Dint GE offer TOT within the deal???
and why cant we go with 2 options for our MRCA ? what wud be the reasons for not opting 2 planes? please advise
Because it means higher costs for maintenance, for producing 2 different types of fighters, also less numbers of each means higher unit costs too and lower number of each means also less benefits we can get from the vendors. The big point in MMRCA is the high numbers of fighters we want to buy, 126 is the least number, which could easily go up to 250 for IAF and IN. Add all the spares, weapons...side deals for a service lenght of 30 - 40 years and you will get a huge ammount and that's why everybody wants this deal.
What is this now???????????????????.....
I am ccompletely dissapointed, The RAFALE lobby group is disspointed.
I seriously dont know why DRDO went for GE, the only reason is DRDO already used GE...
Looks like IAF wwill now ask for EPE GE in MRCA for sure if they are ever going for F-18.
Not so fast my friend! Of course this would be a big point for Boeing in MMRCA, but for the Rafale not much has changed, because they wasn't in this engine competition anyway. The real downer here is for EF, because it loses a big advantage and now its disadvantages weighs even higher.
It seems my guess with Rafale, Gripen and F18SH to be shortlisted was pretty good.
Regarding the topic, it confirms what I thought before, that the Shukla article had wrong numbers and the US engine indeed is cheaper. But if that is the only reason why it was chosen (and I will wait for an offical confirmation of MoD, GE, or EJ) I am very disappointed, because the EJ 200 had offered more potential for LCA MK2 and with ToT also more inputs for Kaveri engine.
* then the delivery is by 2014 that means it most possibly the EPE version,but then when will be first prototype of MkII came out.
LCA MK2 is aimed at 2014, that means including all changes (radar, avionics, engine and as some sources say even airframe parts like the intakes and wings), but it has nothing to do with the EPE so far.
If we fund it, we could have it by that time too, so I don't see more delays because of the engine, but the way this development goes, I'm sure there will be other reasons.