indian aerospace industry down the river? MK.1A prodcution should be complete by 2023/4 (7-8 years from now) which should be enough to get the MK.2 off the drawing board and close to induction, if there is a delay in that process a few more SQNs of MK.1A can be produced.I did argue the Mark2 case of LCA with my source and he spilled some more which i had not posted before...
Well seems in a review of LCA progress DM MP asked few pointed questions. This meeting was chaired by multiple teams not only just HAL.
The main point asked by DM MP was after LCA Mark1A test flight and handover for production, how long will the whole team take to come out with Mark 2. Members seems to have suggested that a committee be formed to evaluate the timelines and manpower requirements for the additional line requirement.
DM MP cut them short and said in 6 years at 16 jets a year this order is finished so after Mark 2 should start production from the same line without any downtime. The members still suggested they require a more detailed view and committee to be formed for assessing the realistic dates and plan to be presented to DM.
They suggested that a new jet requires far more testing from prototype phase and thus requires thorough analysis by a committee.
.
DM MP then seems to have asked how long will the committee take to submit the report which people replied about a year.
DM MP did not say anything on this after all this discussion.
This is as per source and i did nt put that in original post owing to the fact that within a week after that Saab people had sent feelers to DM MP via a specific BJP CM that Gripen NG can be produced in 3 years from now under MII and can take care of LCA Mark 2 needs with Indian specific customization. In short Indian side requirements could be met outright and Mark 2 project can be put aside.
DM MP has still not made any decision and is consulting some other senior members (PM NaMo and FM AJ) on this..
So I refrained from posting it here previously.
My points above (post 2098) remain valid:
Dassault Rafale, tender | News & Discussions [Thread 2] | Page 140
For the long term health of the Indian domestic aviation industry SAAB need to be avoided at all costs. Short termism cannot be allowed to destroy the capacity building project(s) that is(are) the LCA(andMK.2) project(s). Everyone has to start somehwere, there are no shrotcuts to success (maybe how the DM is seeing it). The LCA project needs to be ring-fenced IMO- commit to 200+ and leave it alone.