At least that's the plan and taking the maximum range as the only important spec of a missile is a mistake anyway, since nobody will fire a BVR missile at maximum range because of the no escape zone. Another point why Astra might replace R77s are the issues with the service life and quality of certain parts. Might also be a reason why IAF went with integrating Derby for LCA instead of R77.
Besides all the baseless rumors and unnamed sources in the reports of last week, we now interestingly have Serge Dassault and the IAF Chief stating that something happens in the next 2 weeks. I just hope the earlier meant the MMRCA!
Sancho, I find you supporting Rafale so I may give you few points which you sometime don’t mention. I told you one day that
“if you gain something on one point then you lose something on other point at the same time.” So, you will always lose something if you switch from one option to another one and the fittest option is what you are in need for MMRCA. I find you discussing small small technical terms, for what we are not qualified, and also technologies keep changing on time to time. But few bottom line points to support Rafale are as below:
1: France was the only Western country who didn’t support sanctions on India during 1998 nuclear tests. So, France with Russia were only qualified as a Reliable Suppliers for MMRCA deal. Don’t forget, if India will ever do nuclear test in future, the European powers are different but even country like Australia will straight put bans on India. And importance of a reliable supplier is always more than a reliable arm.
2. full tech transfer is possible for Mig29VOT/ Mig35 and Rafale only as both are made by single manufacture only, (the non US aircrafts), and with experience of Mirage2000 and Russian aircrafts, its believed that these two countries, Russia and France, would be happy to transfer full techs of both the aircrafts. None of the rest of Western suppliers would transfer the full techs.
3. one day I talked to a supporter of upgrade of Mirage2000H, why to pay $3.9bn to upgrade old 51 Mirage2000 while even new Super Hornet were delivered to Australia for $79.5mil with loaded with missiles last year? Then he answered, if Turkey need to buy MRCA then they would go for F16s block 60 with AESA radar for around $80mil only, and if Australia need it then they would go for Super Hornet with AESA radar, but if India wants the same, then paying around $77mil for even upgrade of old Mirage2000, without AESA radar, is also “good”. As, you just need a good pilot and either of Mirage2000, F16s and Super Hornet can do the similar works and India has very good experience on Mirage2000. Hence, IAF first tried for Mirage2000-5 mk2 for MMRCA till 2007, until its production line was running, and if the same manufacture is offering a ‘better’ one for multi role operation then you would go for Rafale only. He said, MMRCA has only two option, first Mig29VOT/ Mig35 which may do every work competently and economically, or, if you want to pay the twice price for a better one then go for Rafale only which has infrastructure of Mirage2000, means easy to induct and known platform for IAF.
4. Rafale is not only claimed to be a better multi role aircraft than Mirage2000-5 mk2, (as claimed by its manufactures when they closed production line of Mirage2000), but IAF is so much impressed with Mirage2000 that they were considering only Mirage2000-5 mk2 for MRCA deal till 2007, when its production line was closed. and also Rafale always impressed SU30MKIs pilots during air shows for air superiority roles. So Rafale is a quite balance aircraft for both a2a and a2g operations, and as you are looking for a Multi Role Combat aircraft, not a primarily air superiority aircraft like SU30MKIs, Rafale is better suited than EFT.
Rest, upgrades will continue with aircrafts and more you delay, better the aircraft will be on offer, its true as per the post 6921 also. so, just few bottom line points are enough to select Rafale for MMRCA, if not Mig35. and also, it would be the best option for IAC-2 which will come in operation by 2020/22, Rafale the one aircraft for both IAF and IN.