some really awesome pics in this thread ! surprisingly there are’nt that many Greek Mirage-2000 pics around..and to see any that are of good quality is even rarer..

I agree with star49..those 20 odd M2ks are too small a number to be kept in the EAF fleet..they should look to sell those and try to consolidate the number of types they have. the MiG-29SMT is good enough to be a replacement for those M2ks and to be the second major combat type after the F-16.

is’nt Group Captain Butola one of the helicopter pilots who was awareded by AW&ST for the daring rescue of stuck mountaineers ?

there have been small changes made to the licence built aircraft (like the DARIN systems on the Jag and several updates made to the MiG-21s), but none substantial enough to gain crucial knowhow on how to SCRATCHBUILD a new fighter type.

what the Tejas gave was the infrastructure to start from ground up to the end, of a modern 4th generation FBW equipped, high composite content fighter. It kickstarted the development in engine program (which is still lagging), radar, HUD (CSIO), weapons (Astra), etc..something that simple licence production would never have done for Indian industry.

What is the most demanding part in the flight-envelope of a carrier capable fighter?! You simply ignore that configuration changed to that, what becomes later the Rafale in the mid 80s. So the Rafale M is in need of canards, when the C is not really, like the LCA or M2000 f.e..

Actually the Naval-LCA also initially had a canard configuration but it was later dropped in favour of having LEVCONs. Apparently wind-tunnel tests revealed that the performance improvements by having canards was not major enough to warrant a major change in its layout.

Pakistani Air Force: Parity with India?
It would appear ot me that Pakistan is finally getting a measure of parity with the Indian airforce. The PAF is acquiring additional F-16’s which will potentially bring the fleet up to 96 aircraft. The PAF is also set to receive 150 JF-17’s and 36 J-10’s. India on the other hand is struggling to replace older aircraft that are being retired (i.e. MiG-21FL/M, MiG-23). I seriously doubt that the LCA will enter service any time soon.

An interesting point is that most of the aircraft operated by both side are unproven. The JF-17 and F-10 are unknown quantities. The upgraded MiG-21’s of the Indian Airforce are also an unknown quantity as are the TVC Su-30MKI. We can all theorise given available statistics but these aircraft are unproven in terms of real combat experience.

I also think that the Indian airforce is hindered by the MiG-29. This aircraft has been proven to be useless in modern combat in 3 wars (Iraq 1991, Kosovo, Eritrea-Ethiopia). India’s MiG-29’s are basic 1980’s models without all the bells and whistles of the SMT or other upgraded versions and I think they’d be easy prey for PAF F-16’s. I know India is meant to be upgrading them but to what level?

totally wrong on the F-16A/B vs MiG-29 front. IAF’s MiG-29s with the N-019M radar and the R-77 and R-27 are anyday more lethal than the AIM-9L armed F-16As. even during Kargil, a single IAF MiG-29 locked onto 2 PAF F-16s which declined combat and egressed.

besides that, the PAF will get 150 JF-17s only BY 2020 if not longer..and by then the IAF’s LCA would’ve been delivered in similar numbers. and the Tejas IS by far the better aircraft between the two.

AND take into account that by 2020, IAF would’ve recieved its 120 MRCA’s as well and the 200 odd Su-30MKIs. add to that the UPGRADED MiG-29s and the Mirage-2000s and then just how do you talk of parity ? :rolleyes:

the longer nose really makes this bird look striking..

The UK was right not to export the Blue Vixen to India, at least from the standpoint of non-proliferation. Why offer nearly free technical assistance to a nuclear power like India? It is clear that possession of Blue Vixen radar sets would have been useful for India’s own MMR program.

India should have snapped up these Sea Harrier airframes, as offered. Instead, money is being spent on older, less serviceable Sea Harriers and the very riskly MiG-29K purchase.

so why does Britain even bother to offer its Eurofighters for the MRCA program ? they wont be offered without radars will they ? :rolleyes:

and the “very risky” MiG-29K will be 1 generation ahead of what the SHARs would have been. :rolleyes: