The 27s should be the first birds to go apart from 21s once the MRCA enter service. At the end of the day I think IAF decided money was better spent else where. The Jaguar fleet is getting a real overhaul for example.

Turbulence ahead for fighter jet Tejas: Analysts

NEW DELHI: India’s homegrown fighter jet, the Tejas, has finally been cleared for operations but analysts say any celebration of India’s entry into an elite club of military hardware producers is premature.

Initial operational approval for the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) has taken 26 years — the result of endless developmental delays, technological hiccups and massive cost overruns.

The Indian contribution is on top of strict Russian demands and money. I hate to sound like a broken record, but for the tenth time, the Indian aspect is not driving the project. If India suddenly pulled out of the project and ordered 200 Super Hornets, and bought into the JSF program, it would change little (aside from Scooter dying from happiness) towards the engine nozzles progressing into something more LO.

The two programmes are different, if it only offered F 35 style design customization India would have certainly looked elsehwere. FGFA will be made according to Indian needs down to the T.

The Indian navy has however expressed interest in buying F 35 for its future Aircraft carrier. It will not be as big a deal as the MRCA to warrant starting an assembly line in India.

In a democracy you will need justification for increasing your defense budget, and at the moment China is the perfect excuse for not just U.S but also its neighbours like Japan, Korea, India etc. to spend more money on defense.

There should always be a threat,……

What fun is there when there is no man flying the plane. Sorry I really hope and pray that UCAVs don’t take over military aviation. Boringg……

And to further clarify, the original poster and I were not saying Europe is not exciting in terms of technology but their airforces are undergoing cuts when Pakistan, India and China are getting shiny new toys.