IAF will field 15 Awacs & 42 Fighter Fighter Sqds by 2022

[SQ8]

And your point is??? I would expect the JF-17 to have more sorites to its name after all there are plenty more Thunders in service than LCA protoypes built right? So these 1718 test flights (figure is of course higher now given it is almost a year later and that the LCA is in fast-track mode now) have been on the back of ~9-10 test vehicles whilst those 10,000 sorties are from,what, 100 Thunders?

Nope..

20-25 to be exact.. with the majority of those sorties coming from the SRP's.. 07 serials.
and from the T&E flight.. some 7000 sorties.. to their name.

 

[sancho]

Sancho.

STOP CONTRADICTING YOURSELF.

First you say most of the SU30MKI & RAFALE wil face or be stationed towards CHINA & PLAAF. AND SUGGESTING THIS you imply the real threat is PLAAF and not PAF...

then you contradict THIS STATEMENT

BY SAYING nonsesnse " india has good relations wuith china"

make you mind up ( your talking nonsense)

IF SU30MKI & RAFALE wen it arrives goes to war it wil be against PAF not PLAAF IMO

That's not contradictory at all, at least if you think about it logically and look at the facts! It's a fact that we have good economical and political relations to China, but it's also one that China is the biggest military power in the region which we have to take seriously, especially when they are adding it closer to our border. So we are taking countersteps for the future and aimed on PLAAF/PLA, while we are very happy with IAFs/IAs capability against at the western borders.
Again, the majority of Rafale and new MKI squads will be raised in the nothern and eastern sector, from what is known so far, even the south gets more MKI squads in the next few years than the western borders.

Nonsense, you seem to use this word quite liberally, wonder why some Indian warlord was talking about two front war and all that jingoism.....but then since he's from India....he must be talking nonsense.

No, I just use it when trolls have nothing else to contribute than such silly things to create useless blame games. The intentions of both of you were the same, an the value of your posts too.
The fact is, that India is the only country in the world that faces such large and capable nuclear powers, that's why our military has to be prepared for the worst case and that's a two front war. But just as you have confirmed now too, it's only against 2 countries and not against other neighboring countries as you claimed before. You just have to look at the last 3 years and how smartly Indian foreign policies have worked out to improve our relations with our neighbors (and most other nations in the world), we have better relations to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar than ever before and have even played out the Chinese in some of these countries. Nepal, Buthan and Maldives are long time friends of India, so what you have claimed was clearly far from the reality!

 

[sancho]

I cant understand why Indians are over optimistic for Mk2 when even the first one isn't operational ...

There are a lot of reasons to be optimistic about the fighter itself, because it was develop with a good potential in mind. Only because some of our developments are messed up now, doesn't meant the fighter itself is bad, infact the mistakes of certain parts of the Indian industry might have made the fighter better than it might have been. Nobody really would have expected Kaveri engine (the first Indian fighter jet engine development) to be as good as the current GE 404 or coming 414 engines right? But now the fighter got or will get them, with more thrust, better quality and lower maintenance costs. Similar can be said about the radar, if the first one will be EL2032, instead of indigenous MMR. And the few things that we know from MK2 today are showing a good potential as well, so when our industry and forces will develope it simple and fast, with joint advantages from Rafale, there is no reason not to be optimistic.

 

[faithfulguy]

Since this plan was announce a few days ago, has any heard about a new plan while candling this plan.

Since this plan was announce a few days ago, has any heard about a new plan while canceling this plan.

 

[SQ8]

There are a lot of reasons to be optimistic about the fighter itself, because it was develop with a good potential in mind. Only because some of our developments are messed up now, doesn't meant the fighter itself is bad, infact the mistakes of certain parts of the Indian industry might have made the fighter better than it might have been. Nobody really would have expected Kaveri engine (the first Indian fighter jet engine development) to be as good as the current GE 404 or coming 414 engines right? But now the fighter got or will get them, with more thrust, better quality and lower maintenance costs. Similar can be said about the radar, if the first one will be EL2032, instead of indigenous MMR. And the few things that we know from MK2 today are showing a good potential as well, so when our industry and forces will develope it simple and fast, with joint advantages from Rafale, there is no reason not to be optimistic.

But is that optimism on the right timeline?
that is the big question.
A LCA is relavent till 2025.. not after it.
At least no longer in the original Mig-21 replacement role it was envisaged as.
Perhaps it would eventually suit the IAF to move it all to the East...to tackle any potential threat from the eastern borders..
be it Burma,BD or otherwise.
There.. it would enjoy assured superiority over anything the airforces of those nations can field..while offering excellent peacetime operational costs.

 

[Roybot]

But is that optimism on the right timeline?
that is the big question.
A LCA is relavent till 2025.. not after it.
At least no longer in the original Mig-21 replacement role it was envisaged as.
Perhaps it would eventually suit the IAF to move it all to the East...to tackle any potential threat from the eastern borders..
be it Burma,BD or otherwise.
There.. it would enjoy assured superiority over anything the airforces of those nations can field..while offering excellent peacetime operational costs.

Are you assuming that the Jf-17 fielded by the PAF will be superior to the LCA?

 

[Abingdonboy]

But is that optimism on the right timeline?
that is the big question.
A LCA is relavent till 2025.. not after it.
At least no longer in the original Mig-21 replacement role it was envisaged as.
Perhaps it would eventually suit the IAF to move it all to the East...to tackle any potential threat from the eastern borders..
be it Burma,BD or otherwise.
There.. it would enjoy assured superiority over anything the airforces of those nations can field..while offering excellent peacetime operational costs.

JMHO but I'd say for as long as the PAF/PLAAF operates 4th gen fighters the LCA and especially the LCA MK.2 is still relevant as the LCA MK.2 will give most 4th gen fighters a run for their money especially with its AESA, advanced weapons suite, highly respectable TWR, decent weapons load,IFR, small size, high degree of composites so low RCS and data link with AWACs and other frinedly a/c not to mention being backed-up by the more capable a/c in the IAF's fleet. If you're writing the LCA off by 2025 then by the same logic the MKI,JF-17,J-10,J-16,MKK,MK2,J-15,FC-20 etc will also all be defunct.

 

[arp2041]

But is that optimism on the right timeline?
that is the big question.
A LCA is relavent till 2025.. not after it.
At least no longer in the original Mig-21 replacement role it was envisaged as.
Perhaps it would eventually suit the IAF to move it all to the East...to tackle any potential threat from the eastern borders..
be it Burma,BD or otherwise.
There.. it would enjoy assured superiority over anything the airforces of those nations can field..while offering excellent peacetime operational costs.

Oscar sir, there are plans for a MK 3 version of LCA also:

 

[sancho]

But is that optimism on the right timeline?
that is the big question.
A LCA is relavent till 2025.. not after it.
At least no longer in the original Mig-21 replacement role it was envisaged as.
Perhaps it would eventually suit the IAF to move it all to the East...to tackle any potential threat from the eastern borders..
be it Burma,BD or otherwise.
There.. it would enjoy assured superiority over anything the airforces of those nations can field..while offering excellent peacetime operational costs.

My optimism is on the fighter, not on the manufacturing companies and it even today it is far more than the Mig 21s, or ground attack fighters it could replace. The expected indution still leaves enough time to induct all 140 before 2025, so it would do what it was aimed for, be a low cost addition in numbers to our higher level fighters.
And since there won't be much superior on the western borders, why should we place them anywhere else?

 

[KRAIT]

Current state of LCA is still better than Mig-21. At least they haven't crashed yet and are more capable.

 

[Tshering22]

Current state of LCA is still better than Mig-21. At least they haven't crashed yet and more capable.

Yeah.. even for a prototype they've managed to have an exceptional record which is impressive. Tejas should be allowed to evolve and so should its technology which will lay the foundation of MCA's indigenous technologies in the coming decade.

By condemning everything indigenous, IAF will just make a prat out of itself as usual.

The Boys In Blue remind me of those kids who throw tantrums about the color or flavor of ice lollies they want in front of the ice-cream cart.

 

[KRAIT]

Yeah.. even for a prototype they've managed to have an exceptional record which is impressive. Tejas should be allowed to evolve and so should its technology which will lay the foundation of MCA's indigenous technologies in the coming decade.

By condemning everything indigenous, IAF will just make a prat out of itself as usual.

The Boys In Blue remind me of those kids who throw tantrums about the color or flavor of ice lollies they want in front of the ice-cream cart.

We should have gone with just one squadron by now with what we have....even if we start today, there is nothing wrong, we can work for further improvements and actual deployment will help too. With so much money poured, building current LCA MK-I is reasonable.

Step by step modernization and upgradation IF possible.

 

[Storm Force]

I realise the JF17 is here and has FAR MORE SORTIES and is further ahead in maturity today then the LCA.

But the LCA mk1 has technology that does not exist in JFT THUNDER like compsite material build and western based israel;i radars and jammers & ability to intergrate western weapons.

FOR ME its a better more advanced fighter ALREADY just yet passed IAF FOC lines

 

[Sergi]

But is that optimism on the right timeline?
that is the big question.
A LCA is relavent till 2025.. not after it.
At least no longer in the original Mig-21 replacement role it was envisaged as.
Perhaps it would eventually suit the IAF to move it all to the East...to tackle any potential threat from the eastern borders..
be it Burma,BD or otherwise.
There.. it would enjoy assured superiority over anything the airforces of those nations can field..while offering excellent peacetime operational costs.

You can't draw a timeline for effectiveness.
Relevant or Not will depend on the adversaries that it has to face.
LCA will be irrelevant when Pak gets her Generation 5 fighters in good numbers. Not before that. as long as opposing forces are using Gen 4 &4.5 it's good

 

[SQ8]

I would need to quote a lot of folks here.. so Ill skip that and hope that it remains relevant.
When I say the LCA will no longer be relevant on the western or northern bothers.. I refer to the presence of assets with capabilities much better than the Tejas that will be better placed to handle that threat.. whatever it may be.
There is definite surety that whatever threat emerges from the western or northern borders.. it will always be more potent than whatever will exist on the eastern borders...even if the Tejas can handle those western threats..there will be assets in the IAF better than the Tejas to handle them.
Then why should the IAF settle for a 98% chance of success with the Tejas on the western border threats when it can ensure a 110% with the other assets it has..