sancho
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2009
- Messages
- 13,011
- Reaction score
- 27
- Country
- Location
Mate you pointed out two different things in one here! The one is price and cost-effectiveness and here the Gripen as a single engine of course has clear advantages. That's why I still believe it will enter the final stage, like I always said as the cost-effective solution (F18SH as the political option and the Rafale as the best overall option).What IAF is banking is, that handing over list of three Top performing Jets only , Now if they select Rafale , Eurofighter , F18 as top performing jets which wont be a surprise considering they are best of the lot.
It dosen't leave MoD much of the choice to decide by their "Cheap is best theory" so this price theory is out . IAF will pick only three fighters of six which meet or exceed their req.
The seconed point you mentioned is performance, but high cost doens't mean good performance! Be it in the competitions in Singapore, or now in Brazil, the EF didn't enter the final stage although it is widely known as the best 4+ air superiority fighter. This hints, that its performance in the A2G role was that limited, that it wasn't good enough to compete the other fighters and not worth the high costs.
If really only 3 contenders will make it to the final stage, it would be a big surprise to me if the EF would one of them, because I doubt that good, or comparable multi role capabilities will be available with that fighter soon.
If your infos are correct and money isn't the issue, the Rafale must win hands down, because the costs are its biggest disadvantage. It is known that IAF love and wanted more Mirage 2000, but instead of fighters like F16IN, Mig 35, F18SH, or even the Gripen NG, the Rafale is not a simple upgrade, its a improved new fighter. Not to mention full ToT, source codes, sanction prove...
No doubt that IAF will be interested, but mainly based on the cost-effectiveness, not based on pure performance. Just Yash said it quit good,When you talk of advantage this Supercruise + short take off + hot refueling + Fast Data links +Low operational cost are some of the things that might just give advantage to a jet , and IAF would definately have a good look at that.
.Gripen is like Swiss knife. Can do so many Work but can't do any of them vary well
It has the same delta-canard design, can also supercruise, will use the same swashplate AESA and the Meteor missile, just like the EF, but would anybody really say it will have the same A2A performance?
The NG version has more payload, internal fuel and weapon stations, but will anybody really say it will have the same A2G performance as the Rafale?
The Sea Gripen might be a cost-effective carrier fighter, but will be so limited in payload that it won't be comparable to Rafale, F18SH, or Mig 29K.
That's pretty much what I said before, MBDA started the development Saab only joint the project and it is done in phases. First flight test on EF, first flight tests from carriers from Rafale, first test fired from Gripen, these are test in the development of the missile, not weapon integration of for a fighter!As far as Meteor is concerned when IAF visited Sweden , Gripen team showed them Live Meteor firing as was reported by Vishnu som .
Not sure abt Rafale doing that same ,
Might wanna look at some recent Janes's article report - available on blog...
The Meteor missile development is expected to be done by 2013 and then could be available for all 3 fighters then, but the key here is, that the EF and the Gripen itself are only under development now. So the missile might be ready then, but the fighter may not. EF tranche 3 with mature AESA, Meteor and all other still not decided capabilities is expected only by 2015 or later. Not sure when the Gripen NG will go to serial production, still only a prototype is ready yet. Rafale F3 instead, with fully multi role performance and AESA radar will be inducted in French forces by next year, so do you really think Rafale will get Meteor at last?
In short, I expect Meteor, or maybe even Astra to be used from IAF Rafale instead of MICA EM and besides that, our adversary must detect the fighter first to have a range advantage right?This also brings about BVR missile into question . All others have either Aim120 or R77 as BVR but Mica is still short legged on rafale when our adversary are firing AIM120 / PL12- SD10 / SD13 / R77
That's the same point that I have for Rafale too, the difference is only, that you think Gripen is a good match alongside of MKI only, but I say Rafale is the best match between MKI and LCA.And on to choice of MRCA - I think MRCA wiil also give an indication of role of su30 in IAF , if a jet like F18 or rafale is chosen ,i thnk it will retain its status of out and out air-superiority fighter.
But my guess is seeing integration of Brahmos+Nirbhay on MKI we could very well see a multi-role jet with more of air-sup asset and superior flight performance giving escort to mki in war .
Something like Eurofighter ,Mig35 , Gripen fit that role perfectly.
LCA MK2 and Gripen NG could be very similar in design, capabilities and especially roles like interception, close air support, or later maritime patrol. The MKI instead will remain the main air superiority fighter till FGFA arrives and will be used for heavy ground attacks with the cruise missiles that you mentioned, or heavy bomb loads (up to 3 KAB 1500!). So what IAF really needs is a fighter in between, that is useful for both air defense and strikes missions where LCAs and MKIs aren't usefull. For example SEAD, deep penetration, low level strikes.
Not sure about the Gripen vs Su35, but the other exercises was live simulations and the Rafale performed more than well against 2 of the best air superiorty fighters (EF and F22), which nobody had expected before. It didn't won against the F22, but was shot down only once, which is very impressiv too. Till that day everybody only hailed the EF as a fighter with some chances against it, but this shows that the Rafale is very close in A2A performance too, at least in WVR.And Sancho regarding that Rafale vs F22 ,...
Last edited: