Its all a bit confusing to be honest, arthuro. There were reports that the cheapest aircraft which ticks all the boxes in IAF’s compliance matrix during the trials (L1) will be selected. Then there was the EADS big wigs saying they were assured that the planes performance will be given priority. No one really knows which.

May be the IAF which had its hands burnt by the MoF after selecting more capable yet more expensive A330MRTT (an order which was cancelled) did not want a similar fiasco to happen again. At this point I believe IAF need the MRCA as soon as they can and cannot afford controversies and cancelled tenders that will restart the process from scratch. This is probably the reason why they did not make any recommendations and just submitted the trial reports and let the MoD choose.

Well, livefist has in the past had as good (or as bad) sources as some newspapers. Don’t see the big difference. I agree however it’s just a rumor (at this stage)

Actually he states its a rumor if it is a rumor. So when he says its not a rumor and is the real deal. I trust him.

Actually Vishnu Som (who is a member here) has already rubbished the Times Now report as bogus.

MIG 35/F 16/Gripen

If i am a betting man I will have my money on the Viper.

The calculation of Flyaway cost and not lifecycle cost is a boon for the MIG and Viper and not that good for Rafale, Typhoon and Gripen who offer low lifecycle costs. It also avoids controversy.

Even the current Tejas is better than the upgraded MiG 21 Bison and in an ideal world should replace it. But it has certain performance issues and is underpowered especially at lower altitudes, now IAF will have to live with the LCA for decades to come so can’t really blame them for waiting it out till the plane matures.

The MK2 is make and break for the LCA if it is good as its paper specs it will be ordered in more numbers than what is being pledged now. If it fails to meet the specs we may only see a token number of orders just like with MK1.

This is why many folks have a not so favourable view towards the F-16 and Gripen as the MRCA, because if the MK.2 fails to meet its stated performance requirements the IAF may just order more MRCA to fill in, easier done in the case of single engined less expensive fighters.

An 178 has less payload than the proposed MTA IIRC. India should cut and run if it takes too much time.

And 15 to 40 years!? There must be a typo there.

Transport aircraft, IAF first looked for replacements could not find in the same class so decided to modernize.

Indian warships to exercise with Brazil, S Africa

India’s warships will be on a two-month long deployment in African coast when they will hold a trilateral exercise with navies of Brazil and South Africa, apart from carrying out anti-piracy patrols in Mauritius and Seychelles beginning this weekend.

Four warships including a destroyer and two frigates from the Navy’s Western Fleet would be deployed in the Indian Ocean Region when they would also visit Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa, where the biennial IBSAMAR (India-Brazil-South Africa Maritime) exercise will be held.

A senior Navy officer said in New Delhi on Wednesday that the deployment would provide the Indian Navy “good opportunity to re-establish and further relations” with the navies of the African continent in areas of training and passage exercises.

Indian naval destroyer INS Mysore, frigates INS Tabar and INS Ganga along with tanker INS Aditya would be sailing there when they would also patrol the Exclusive Economic Zones of Mauritius and Seychelles and carry out anti-piracy operations.

Brazil will participate in the IBSAMAR exercise with its warships, while South Africa would bring their submarines.

During the IBSAMAR exercise, to be held in September, the three navies would also perform anti-air, anti-submarine, visit-board-search-seize operations apart from other naval warfare manoeuvres such as fuelling in mid sea.

“This will be the second edition of IBSAMAR. The first edition was held in 2008. This year’s exercise will be much more complex than the previous one,” the officer added.

This time though there would be no aerial fleet of the Indian Navy participating in the IBSAMAR exercise, though South Africa would be bringing in their aircraft, he added.

IBSAMAR would be held around the South African coast and there would be visits to Durban, Cape Town, Simon’s Town and Port Elizabeth as part of the exercise.

India will be the lead Navy for this edition of IBSAMAR and Brazil will take upon the role in the next edition to be held in 2012.

“The exercise is to develop interoperability among the three navies so that they could carry out joint operations during times of need in the high seas,” the officer said.

The western board deployment of the Navy comes a month after its warships from the eastern fleet had gone on a two-month voyage to south east Asian countries and Australia, when they called on ports in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, and Brunei.

Source

Indian Air Force to Modernise AN-32 Aircraft Fleet

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has sent its first batch of AN-32 aircraft to Ukraine as part of an aircraft modernisation agreement signed on 15 June 2009.

The upgrade programme will involve total life extension, overhaul and re-equipment work of the IAF’s fleet of 105 AN-32 aircraft.

During the modernisation, the latest equipment, including avionics and hydraulic systems, will be fitted on the aircraft.

The modernisation programme will increase the life of AN-32 aircraft by 15 years to 40 years.

Source