News for Mirage-2000 upgrade

[SU-57E]

even at 1.8 billion ,,, it seems pretty costly.... i think india could get at least 40 saab-gripen in that cost...and gripen is generations ahead to even the upgraded mirages... however i might be wrong....

 

[brahmastra]

may be time to buy new toys than to upgrade those with high price.

 

[nightrider_saulat]

indian should buy new fighter(gripen and mig-35) instead of upgrading mirage 2000 and mig-29

 

[Ruag]

India, France to finalise upgrade of Mirage jets in Rs 10,000 cr project

NEW DELHI: India and France are now finally close to inking the around Rs 10,000 crore project to upgrade the Mirage-2000 fighter jets in the IAF combat fleet after protracted negotiations.

The first four to six IAF Mirages will be upgraded in France, while the rest 50 will equipped with new avionics, weapon and sensor suites to enhance their combat edge by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd in India under transfer of technology in the project.

"It (the project finalisation) should happen shortly,'' IAF chief Air Chief Marshal P V Naik told TOI on Monday. This will be the second such big programme with the upgrade of 63 MiG-29s already underway under a $964 million contract inked with Russia in March 2008.

It will also be the second big defence deal to be inked with France after the ongoing Rs 18,798 crore project to construct six Scorpene submarines at Mazagon Docks, which incidentally is running two years behind schedule amid huge cost escalation.

"The scope of Mirage upgrade will be much larger than the MiG-29 one...it will be more high-end. It will cost half of the fighter's worth. After the upgrade, the Mirages will serve us for another 15-20 years,'' said another officer.

The multi-role fighters will be `souped-up' with new avionics, radars, mission computers, glass cockpits, helmet-mounted displays, electronic warfare suites, jam-proof communication with data links, weapon delivery and precision-targeting systems, including the all-weather, fire-and-forget MICA (interception and aerial combat missiles) systems.

"A French team will be coming again in early-March to finalise the details. The CNC (contract negotiation committee) should conclude in another two months. The Cabinet Committee on Security's approval will then be sought,'' he added.

The inking of the deal could be well be timed with French President Nicolas Sarkozy's proposed visit to India later in the year. The project has been hanging fire for the last few years because the package offered by French companies Dassault Aviation (aircraft manufacturer), Thales (weapons systems integrator) and MBDA (missile supplier) was around 30% higher than what India was ready to pay.

Having first inducted 40 Mirages in the mid-1980s, India had procured over 20 more in later years. With the Mirages successfully conducting `targeted bombings' during the 1999 Kargil conflict, IAF had some years ago even pitched for the advanced Mirage-2000-Vs for its gigantic $10.4-billion project for 126 new medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA).

But even as France shut down its Mirage assembly line, the defence ministry also told IAF to go in for `a global tender' for the MMRCA project. Now, the French Rafale is competing with American F/A-18 `Super Hornet' (Boeing) and F-16 `Falcon' (Lockheed Martin), Russian MiG-35 (United Aircraft Corporation), Swedish Gripen (Saab) and Eurofighter Typhoon (consortium of British, German, Spanish and Italian companies) in the hotly-contested MMRCA race.

Faced with a depleting number of fighter squadrons (each has 16 to 18 jets), down to just 32 from a `sanctioned strength' of 39.5, IAF is going for a mix of upgrades and new inductions like Sukhoi-30MKIs to maintain its combat readiness.

India, France to finalise upgrade of Mirage jets in Rs 10,000 cr project - India - The Times of India

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Mirage 2000 is one lethal bird of prey.

to France-India ties.

 

[Ruag]

Oh... and recently there was a thread here which I think is still pretty active -

http://www.defence.pk/forums/military-aviation/47747-french-jf-17-deal-could-anger-india.html

Several Pakistani members tried to undermine India's relations with France in this thread.

My opinion -

1) India and France share an extensive strategic relationship which cannot be deterred by few million dollar worth defense deals between Pakistan and France.

2) Stop speculating on India's ties with other countries. Russia sold RD-33 engines to Pakistan but did that influence Russian-Indian ties? USA regularly sells weapons to Pakistan but is that stopping India from buying more weapons from USA?

3) Lastly, as I said before, France will sell its weapons technology to any favorable nation provided it gets the cash in return. To add, India will buy weapons technology from any nation provided they are state-of-the art. So... Pakistanis can keep speculating about how their deals would "anger India".

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

Abay raug .....Do u think we give a shyt?and Pakistan bough RD 93 not 33 and yes try stalling out arms deals.

 

[Ruag]

Abay raug .....Do u think we give a shyt?and Pakistan bough RD 93 not 33 and yes try stalling out arms deals.

Secondly, RD-93 is essentially RD-33 with a repositioned gear box.

Anyways, I just realized this could potentially derail the thread. So, I'll just stick to the topic.

 

[DMLA]

keep speculating about how their deals would "anger India"

Wasn't that article by a french journo? The tendency here seems to be to jump the gun without looking left or right! That's what the "other" thread seems to have become! Let us keep this thread on topic and discuss the m2k' upgrades in detail/ related issues!

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

Well... I would be glad if you guys didn't "give a shyt". Perhaps we wouldn't have had a 96 posts long thread on French-Pakistani deal "angering India".

Secondly, RD-93 is essentially RD-33 with a repositioned gear box.

Anyways, I just realized this could potentially derail the thread. So, I'll just stick to the topic.

I didn start the thread and to me i personally think it wasa waste of time.....Who cares if india gets angry
RD93 is a upgraded engine but not the same and i was right at correcting u boy.

 

[Ruag]

Wasn't that article by a french journo? The tendency here seems to be to jump the gun without looking left or right! That's what the "other" thread seems to have become! Let us keep this thread on topic and discuss the m2k' upgrades in detail/ related issues!

My remark was not in reply to the article itself but all the comments floating over the issue in the thread.

Anyways, as you said, let us keep this thread on topic.

 

[Insane]

This is Good News to Me.. No Matter the PRICE.

1. Its better to get it upgraded from the FRENCH than via ISRAEL just for the heck of saving around 30-40%.
2. It Shows that the earlier episode about the Upgrades, and huge reaction from media about french demanding huge price and that not going down well with India to be Just that - OVER REACTION.
3. Increases the BITE and LIFE of one of the BETTER Aircraft's of IAF Inventory.
3. The Best of the Lot is - This is an Indication that, RAFALE is Still in the MMRCA GAME... I was thinking The French were out cause of the Episode and F/A-18 Has kinda won it.

 

[Ruag]

I didn start the thread and to me i personally think it wasa waste of time.....Who cares if india gets angry

Yeah... who cares? Even the French journo who wrote the article doesn't care.

RD93 is a upgraded engine but not the same and i was right at correcting u boy.

Ahh... you know... I go by sources.

Read this -
JF-17.com : Engine

And even the official Rosoboron-export does not mention any capability difference between RD-93 and RD-33.
http://www.roe.ru/cataloque/air_craft/aircraft_70-73.pdf

OK... now, please back to topic.

 

[Windjammer]

Oh... and recently there was a thread here which I think is still pretty active -

http://www.defence.pk/forums/military-aviation/47747-french-jf-17-deal-could-anger-india.html

Several Pakistani members tried to undermine India's relations with France in this thread.

My opinion -

1) India and France share an extensive strategic relationship which cannot be deterred by few million dollar worth defense deals between Pakistan and France.

2) Stop speculating on India's ties with other countries. Russia sold RD-33 engines to Pakistan but did that influence Russian-Indian ties? USA regularly sells weapons to Pakistan but is that stopping India from buying more weapons from USA?

3) Lastly, as I said before, France will sell its weapons technology to any favorable nation provided it gets the cash in return. To add, India will buy weapons technology from any nation provided they are state-of-the art. So... Pakistanis can keep speculating about how their deals would "anger India".

India has along history of Pakistan obsession, Indra Gandhi (RIP) pulled her hair and almost split her head when America decided to sell F-16s to Pakistan in early 80s, India went berserk when it learned that Russia and Pakistan were working on aircraft deal, although it managed to block any sale but ended up getting screwed with the decommissioned Russian carrier. Like a bewildered divorcee it was even brooding at the latest F-16 sale and more over Pakistan's missile enhancement is making you people run to the bathroom.
Putting on a brave face doesn't settle rattled nerves.

 

[Ingis]

This is Good News to Me.. No Matter the PRICE.

1. Its better to get it upgraded from the FRENCH than via ISRAEL just for the heck of saving around 30-40%.
2. It Shows that the earlier episode about the Upgrades, and huge reaction from media about french demanding huge price and that not going down well with India to be Just that - OVER REACTION.
3. Increases the BITE and LIFE of one of the BETTER Aircraft's of IAF Inventory.
3. The Best of the Lot is - This is an Indication that, RAFALE is Still in the MMRCA GAME... I was thinking The French were out cause of the Episode and F/A-18 Has kinda won it.

Mirage-2000 upgrade will definitely lower the gap between it and Rafale. Given this, I think IAF will be more tempted to opt for other fighter jets in the competition.

 

[Ingis]

I really like this aircraft.....