India at Early Stages of Considering Whether it Wants the F-35 Stealth Fighters

[ziaulislam]

The An-32s were technically purchased from the USSR. Ukraine inherited a lot of the Antonov facilities. It does not make it a Ukrainian deal.



To the degree China cannot sell their combat aircraft it speaks for the product
You conveniently ignored Chinese imports of Su-35s or fitting of JF-17s with Russian engines

China didn't had a engine 1996 when jf17 was built
Same way China was poorer then Pakistan 1980s

What's your point?
FC 1 HAS CHINESE ENGINE
J10 HAS CHINESE ENGINE EXPORTED TO PAKISTAN

 

[kaykay]

India is not buying any US fighter.

 

[nahtanbob]

China didn't had a engine 1996 when jf17 was built
Same way China was poorer then Pakistan 1980s

What's your point?
FC 1 HAS CHINESE ENGINE
J10 HAS CHINESE ENGINE EXPORTED TO PAKISTAN

All JF-17s delivered to PAF as late as 2020 still has Russian engines. Ditto for the deals with Myanmar and Nigeria

J-10 ?? An aircraft not evaluated by any 3rd party

China was importing Su-35 Russian combat aircraft in 2016-2018

 

[datafreak]

India should go the route of South Korea, if I'm being honest.

India did learn a lot from its other projects, but it doesn't have the expertise to build a 5th gen alone.

Better to go for a 4.5 Gen with 5th gen capabilities, like the KF-21, and upgrade it later, rather than go full throttle on a 5th gen right off the bat. India also desperately needs help with stealth technology which it can get from the US, or a shittier Russian version (better than nothing, I suppose).

India has already on that path with AMCA. But the point that I can't understand why no one in a defence forum can uderstand is....F 35 is a higher class of aircraft in comparison to all other 5th Gen jets (AMCA, Tempest, KFX).

You can't make up for F 35 by buying other planes in the same way that you can't remove an Su 30 to add a Rafale.

 

[nahtanbob]

India has already on that path with AMCA. But the point that I can't understand why no one in a defence forum can uderstand is....F 35 is a higher class of aircraft in comparison to all other 5th Gen jets (AMCA, Tempest, KFX).

You can't make up for F 35 by buying other planes in the same way that you can't remove an Su 30 to add a Rafale.

Irrespective of other terms and conditions 40 F-35s at the same price offered to other countries is a no-brainer deal for Indian Air Force. It does not preclude the induction of any other combat aircraft platform in the Indian Air Force

 

[K_Bin_W]

India is not buying any US fighter.

Bad for Pak good for India. if you know what I mean.

 

[nahtanbob]

Bad for Pak good for India. if you know what I mean.

No serious follower of PAF will say the F-16s are bad for the PAF

 

[datafreak]

Irrespective of other terms and conditions 40 F-35s at the same price offered to other countries is a no-brainer deal for Indian Air Force. It does not preclude the induction of any other combat aircraft platform in the Indian Air Force

Actually it's a major issue for us. We commited billions to the Russians for joint development of the Su 47. It has bombed big time and the 5th gen characteristics aren't up to mark. If that had entered, part of the maintaince and support would have been done in India itself due to the commonality with the SU 30 platform.

Now that option seems to be close due to underperformance. This means IAF has to look at higher procurement outlay, higher maintainence outlay as well as a lot less customization (we can't put in our own radar and avionics like we did in Su 30). This is a big bummer for us and that's why the IAF seems to have dragged its feet for over a decade. We have put out taking the pill but maybe we have no other option.

 

[K_Bin_W]

No serious follower of PAF will say the F-16s are bad for the PAF

India was offered F16s way back but it made a very wise decision.

 

[nahtanbob]

Actually it's a major issue for us. We commited billions to the Russians for joint development of the Su 47. It has bombed big time and the 5th gen characteristics aren't up to mark. If that had entered, part of the maintaince and support would have been done in India itself due to the commonality with the SU 30 platform.

Now that option seems to be close due to underperformance. This means IAF has to look at higher procurement outlay, higher maintainence outlay as well as a lot less customization (we can't put in our own radar and avionics like we did in Su 30). This is a big bummer for us and that's why the IAF seems to have dragged its feet for over a decade. We have put out taking the pill but maybe we have no other option.

If the Russians delivered anything remotely close it would not be an issue

India was offered F16s way back but it made a very wise decision.

with TOT f`16s are still on the table
no TOT it is off the table

 

[That Guy]

India has already on that path with AMCA. But the point that I can't understand why no one in a defence forum can uderstand is....F 35 is a higher class of aircraft in comparison to all other 5th Gen jets (AMCA, Tempest, KFX).

You can't make up for F 35 by buying other planes in the same way that you can't remove an Su 30 to add a Rafale.

So, we understand the capabilities of the f-35 enough.

It's not the capabilities that India should look at. It's the political baggage that comes with it that India should and is worrying about.

The F-35 is the single most capable fighter in the world, heads above every other fighter period. But is that worth it if you end up having to become reliant on a foreign power to the point of having no choice but to do as they say for fear of using that capability?

Learn from Pakistan's mistake...or don't, it's a choice India has to eventually make.

 

[datafreak]

So, we understand the capabilities of the f-35 enough.

It's not the capabilities that India should look at. It's the political baggage that comes with it that India should and is worrying about.

The F-35 is the single most capable fighter in the world, heads above every other fighter period. But is that worth it if you end up having to become reliant on a foreign power to the point of having no choice but to do as they say for fear of using that capability?

Learn from Pakistan's mistake...or don't, it's a choice India has to eventually make.

We did learn from Pakistan. Don't be Pakistan. F 35 we can manage, you can't,


We didn't ask F 35 as aid. We are paying full cash.

 

[That Guy]

We did learn from Pakistan. Don't be Pakistan. F 35 we can manage, you can't,


We didn't ask F 35 as aid. We are paying full cash.

Aid or cash is irrelevant. The supply chain runs through various parts of the United states. The cost of buying + maintaining the F-35 are enormous, far more than your most expensive fighters like the Su-30 and Rafale. India would have to build very specific infrastructure costing billions to make sure the F-35s are housed properly and are being maintained to a certain standard.

The US can literally hold all of that hostage.

You can pretend India is capable of handling all of this, but even the Indian government doesn't think it can't, which is why the F-35 has been rejected in the past as well.

It's very clear you have a basic misunderstanding of how geopolitics works, as you're constantly making comments that sound more nationalistic than realistic.

 

[datafreak]

Aid or cash is irrelevant. The supply chain runs through various parts of the United states. The cost of buying + maintaining the F-35 are enormous, far more than your most expensive fighters like the Su-30 and Rafale. India would have to build very specific infrastructure costing billions to make sure the F-35s are housed properly and are being maintained to a certain standard.

The US can literally hold all of that hostage.

You can pretend India is capable of handling all of this, but even the Indian government doesn't think it can't, which is why the F-35 has been rejected in the past as well.

It's very clear you have a basic misunderstanding of how geopolitics works, as you're constantly making comments that sound more nationalistic than realistic.

India doesn't have to worry about any of these things. We're not Pakistan.

 

[That Guy]

India doesn't have to worry about any of these things. We're not Pakistan.

Lol, delusional.

Literally everyone has to deal with these things, including the USA's closest allies.

This is why I said you don't know how geopolitics works.