Ok guys lets get back to topic.

http://www.domain-b.com/defence/air_space/iaf/20071221_akash.html

Medium range SAM, Akash, emerges successful from rigorous 10-day test campaign news
21 December 2007

Chandipur- on- sea, Orissa: The medium-range, surface-to-air missile, Akash, has once again had a successful test firing, for the fifth time in a row over the last ten days, at the country’s missile testing range at Chandipur- on- sea, near Balasore. The fifth and last test firing took place with the missile successfully destroying an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), which was simulating an air attack.

Sorry rick but you seem to have completely lost the plot. Gorky delayed because India might help US???:D 😀 Are you even serious? I though scooter was the most delusional guy here. If RuN and PLAN ( with 1 barely functional carrier between the 2 of them ) go against USN, with 11 super carriers and 11 LHA’s (40 K tonne) then what help is IN with just gorky and ADS going to be off? More importantly what makes you think India would be helping US? IN would definitely help against China but against russia, very doubtful.

European options are IAF’s first choice but a lot of factors like TOT, offset etc come into play.

Political reasons, cost reasons. Notice how the French sold the Agosta 90B to Pakistan and then turned around and sold the Scorpion, in essence a modified Agosta 90B, to India. Also notice how they milked various countries for Mirage spares. And what does the Rafale shoot? Mica?

In any case, French equipment tend to be pricey, particularly now with the depreciating dollar. If its a choice between the Rafale and the Eurofighter, the Eurofighter wins, if its a choice between the Rafale and something like the F-16, the Rafale again loses. Its pretty much caught in a no man’s land. Should have probably stuck to a single engine design or joined the Euro consortium

Scorpene is not a modified agosta 90b, look them up. Thr F-16 purchase is political. F-16 don’t match up to Algerian sukhoi-30s but morocco will be counting on american support against algeria and russia if required, something france can’t.

The IAF is set against them, ofcourse politicians are idiots and can be swayed.

IN had estimated that E-2 could operate from gorky or ADS (I think) without catapult with an endurance of 1 hour (reduced load). Can’t RN deploy E-2’s as such and then use a merlin as tanker to fuel it up once it has taken off? I wonder if IN/RN has thought of other crazy ideas like RATO for E-2’s.

Matt all the american tests are lab tests, including the ones that failed. As mentioned in article more test will be required.

Why bother? It will cost a ridiculous amount to construct it in italy. $2.5-3.0 bil at the minimum.