sancho
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The ToT is mainly to build the fighter, not necessarily all it's parts and even if critical techs are shared, they have to be absorbed to produce the foreign tech in India and then the know how needs to be implemented in own developments. All that takes time and doesn't happen from now to tomorrow. It's not like, we start licence production of MKI in 2002 and since 2003 we know how to develop a capable PESA radar. In FGFA, we already know that we are involved in the devlopment of subsystems and software for the AESA radar of the FGFA, similar to what we do with the BARS radar today and the more we improve our capabilities, the more we can replace / modify. So the short term aim must be, to increase the indigenous content as much as possible, based on our current capabilities, while the mid to long term goal must be, to replace not only subsystems, but ideally even the radar with a comparable indigenously developed one.
I agree, first of all we "think" we can do it all alone because of pride reasons. That surely needs to stop!
Secondly, we have to think more rational and how things are done in a simple manner, instead of doing things as complicated as possible. Whenever a DRDO official states, it's an ambitious development, the alarm bells are ringing in my head, because the chances that they mess it up again are high and when they do, they claim the same nonsense again, "we faced delays, but it was an ambitious development".
It's like they know they can't do it, but still try it and when they fail, they say well, it was worth a try. But that's not getting India anywhere in the defence sectort is it? That's why the PM should not only take on bureaucrats in the ministries, but MUST take on DRDO to simplify programs and developments, that must be more goal oriented and in cooperation with the forces, not just planned and done by DRDO and later we see if the forces can use it.
All the above is visible in the LCA development and caused the delays, where a good fighter suffers from the silly ways the program conducted.
But at the same time, we also must get rid of the idea, that privat industry is the only way and somehow is the saver, because that's the other extreeme and isn't true either as visible in the Avro replacement.
No privat company would invest in Kaveri engine, without the prospect of large sales and that is not given. LCA is finally de-linked, FGFA and MKI can't use it and even the AMCA concept is now based on a foreign engine, so why would profit oriented priviat industry want to take over the Kaveri development? The DRDO should seek assistance of HAL or privat companies that can contribute to it and as even IAF stated, should improve it on their own to learn and gain experience in that field. Until that, lets hope that they can contribute something to the type 30 engine development, which imo is far more important for us.
yet Russia is shutting India out, lol 50% partnership work reduced to 13% and now India won't get a prototype til the 2020's
That's just nonsense of the article, but not surprising by the source.
Partnership on FGFA => 50%
Initial workshare => estimated between 15 and 20% and just as with MKI, should grow over the years
First prototype => according to last official statements 2016, last in 2019 in final production version.
However, details on the changes might only come out in dec when the next contracts are signed, but with Russia getting more and more in trouble econmically or financially because of the sanctions, it might get more difficult.
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