Will India Ever Need The F-35?

[Ghoster]

Here's some more fuel for the mildly irksome "F-35 for India" story. The Pentagon's undersecretary for acquisitions Ashton Carter has told Defensenews that India is welcome to participate in the F-35 Lightning-II programme and later acquire it. Participate? Yeah, like we don't have enough problems, Ash.

Defensenews.com also quotes Pentagon spokeswoman Cheryl Irwin as saying: "If, at some point down the road, India were interested in purchasing JSF from us, then we would engage the Indians in an open, transparent manner at that time. But this would obviously be something that the Indian government would have to decide it wanted or needed." Um, obviously is right.

Livefist - Indian Defence & Aerospace: Will India Ever Need The F-35?

 

[Archie]

As far as Indian Airforce is Concerned i dont really think that they would show any interest in F35A atleast till 2027
Thats coz airforce might decide to purchase F35A should AMCA be delayed beyond 2030 and IAF would be requiring a New fighter to replace 110 + Mirage 2000 and Jaguars that would be in service in 2025-27 and would be scraped in 2030

Navy However might be seriously Interested in acquiring F35B/C for its aircraft carriers considering the fact that GOI has approved 3 carriers , and We would require 40-50 planes to operate from IAC2 due in 2018-20
Naval mmrca will be the last fighter contract for the navy for atleast 20 yrs and navy would like to get a fifth gen fighter probably at the same time as Airforce

Also granted that naval order is only for 40-50 Aircraft i am sure that Naval top brass would like to get the best available aircraft which they can get there hands on to.

While India is acquiring 45 Mig29K and 22 NLCA , these fighters would be delivered only by 2014-15 and would only operate from Vikramaditya and Vikrant
Indian Navy would require an advance fighter for IAC2 coz this carrier will be not only larger than both IAC1 and Gorky but it is also expected to use steam catapult for launching fighters
IAC2 would weigh between 50000-65000 tons and will operate 40-50 aircrafts

Also the fact is that F35B would be capable of operating from both IAC1 and Vikramaditya while F35C which is the largest variant of F35 with the highest payload and range would be perfect IAC2

I Wont be surprised if India orders 30-40 F35C for IAC2 and 18-20 F35B which can operate from STOBAR carriers as well as LPD/ Helicopter Carrier or cruiser

 

[rockstarIN]

If it is for our CBGs then fine. IAF does not need it. IN can be go for it

 

[SpArK]

YouTube - F-35 Lightning 2 "Joint Strike Fighter" Tribute HD

 

[tallboy123]

Well,F-35 is not needed for IAF..just waste of money.....
forget it guys..
MoD will never accept these offers
i dont want any american fighter in IAF..

 

[MAFIAN GOD]

No,not at all.
We don't have to have 3 different types of 5th gen. aircrafts.

 

[EastWest]

We are already into two different 5th generation programs...it is not useful for us to have 3 platforms...better to concentrate on PAK-FA and try to use what we learn in PAK-FA in AMCA..

 

[silentinksoldier]

the navy can DEFINITELY look at them for carriers....in fact if we got the VTOL versions, we could feild them on the viraat..and keep it in service for many more years to come.

 

[Abingdonboy]

the navy can DEFINITELY look at them for carriers....in fact if we got the VTOL versions, we could feild them on the viraat..and keep it in service for many more years to come.

I think it's a good idea for IN to go for F35 C ( carrier takeoff version) or B (VTOL), if IAC 3 gets the go ahead and is even bigger with either steam or if by then tech is available EMALS then the C is a good option if not then the B is not a bad idea. It is a bad idea for IAF as having THREE different 5th gen a/c inservice at the same time is a very if not impossible challenge one which no other AF in the world is even thinking about doing. However for the IN as the only Naval 5th gen a/c developed and as it is a different arm of the armed forces it will be a different supply chain and different mechanics so it shouldn't be a problem.

And as for the Viraat comment can you imagine the nightmare it would be to keep it in service it is more than 50 years old as it and has almost another decade to go, I've lost count of how many refits she's gone under. No this legend has done great service to India and should be allowed to be put to rest. Anyway at 20,000 tonnes is to small, India has bigger ambitions, the ways is up projections for IAC3 are 50,000+ tonnes

 

[silentinksoldier]

I think it's a good idea for IN to go for F35 C ( carrier takeoff version) or B (VTOL), if IAC 3 gets the go ahead and is even bigger with either steam or if by then tech is available EMALS then the C is a good option if not then the B is not a bad idea. It is a bad idea for IAF as having THREE different 5th gen a/c inservice at the same time is a very if not impossible challenge one which no other AF in the world is even thinking about doing. However for the IN as the only Naval 5th gen a/c developed and as it is a different arm of the armed forces it will be a different supply chain and different mechanics so it shouldn't be a problem.

And as for the Viraat comment can you imagine the nightmare it would be to keep it in service it is more than 50 years old as it and has almost another decade to go, I've lost count of how many refits she's gone under. No this legend has done great service to India and should be allowed to be put to rest. Anyway at 20,000 tonnes is to small, India has bigger ambitions, the ways is up projections for IAC3 are 50,000+ tonnes

agreed the viraat IS pretty old, but i do think it can be maintained...not as a frontline carrier battle group obviously, but indeed as more of a littoral one.....especially against pakistan. it should be stationed in gujarat. and would be able to sustain action till the gorshkov got into the zone....i mean, weapon systems can be upgraded, and refurbishment is indeed possible. i do agree that viraat will not be state of the art...EVER..but against a relatively weaker navy like pakistan's it will be more than a handy platform to operate...

in fact with the VTOL version of the f35, it could carry 20 JSFs easily and around 25-30 on full load. That's still a capability our western neighbour cant match for quite some time to come

what is essential is that the harriers are replaced....heck they needed to be replaced yesterday...that's the real security risk.

the viraat could be operated untill we have 5 operational battle groups, before we lay it to rest.


of course, i'm speaking from a strategic standpoint....could you tell me of the technical issues regarding this?
also ..would it be possible to operate an e2d hawkeye from the viraat?

 

[IND151]

F35C is excellent option for indian navy. we will only need 50 to 60 fighters.






YouTube - First F-35C Lightning II arrives at NAS Patuxent River

 

[WHITESMOKE]

The problem is resources.. . we have only 1.3-1.4 Tril $ economy, not 13-14. Thats why we are reducing the types of aircraft to reduce maintenance cost. For nave F35 looks good, but only when IAC 3 will be near completion. Who knows who win MMRCA..... and that could affect navy's choice.

 

[silentinksoldier]

The problem is resources.. . we have only 1.3-1.4 Tril $ economy, not 13-14. Thats why we are reducing the types of aircraft to reduce maintenance cost. For nave F35 looks good, but only when IAC 3 will be near completion. Who knows who win MMRCA..... and that could affect navy's choice.

dude........we need 5th gen aircraft on our carriers to maintain superiority......at least a mix of 4.5 gens and 5th gens....

 

[angeldemon_007]

One more thread....??
@ Ghoster check out whether the thread is already present or not, then only make a new thread.

 

[WHITESMOKE]

dude........we need 5th gen aircraft on our carriers to maintain superiority......at least a mix of 4.5 gens and 5th gens....

At present we need subs more urgently.. 5th gen fighter for navy can wait 10 more years comfortably.