What this article underlines is how untrustworthy and unreliable the US would be as a supplier for the MRCA program as well, since Israel is clearly acting under US pressure in this regard. This behaviour of preventing sales of weapons or systems not just from US suppliers, but also from other countries under the US influence in order to push its own agenda is what is most problematic. It always raises the spectre that if in the future India and the US don’t see eye to eye on some major issue, the weapons supplied will be obvious targets for applying pressure. I’m pretty sure that they also pressurised Israel not to sell the Elta 2052 to the South Koreans for the F/A-50 version of the T-50 Golden Eagle, instead offering the Elta 2032.
Elta 2032 components and software are already in use on the MMR used on Tejas Mk1, so the Elta 2052 might have been a logical step forward on Tejas Mk2. Elta and EADS were the only two contenders left in the RFP for partners for LRDE on the Tejas Mk2 AESA radar program. With this news, maybe they’ll withdraw from that RFP as well, leaving EADS as the sole contender, meaning the whole bloody tender will likely need to be re-tendered, adding another 1 year of delay.
I sincerely hope that both the Super Hornet and the F-16 IN Super Viper are shown the door when the MoD announces the shortlisted contenders for the MRCA.
It is not what you think it is I am afraid Kramer. America is offering advanced systems to India so it is not capability denying. Its basically Americans saying that a radar developed with their money Elta E/M 2052 should not compete with radars made by American companies in markets like India.
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