In exclusive deal, India to get ‘Most Advanced’ F-16 fighter jets by 2019-20

[danger007]

Why will the shupa powa block it with their epic whining . How many time you have repeated this same sentence on PDF only to be smacked back on your face. You people said the same about Russian helos lol. so worry about finalising your rafale deal as you have another decade to negotiate for F16 .

why brain frat bugging the thread... whining all around..

 

[Stephen Cohen]

Awesome!

Please delete your post ; It was a joke ; I deleted mine

 

[volatile]

F 16 could be a stop gap arrangement until Tejas matures.

But India should also make it clear the case of Rafale., It is going on and on and on. There seem to no forward movement on PAK-FA either.

For 30 years life cycle of a plan, a stop gap measure is too much but considering Teja previous development it seems reasonable

 

[weqi]

Hi,

If india is considering an F16---then there is no reason for it to go for the Rafale----. Does not make much sense---./

Indian Media especially ""The Hindu"" has made habit of F-16 in headline every after one or two week and talked very confidently about F-35 while India is the core partner of Su-35 and T-50

 

[Hellfire]

@dadeechi thanks for the tag. Nothing finalised as purchase order for IAF. The call is yet to be taken on that. Plans were afoot as you had rightly pointed out and I agreed with you at the time too.

However, I still maintain F-18s and @Abingdonboy JAS-Gripen?

The cat is already out of bag on what the MoD and GoI's thoughts are on the issue.

With plans to push ahead with Super Sukhois upgrade as also FGFA from Russia and a choice between F-16, F-18 and Gripen to meet the pressing requirement of the force till LCA is inducted (something which all members had contributed to outline earlier), I feel Dassault is increasingly a closed chapter even for 36 we plan to buy.

Lets see

@Joe Shearer Sir your views?

The campaign by LM is something which i had spoken a lot in the Rafale Sticky. But India's interest in FMS route lies with the armed drones.

The F16-F35 plan i have shared here for months. But DM MP has yet not bought the idea.

He is still single minded focused on General Atomics based jet powered drones. He has clearly indicated that India wishes to buy in phase 1 avenger +predator totaling 100+ and in multiple phases a fleet of 250 US jet powered drones. Thats separate from Israeli Herons family.

LM PR campaign is good but a bit below Saab. Both of them are running a highly visible campaign but results may differ as compared to expectation.

The way it looks India will buy 4 sqds of F35 at a later date for IAF to appease USA. But thats a last resort ..

Totally agree with your assessment here about drones.

That is what the grapevine indicates. The thrust is on armed drones in significant numbers in indian inventory. Also India has made it clear that it is pushing ahead with Super Sukhoi upgrade as also with FGFA.

This is a well thought and deliberate step to correct an overt tilt towards US. The Russians have been our tried and trusted 'friends' and there has been a deliberate effort to correct the apparent pro-US shift by emphasising the equivalence of importance of Russia in Indian security and diplomatic matrix.

 

[Param]

I concur with @dadeechi . He has been saying this for long.It appears F-16 will be coming as single engine aircraft in good numbers.Even @PARIKRAMA had hinted it couple of days back, when talking about SAAB.And for dual engine,i hope after first 36 Rafale,further Rafale's will be produced under MII.

 

[Ankit Kumar]

There are people who think because a CM of Maharastra met SAAB chief, it would be Gripen , others think because a certain personality met LM, it would be F16....

By that logic the SAME CM , met UAC delegation with our commerce minister in INNOPROM.
So should I start beating drums about Su35, Mig35 and Su34s?

To all those whom it may concern ,

There will be

1. 36 + upto 2 squadrons more follow on Rafales from French Line.

2. If ( No 1) happens, atleast 90 more airframes will be built in India.

3. Then there are talks about " 2nd foreign option for" TWO ENGINED " aircrafts to be built under MII" , IF THEY HAVE A COST/TOT/Strategic advantage for IAF over the " To be MII RAFALES".

4. Upgrade of Flankers , addition purchase of flankers will go on.

5. We are now actually looking to built as many Tejas for IAF as originally projected !

Take its(my comment for future reference ) snap , and if anything else occurs .....
Which will not.....

Then let me know what you will want me to do ....

PS:- Jitna dhua nahi hai , utna to paid journalism ki Farts ka asar hai !

 

[Perpendicular]

The Lockheed Martin F-16V is the latest and most advanced F-16 on the market today. The F-16V configuration includes numerous enhancements designed to keep the F-16 at the forefront of international security, strengthening its position as the world’s foremost combat-proven 4th Generation multi-role fighter aircraft.

The F-16V, an option for both new production F-16s and F-16 upgrades, is the next generation configuration that leverages a common worldwide sustainment infrastructure and provides significant capability improvements.

The F-16V provides advanced combat capabilities in a scalable and affordable package. The core of the F-16V configuration is an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, a modern commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)-based avionics subsystem, a large-format, high-resolution display; and a high-volume, high-speed data bus. Operational capabilities are enhanced through a Link-16 Theater Data Link, Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod, advanced weapons, precision GPS navigation, and the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS).

Northrop Grumman’s advanced APG-83 AESA radar delivers greater situational awareness, flexibility and quicker all-weather targeting. The APG-83 provides pilots with unprecedented target area detail and digital map displays that can be tailored with slew and zoom features. The APG-83 provides F-16s with 5th Generation fighter radar capabilities by leveraging hardware and software commonality with F-22 and F-35 AESA radars.

The APG-83 AESA radar enables greater detection and tracking ranges, multiple target track (20-plus target tracks), high-resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) maps for all-environment precision strike, interleaved air-to-air and air-to-surface mode operations for improved situational awareness, operational effectiveness and survivability; and robust electronic protection for operations in dense radio frequency (RF) environments. The APG-83 also provides greater overall system reliability and availability—three to five times that of legacy MSCAN radars.

Lockheed Martin successfully completed the maiden flight of the F-16V on October 16, 2015, marking the first time an F-16 had flown with Northrop Grumman’s advanced APG-83 AESA radar. The new radar delivers a quantum leap in capability for the venerable F-16. Northrop Grumman’s APG-83 SABR AESA fire control radar provides 5th Generation air-to-air and air-to-ground radar capability. Northrop Grumman also provides AESA radars for the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II.

Lockheed Martin is more than two years into development of the F-16V and is now in the flight test phase of the program. Customer interest in the F-16V remains strong, particularly now that the program is in its flight test phase—a key milestone for any fighter aircraft development program.

Lockheed Martin also completed more than 27,000 hours of simulated flight time on an F-16C Block 50 aircraft and is now analyzing the data to determine the durability of the aircraft beyond its original design service life. The test data will be used to identify an extended, definitive flight hour limit for the venerable F-16 and demonstrate the safety and durability of the aircraft well beyond its original design service life.

The durability tests should provide even more confidence to current and potential new F-16 customers that the combat-proven F-16 will continue to play a crucial role in international security for years to come.

With more than 4,550 F-16s delivered to date, the F-16V is a natural step in the evolution of the world’s most successful 4th Generation fighter.

 

[-xXx-]

It could be a way to get the Indians invested in the F-35 project, like LM originally intended. Right now, we have zero information, other than a questionable article.

Dear, I can see below reasons for the deal-

1- Whatever we may do, we always fall behind the sanctioned squadron strength by 4-5 squads. F-16 may fulfill that and could easily augment India's lowest line of defence with Tejas.

2- In middle segment we will continue to operate Rafale along with MKI (upgraded to Super Sukhois). Rafale can take care air to ground while MKI can watch its back in air.

3- Navy is an important aspect. It is looking toward US tech like EMALS and Airborne Radars in its AC carriers and would definitely like to operate a 5th gen platform which could be F-35 - again a natural progression of F-16 line to F-35 line. IAF may continue with FGFA/PAKFA as their top line.

 

[Water Car Engineer]

Heartburn ?HAL dsnt care,they know their jobs are secure.if they are really worried we would not have seen them work things the way they do.

Yes, heartburn. They lobbied so TATA wouldn't get the C295 order, or new plant, failed. Now there is a prospect of a line for fighter jets. Another line that'll forever take a slice from their pie. Maybe not heartburn, more like *** burn.

 

[indiatester]

I have lost my faith in the news media and journalists. Let me see if this news is any trustworthy.

 

[sathya]

Also, I don't know why India is going for F-16s, seems like a poor choice. They'd be adding a new system, one that is a fairly old design, and just adding to their over all operational costs. I don't know, it seems like this was more of a political decision, rather than one based upon Indian defense needs.

Not to mention that people are starting to stir away from the F-16, because a F-16 successors already exists...they're called the Rafale and Typhoon.

I am also not sure F16 will be bought, but if it is..
It will be for
numbers at economic price.
Single engine medium category
And Israeli avionics and weapons

 

[dadeechi]

What is the remaining production line schedule for the lockheed-formerGD facilities?
.

LM would transfer the plant to India for any future F-16V orders and upgrades. The current US plant would be repurposed to ramp up F-35 production.


Lockheed’s long-running F-16 line in Fort Worth going cold

• 
  

• 18 March, 2016
• BY: James Drew
• Washington DC

On the 45th anniversary of the F-16 lightweight fighter’s first flight, Lockheed Martin faces the very real prospect of turning off "Fighting Falcon" production as prospective customers like Pakistan struggle to clear the US government’s regulatory and funding processes.

After assembling more than 4,500 F-16s in almost 140 different configurations, the Fort Worth, Texas production line is thawing from hot to lukewarm and could go cold by “about the end of 2017” after Lockheed delivers the remaining seven of 36 Iraqi F-16IQs.

Iraqi F-16IQ

US Air Force

Lockheed’s F-16 programme chief Susan Ouzts said this week that several countries have expressed a strong preference for the F-16 to the US government but the nearest opportunity is an almost $700 million deal with Pakistan for eight Block 52 jets powered by Pratt &Whitney F100-229s.

It recently cleared a 30-day notification period in Congress after being approved by the US State Department in February, but concerns about the "foreign military financing" of the arms package means Pakistan may need to come up with the money on its own.

“We are working hour by hour, day by day with the US government to try and get through the political wickets,” says Ouzts. “There’s still a hoop of what’s affordable from a Pakistan-fully funded programme perspective. We’re anticipating that before the end of May we will have a positive indication back from Pakistan that they are buying some quantity of jets that we hope is eight.”

General Dynamics YF-16 over Edwards AFB, California in 1974

US Air Force

Lockheed has already begun procuring vital long-lead components in the hope of securing another contract, but without locking in new customers soon, production will be turned off next year.

“If we started a contract tomorrow there would still be a few months of gap,” says Ouzts. Asked if Lockheed would consider funding a handful of new aircraft itself as Boeing did before its C-17 line closed, Ouzts says “we haven’t gone that far” yet.

“There would always be a consideration of that depending on the opportunity in the future for us,” she says. “We are certainly making sure any really long-lead or any items that would be a high risk of obtaining, that we’re staying in close contact with those subcontractors or are procuring parts.”

Lockheed finds itself at a crossroads with the F-16 as it seeks to extend production indefinitely while also push investment in its fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II, which is currently being procured in far smaller quantities than the company expected due to its high cost and development delays.

At peak production in 1987, under the stewardship of General Dynamics, which sold its aircraft manufacturing business to Lockheed in 1993, Fort Worth was pumping out one aircraft per day. Last year, Lockheed delivered just 11 aircraft, down 35% from the 17 delivered in 2014.

F-16V features a modern cockpit and new AESA fire control radar. It first flew in October 2015 and is offered as an upgrade option or new-build

Lockheed Martin

The latest “Viper” variant, the F-16V, which first flew in October, will become only an upgrade option if Lockheed can't find a buyer quickly.

“There will be some amount of loss for us, of ungained opportunity,” says Ouzts. “We still believe the F-16 is incredibly relevant."

She notes that some fighter customers simply can’t afford the F-35 or don’t need its advanced stealth fighting capabilities. The US government has also promised not to export the Lightning II to any nation in the Middle East except Israel.

“The [F-16] quantities could be fairly significant; it just depends on getting it started and getting the ball rolling,” she says.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/a...-running-f-16-line-in-fort-worth-goin-423293/

 

[Nilgiri]

LM would transfer the plant to India for any future F-16V orders and upgrades. The current US plant would be repurposed to ramp up F-35 production.


Lockheed’s long-running F-16 line in Fort Worth going cold

• 
  

• 18 March, 2016
• BY: James Drew
• Washington DC

On the 45th anniversary of the F-16 lightweight fighter’s first flight, Lockheed Martin faces the very real prospect of turning off "Fighting Falcon" production as prospective customers like Pakistan struggle to clear the US government’s regulatory and funding processes.

After assembling more than 4,500 F-16s in almost 140 different configurations, the Fort Worth, Texas production line is thawing from hot to lukewarm and could go cold by “about the end of 2017” after Lockheed delivers the remaining seven of 36 Iraqi F-16IQs.

Iraqi F-16IQ

US Air Force

Lockheed’s F-16 programme chief Susan Ouzts said this week that several countries have expressed a strong preference for the F-16 to the US government but the nearest opportunity is an almost $700 million deal with Pakistan for eight Block 52 jets powered by Pratt &Whitney F100-229s.

It recently cleared a 30-day notification period in Congress after being approved by the US State Department in February, but concerns about the "foreign military financing" of the arms package means Pakistan may need to come up with the money on its own.

“We are working hour by hour, day by day with the US government to try and get through the political wickets,” says Ouzts. “There’s still a hoop of what’s affordable from a Pakistan-fully funded programme perspective. We’re anticipating that before the end of May we will have a positive indication back from Pakistan that they are buying some quantity of jets that we hope is eight.”

General Dynamics YF-16 over Edwards AFB, California in 1974

US Air Force

Lockheed has already begun procuring vital long-lead components in the hope of securing another contract, but without locking in new customers soon, production will be turned off next year.

“If we started a contract tomorrow there would still be a few months of gap,” says Ouzts. Asked if Lockheed would consider funding a handful of new aircraft itself as Boeing did before its C-17 line closed, Ouzts says “we haven’t gone that far” yet.

“There would always be a consideration of that depending on the opportunity in the future for us,” she says. “We are certainly making sure any really long-lead or any items that would be a high risk of obtaining, that we’re staying in close contact with those subcontractors or are procuring parts.”

Lockheed finds itself at a crossroads with the F-16 as it seeks to extend production indefinitely while also push investment in its fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II, which is currently being procured in far smaller quantities than the company expected due to its high cost and development delays.

At peak production in 1987, under the stewardship of General Dynamics, which sold its aircraft manufacturing business to Lockheed in 1993, Fort Worth was pumping out one aircraft per day. Last year, Lockheed delivered just 11 aircraft, down 35% from the 17 delivered in 2014.

F-16V features a modern cockpit and new AESA fire control radar. It first flew in October 2015 and is offered as an upgrade option or new-build

Lockheed Martin

The latest “Viper” variant, the F-16V, which first flew in October, will become only an upgrade option if Lockheed can't find a buyer quickly.

“There will be some amount of loss for us, of ungained opportunity,” says Ouzts. “We still believe the F-16 is incredibly relevant."

She notes that some fighter customers simply can’t afford the F-35 or don’t need its advanced stealth fighting capabilities. The US government has also promised not to export the Lightning II to any nation in the Middle East except Israel.

“The [F-16] quantities could be fairly significant; it just depends on getting it started and getting the ball rolling,” she says.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/a...-running-f-16-line-in-fort-worth-goin-423293/

OK so there would be no more F-16 production taking place outside of the lines that will potentially be moved to India?

 

[dadeechi]

I wonder if Indians will buy typhoon, gripen and SU35 as well so Pakistan cant get their hands on it .

Gripens would come as a JV for Tejas.

SU-35s would come as Super Sukhoi upgrade.

Typhoons have been left out for Pakistan. They are too expensive for India.

OK so there would be no more F-16 production taking place outside of the lines that will potentially be moved to India?

There would be plants in other countries like Turkey but the LM is looking at India as its main base facility providing the new sales and upgrades to F-16s going forward.