We Are 'Not Interested' in US F-35 Fighters - Indian Air Force Chief

[A.P. Richelieu]

What country other than the U.S., Russia, and China is building their own?

That would be Sweden...
Gripen has all the capabilities of a fifth generation fighter.

• Low Observability (aka Stealth)
• Sensor Fusion
• Netcentric
• Super Cruise
• Multirole
• Built in ”Growler” functionality.

Gripen E is a generation ahead of the rest in Software Architecture, allowing much faster and much much cheaper development of needed functionality, like adding new weapons.
It is not a coincidence that the Meteor missile was qualified for Gripen years ahead of Rafale or Eurofighter.
The F-35 program is considering copying the Gripen approach, which would mean a total redesign of the S/W (20-30 million lines of code) because of the high maintenance cost and slow development cycles of the current solution.
Gripen E is a Model Based Design, allowing fancy things like 3D printing of spare parts, for low cost per flight hour.

Before anyone starts making stupid comments, stealth is not something you have or have not.
You have a radar cross section, and it is not so that there is a hard limit where below, you have stealth, and above you do not have stealth.
It is well known that it is very difficult to detect Gripen, partly because of its small size, partly because of attention to fine details like rivets and engine shielding, but also due to its advanced EW capabilities (think Klingon cloaking device).
SAAB started with RCS = 0.1 sq m with the Gripen A, and each generation has improved the RCS.
What Gripen does not have is an internal weapons bay, which means that with bulky external stores, the RCS will go up.

SAAB is doing research in stealth, including the participating in the nEUROn stealth drone research program. SAAB is independently researching functionality allowing Gripen to be the master in a swarm of drones.

The Gripen E replacement is in study phase, some call it FS2020.
A lot of the Gripen E functionality can be reused for such a design.

 

[#hydra#]

That would be Sweden...
Gripen has all the capabilities of a fifth generation fighter.

• Low Observability (aka Stealth)
• Sensor Fusion
• Netcentric
• Super Cruise
• Multirole
• Built in ”Growler” functionality.

Gripen E is a generation ahead of the rest in Software Architecture, allowing much faster and much much cheaper development of needed functionality, like adding new weapons.
It is not a coincidence that the Meteor missile was qualified for Gripen years ahead of Rafale or Eurofighter.
The F-35 program is considering a total redesign of the S/W (20-30 million lines of code) because of the high maintenance cost and slow development cycles of the current solution.
Gripen E is a Model Based Design, allowing fancy things like 3D printing of spare parts, for low cost per flight hour.

Before anyone starts making stupid comments, stealth is not something you have or have not.
You have a radar cross section, and it is not so that there is a hard limit where below, you have stealth, and above you do not have stealth.
It is well known that it is very difficult to detect Gripen, partly because of its small size, partly because of attention to fine details like rivets and engine shielding, but also due to its advanced EW capabilities (think Klingon cloaking device).
SAAB started with RCS = 0.1 sq m with the Gripen A, and each generation has improved the RCS.
What Gripen does not have is an internal weapons bay, which means that with bulky external stores, the RCS will go up.

SAAB is doing research in stealth, including the participating in the nEUROn stealth drone research program. SAAB is independently researching functionality allowing Gripen to be the master in a swarm of drones.

View attachment 470512

The Gripen E replacement is in study phase, some call it FS2020.
A lot of the Gripen E functionality can be reused for such a design.
View attachment 470514

What engine will be using for stealth version?

 

[A.P. Richelieu]

What engine will be using for stealth version?

Thats is for SAAB to know and us to wonder about.

 

[Panzerfaust 3]

What engine will be using for stealth version?

Most probably the general electric f 414

 

[Maarkhoor]

The Indian Air Force chief’s statement came in response to queries regarding reports in some local newspapers that the Indian Air Force had asked for a classified briefing on the F-35 after the defense ministry scrapped the proposal for local production of foreign-origin fighter jets in India.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — The Indian Air Force (IAF) has once again denied reports that it is interested in procuring Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter jets. IAF chief B. S. Dhanoa has categorically rubbished such reports in a section of the Indian media.

"There is not talk on F-35. The Indian Air Force has not evinced interest and not talked to anyone. It is incorrect to report that we are interested in F-35," Air Chief Marshal B. S. Dhanoa said at a program organized by a think tank in New Delhi on Thursday evening.

When asked about the prospects of the Indo-Russia Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) project, which is pending since over a decade, the air force chief said that the decision is with the Indian government.

"FGFA decision is with the government and that is classified," Air Chief Marchal Dhanoa said.

Last week, the Indian Daily Business Standard reported that India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Defense Secretary Sanjay Mitra in February this year had asked the Russians to proceed alone with developing the FGFA.

"India might possibly join the project later, or buy the fully developed fighter outright, after it entered service with the Russian Air Force," the Business Standard report read.

The IAF recently redrafted its list of priorities, wherein the acquisition of fighter aircraft is followed by the procurement of the long-range SAM S-400 system. From September 2019, the induction process of 36 Rafale fighter jets will begin, while the acquisition of additional fighter jets will be decided in the next two to three years, for which request for information has been put out last month.

Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force chief has categorically denied any threat to India-Russia defense deals due to the implementation of the Countering America's Enemy's Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) by the Trump administration. Air Chief Marshal B. S. Dhanoa informed that the IAF has been continuing procurement of spare parts from Russian firms for its fighter jets despite CAATSA, which seeks to impose sanctions on individuals and countries that deal with Russia's intelligence and defense sectors.

Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa also pitched for the country's own fifth-generation fighter jet program, named AMCA, in the long-term perspective. The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), Bengaluru, issued a detailed document along with the Request for Expression of Interest to private industries earlier this month for the manufacture of two technology demonstrators, as well as the prototypes. The flight tests of these technology demonstrators are likely to be completed by 2024, followed by the development of prototypes of AMCA.

Currently, there are 31 squadrons of fighter jets (18-20 aircraft per squadron) with the Indian Air Force (IAF), compared to the required strength of 42 squadrons.

 

[#hydra#]

Most probably the general electric f 414

I think it will be under powered,they should be using minimum f16s engine for that purpose.

 

[Panzerfaust 3]

I think it will be under powered,they should be using minimum f16s engine for that purpose.

Hmmm right,

 

[ashok321]

Why the F-35 Isn't Good Enough for Japan | The Diplomat

F-35 Brains in an F-22 Body: Thinking Through Japan's Next-Generation Fighter Options

 

[A.P. Richelieu]

Hmmm right,

It is useless to speculate about the engine at this point.
I doubt it has been decided.

 

[PurpleStone]

It is useless to speculate about the engine at this point.
I doubt it has been decided.

One of the reasons India gave up on FGFA was due to the engine issue and you want India to overlook that fact when it came to Gripen? India is looking for both reliable engine and reliable supplier of the engine. Otherwise it would be a non starter.

 

[Panzerfaust 3]

It is useless to speculate about the engine at this point.
I doubt it has been decided.

Ya let's just leave it to SAAB

One of the reasons India gave up on FGFA was due to the engine issue and you want India to overlook that fact when it came to Gripen? India is looking for both reliable engine and reliable supplier of the engine. Otherwise it would be a non starter.

Buddy in case you didn't notice we were talking about SAAB 5 the generation fighter program

 

[seesonic]

Which countries have developed a fighter jet without being active in WW2 and early cold war?

Despite participating in WW2, civil war, Vietnam war, Korea war.

China is far ahead than India.

Looks like Indians are hopeless in governing but experts in bragging. SP2012

 

[KapitaanAli]

Despite participating in WW2, civil war, Vietnam war, Korea war.

China is far ahead than India.

Looks like Indians are hopeless in governing but experts in bragging. SP2012

Not the point.
Wars directly contribute to technological development either through necessity, or thievery, or external contributions.

So, which countries have developed a fighter jet without being in WW2 and early cold war!

 

[seesonic]

Not the point.
Wars directly contribute to technological development either through necessity, or thievery, or external contributions.

So, which countries have developed a fighter jet without being in WW2 and early cold war!

 

[ashok321]

So, which countries have developed a fighter jet without being in WW2 and early cold war!

Gripen JAS 39.
The best example.

Ring the bell?