India and tthe Raffalle : Anatomy of a Bad Deal

[The Great One]

Even I am not convinced of this deal. India purchasing Rafa for $20 billion bucks? That too when he is only ranked second in the ATP rankings. For just 1 of that 20 billions, we could have bought Novak and Roger.

 

[arp2041]

This is my last reply, because I'm not getting through to you.

1. The J-20 Mighty Dragon stealth fighter has had over 65 flight tests. It will be inducted around 2018.

2. Rafale is in service with the French Air Force. The French Air Force will never come into combat with the PLAAF.

3. India is negotiating the specific terms for the purchase of 126 French Rafales. The contract is expected to be finalized in about a year (2013).

4. By the time India receives Rafales, it will be pretty close to 2018.

5. Indian planes remain in service for decades (see Flying Coffins/Indian MiG-21s). Hence, why is India spending billions of dollars to deploy a fighter that will be in service for decades against the J-20 Mighty Dragon stealth fighter? This is contrary to common sense. You don't see the Japanese buying old fourth-generation non-stealth fighters, do you?

Hmmm...I wonder why the Japanese are buying fifth-generation fighters. Drum roll please...it's because the Japanese are arming themselves against the PLAAF. Ta dah!

India is not deploying old gen planes, if you leave F-22 out than Rafale is one of the best planes in its class presently in the world. To counter J-20 we are building our own fifth gen plane called FGFA which will come in squadron service around the same time as that of Chinese, so you are comparing a wrong plane to the J-20, Does J-20 induction means that China will no longer have 4/4.5 gen planes?? Every AF has different combinations (of class, of gen, of nos.) in its inventory according to its plans. Also when first of J-20s will be inducted into service in around 2018(i seriously doubt about that) we will have around 2-3 squadrons of Rafales in service so ur logic becomes totally flawed here.

Also Chinese have around 1500-1800 3rd or 4th gen plane, does J-20 induction means that it will replace all the 1500s of them with J-20? Even if it did it will take atleast a decade, till when IAF will have both FGFA & AMCA (fifth gen plane) in good nos. to counter them.