I dont think the LCA is a bridge too far, but to say that they have a more mature weapons industry is false.. The limitations on our indrsutry are way more than anyone could imagine. for eg.. ROTAX international is a major supplier of UAV engines. Now if we build a certain UAV and order one engine. The next week it is on the banned list of weapons supplies to us. India however is able to order anything off the shelf and otherwise. and use it, does it make it more mature..certainly, Its using the latest tech which is easily available to it. So the maturity is based on availability. Our Industry thrives on getting the best out of what is available and not embargoed. So keeping that in mind and considering that we still managed to develop a cruise missile out of crashed parts is testament to our engineers. whether is implies that the Indians cant make anything or aren't mature is also a false supposition. And more importantly as I used to assert on many teenage fanboys who are eager to jump in a boast about Pakistan vs India. India is 5 times our size and manpower. They aren't embargoed usually like we are. They have a technologically mature supplier in Russia and now the United states. We are denied most tech, our supplier is one who has just started embracing Quality over quantity. So if there are areas where India develops faster than us then so be it. Its logical and not based on their engineers or scientists being superior. Just having more access and more amicable working environments.
If the MKI is a superior plane then IT IS.. simple. Because they had the access to the tech, they used their vast pool of programmers to integrate the equipment. and so they made it.
Our approach is different, we try to make the best out of what we have, whether that is better than the Indians or not is irrelevant to the fact that it comes close to our requirements. The JF-17 was designed to counter India's all BVR force, Which it will, It is designed to hold its own in WVR, which it does. We aren't looking to patrol the skies of Delhi with impunity. The goal is to contest air superiority over our own skies, disrupt enemy offensive operations. And provide air support to our army. If our new aircraft can achieve this with a marginal degree of success then we should be satisfied.
And as to the JF-17's current status, it has no proper radar as of yet. Weapons have been fired.. but we don't document a lot of things in this country. we'd rather keep quiet about testing something and announce it a year later after we are sure it works fine. Consider that we had a mirage coated with RAM infiltrate Indian airspace way back in 98(heard it from the mouth of the head of AWC)..Nobody got told about it.. because it was just a test, and there was no reason to tell anybody that we violated a country's airspace.
Coming to the usual JF-17 vs LCA discussion. Whether the indians failed 1001 times or were unsuccessful is also said that they learnt a 1001 ways of not doing something that way. So while the LCA may be plagued with teething problems. The next jet the Indians decide to make..wont. They'll remember their mistakes (hopefully.. as both our countrymen have extremely short memories) and wont make them in their next platform.
Also, considering that the LCA is solely designed by the Indians and by its Wikipedia description they tried pushing the envelope too far. This was inevitable that they would stumble. So them seeking help from those who have committed SIMILAR mistakes in the past is no demeaning factor. However.. I do criticise the Indians for doing precisely this, Pushing the technology and envelope too far in their first true home designed front line fighter(the Marut has Kurt Tank's hand in it,the man behind the brilliant Fw-190.So he probably introduced the techniques for flight testing.. etc), they instead should have followed the approach used on the F-16.. start light and basic. then keep adding on as you get more mature on the platforms capabilities and envelope.
The JF-17 was designed by the Chinese, built by the Chinese and just like before.. handed over to us for co manufacture. They only input we gave was in the cockpit ergonomics and interface. This doesn't mean we aren't good enough to make a plane.. It just requires a lot of investment-> CASH$$$ which unlike India we are deficient in. So we just asked for a made to order jet, and got one.
My take on their matches:
BVR-1vs1.. too close to tell- the one with better ECM and luck wins
WVR 1vs1 (full missle load)
First shot goes to the LCA as its delta allows for a higher instantaneous rate. comes down to angle and altitude.
WVR 1vs1(guns only) The LCA can manage a good snapshot, but in case he misses.. then the thunder has its ***. because the delta will then bleed energy like anything and the Thunder's conventional wing design offers a good sustained turn rate.
So as far as these aircraft are concerned, its down to the pilots skill.
But seriously.. I hope no one assumes that its gonna be a boxing match. Chances are the first encounters for each side will involve completely unmatched aircraft.
And will someone please tell me where to find this guy of rupee news.. i want to throw a bucket of Ice water on him. The guy has just had too much Gutka
india
