F 22 will reign supreme even if others become operational.

Reason : America’s military budget & R&D outlay.

Go Romney, F 22 to have cheek arrays 🙂 if he wins.

I know what the IAF will do.

Like all Air Forces it will big up the threat and buy more PAK FA or even the F 35.

Seriously the 126 Rafale that are going to be inducted is enough to deal with the entire PAF.

MICA IR/EM + METEOR 🙂

fighters – Draw
bombers – Russia
trasnports – Russia
missile – (SAM – Russia), (A2A-Draw), (A2G Europe), (Cruise Missiles – Draw) (Tactical and Strategic Ballistic Missiles – Russia)
avionics = Europe
Radar = Draw
light helicopters – Europe
asw helicopters – Europe
heavy utiility helicopters – Russia
attack helicopters – Russia
trainers – Draw capability wise
airliners – Europe

I am in full favour of abandoning the Tejas MK2 and buying the Gripen NG with full licensed production and maximum ToT SAAB/Sweden/Other Europeans are willing to give.

And then start the AMCA programme immediately with full assistance from SAAB & a Sanction proof French/Indian Engine.

I think Swerve & Trident got it spot on.

To put it simply you walk before you run ADA/HAL didn’t follow this rule, unlike China who built and perfected making aircraft of earlier generations first India was too ambitious in going for a fourth gen aircraft from the onset, even then the programme could have been saved.

It was the insistence on developing every major component indigenously that led to the programmes current delays. Took too long with developing a native engine, took too long to de-couple LCA and the Kaveri programmes. Radar again tried to build a state of the art fighter MMR all by itself, failed miserably took too long to seek Israeli support.

All in all its safe to say that had the IAF not operated Mirages an LCA of some sort would have been in service by now. I think they loved the Mirages too much and tried to make a mini Mirage going the Russian way would have given a product a decade ago.

Armed forces do not deal with Maoists. Its an internal issue and therefore only police/paramilitary forces are used. Army provides training and IAF choppers provide transports.

I think the 144 number is for single seaters. Prior to this there was talk about 50 odd twin seaters so that makes it closer to 200.

So I was right when I said the Varyag would enter service before the Vikramaditya. Now I am pretty sure my guesses are going to be correct as well J-20 will be in service before T-50 and the local Indian carrier would be inducted before the Vikramaditya,