What’s wrong with a little Latin? Anyway, omnirole is better than swingrole – an omnirole aircraft performs all roles (L. omnis=all). Rafale probably even has a secret compartment somewhere near the engine for baking baguettes, saving the need to land near a boulangerie twice/three times a day.:)
loool and I’m sure it can also be used in humanitarian operation to distribute croissant and pain au chocolat along with mails and the newspaper !!!
Well you have just made my point about what the Rafale fan club would do when the “Omnirole” term is attacked!
And you’ve just proved what Typhoon’s fan can do when Typhoon is attacked by bluewings. Even if the guy(or girl) is clearly giving his own opinion based on his opinion…
Anyway.
The notion that a major arms purchase should be based on broader strategic considerations – the importance of the US in India’s emerging Weltpolitik – rather than on the merits of the aircraft itself, strikes Indian officials as unfair.
The two European fighters are generally seen as aerodynamically superior, having outperformed both US-made aircraft in tests under the adverse climatic conditions in which they might have to be used, particularly in the high altitudes and low temperatures of northern Kashmir. Experts suggest that the American planes are technologically ten years behind the European ones, and it doesn’t help that Pakistan, India’s likely adversary if the aircraft were ever pressed into combat, has long been a regular US client for warplanes.
The current Indian fleet of mainly Russian and French planes has suffered from no such problems-imposed sanctions-, and the existing ground-support and maintenance infrastructure would have needed major changes to handle US aircraft. (It is likely that the eventual winner of the bid will be required to enter into a joint-production arrangement with India, which US companies would not have done.)
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/05/20115494517933644.html
I find that last statement particularly relevant.
I also know that the MMRCA tests included flying near the border with China. Should be interesting to know why.
Sign In
