Well someone else then. Question is Why is India ready to pay % 5 bil if the design is completed and everything has been done? Just buy it with modifications like the MKI.

Hmmm….when it comes to Indian defence procurement its always hard to tell why they make some decisions. On the other hand I think they must be looking towards being a first line supplier of components for the program, high level technology transfer and a place on the development table.

I also have a hunch that the improvements with the PLAAF have been a cause for concern. Certainly it would be prudent to have a response to China’s next generation fighter programs.

Then you could explain us why the eurofighter only managed to be exported when there wasn’t an open contest and it had not to confront other fighers (Saudi arabia, Austria).

In all open contests where the 2 planes were involved (Netherland, Korea and Singapore) the eurofighter was rated lower than the rafale. So, you just can’t say that the rafale match up worse than the eurofighter…it’s even the opposite as far as those 3 contests are concerned.

In fact there are several factors to take into acount :

– a very low dollar rate : US hardware is now 40% cheaper than it used to be just because of that
– Very agressive US (political level) and russian (price level) policy
– New agressive competitors : eurofighter gmbh, Israel (for subsystems), and Gripen international.
– A limited offer compared to USA and russia… no plane to compete with the gripen and the F-16.
– Clumsy and slow administration (as seen in Morrocco)
– 10 years too late on the maket
– no amraam (you have to buy the twice expensive mica)

Yawn!!!;) We have had those arguments over and over again…

Yes the Saudi order was basically a closed contest, thats what you get for over half a century of carefully developed defence relations. The Austrian order wasn’t a closed contest, arguably the Gripen was the front runner but SAAB stuffed up the bid process by taking the customer for granted ….sound familiar?

Aside from the South Korean contest where the Rafale was rated higher for a number of good reasons it is highly disputable that the Rafale was rated higher in the Netherlands and Singapore.

Let it rest I say!

Considering the numbers fired in comparison to AMRAAM the Sparrow has quite a good record. Even the bad rap that it got during Vietnam was slightly unfair as the weapon accounted for a significant number of the total kills by US fighters and many of the issues were due to bad training, handling and maintenance. For example the USN earlier on during the war would constantly bolt the same weapons back on the wings regardless of launches and traps without significant maintenance. The AIM-7 required detailed and careful maintenance before and after each mission which wasn’t happening, once this had been picked up the ground crews given better training in the weapon system then things got better.

There are also advantages to non active missiles like Sparrow and Skyflash, with fire and forget systems like AMRAAM there is a risk that they will home on the wrong target once they go active.

Oh by the way cool crew produced videos like that have now been banned by the MOD. Shame really as videos like these ones are a benefit to recruitment in my opinion.

What always interests me about these conversations is everyone takes the line of looking at how we would retake the Falklands with a naval assault and whatever Harrier assets we can scrape together. The truth is UK strategy is to hold the Islands and MPA is the key to this. The Phantom FGR2 we operated from the Falklands years ago are far more capable then anything the Argentines field now let alone the F3 Tornado or the F2 Typhoon. Even the prospect of Mirage 2000 doesn’t particularly bother me as the aircraft on the Falklands still operate on the operational highground when it comes to range of operation and weapons fit (I know MICA would be quite a threat but it isn’t on the table at the Moment for Argentina and is totally outclassed by Meteor). I would be a bit more concerned if Argentina purchased Su27/30, not because i don’t think the Typhoon as a platform with its advanced missiles couldn’t handle it but rather that the Sukhoi has far better range with good missiles. The Sukhoi Su27/30 could operate over Falklands airspace without tanker support, then it would become a numbers game. The RAF would have to change from operating a flight to a full squadron to maintain qualative advantage over the airspace, if they didn’t Argentina could if things got hot cycle more Sukhois into Falklands airspace faster then the Typhoons could be turned around at MPA.

UK strategy operates through a series of trap wires, monitoring Argentine defence procurement and monitoring for any increased activity. Argentina neither has the equipment or logistic capability to pull it off, its not just fighter aircraft they need.

Heres a few things I think Argentina will need:

Please add to the list..

Yeah bulk will be an issue but to go back to my helicopter example they will be most likely underslung so size of storage container won’t be as much of an issue. Looking at in a logistics sense the trucks bringing the rounds forward will probably carry the same number of rounds with as you said bulk being the limiting factor rather then weight (they will save diesel on the other hand). Once the rounds have been offloaded twenty five percent more rounds could be carried forward by the medium helicopters which would be handy. Partnered up with the new generation light weight 155mm howitzers (m777 etc…) it certainly fits in with the expeditionary warfare concepts being pushed by the MOD.

As for cost, if these rounds are more expensive that will more then likely be offset by the fact the MOD will not be purchasing them in anywhere near the same kind of numbers you would expect during the days of the coldwar. Actually its worth noting that the US millitary were using munitions stockpiled during the Vietnam war right up to the Kosovo air war of the late 90’s.

If the UK returns to CTOL operations there is utterly no point in purchasing the Goshawk. The RN would do what every other country that performs CTOL operations does and send the pilots to train with the USN.

The Americans have a vast amount of experiance training people in CTOL operations and first class resources to provide that training. The USN can easily fit the small number of UK pilots into their training classes along with the French, Brazillian and Indians.

With only two carriers being purchased there is no point in investing in training aircraft even shared with france.