They did not survive that landing

I was thinking SM not M2. That would make a big difference

BTW haavarla, I did catch your quip. My library deals with operations, procedures, logistics, personnel, and electronics. I do have some picture books, but that really wouldn’t have solved my reading of which version was posted.

Advanced structural composites, not the less sophisticated laminations.

The 600-gallon tanks crack the wingspars, which is why it’s unpopular.

The technology to build F-16/AGILE’s wings and supporting structure is exactly the kind of technology India needs for AMCA. And it could be backported to LCA to drastically reduce wing chord and overall weight. Rafale doesn’t offer this benefit.

India really needs to rethink why they need additional fighter beyond MKI and Tejas. They really garner very little from Rafale that they couldn’t get from an F-16 program. I’d almost argue that MiG-29K makes more sense than Rafale at this point. But the F-16, that gets everything they need for the future than Rafale basically already offers. Bonus would be to aim for F-16/AGILE. The emphasis would need to change from MRCA – one that emphasized air-to-air – to requirements that really emphasize affordability and the attack mission. In no way should it not be dangerous in air-to-air, but that isn’t a priority. After all, if they free up MKI to be the main air-to-air platform, MRCA can appropriately focus on ground attack. Let me explain why…

The F-16 really makes the best sense, because the support chain is worldwide. Going with the basic F-16 allows them to integrate so many off the shelf weapons, many already in inventory. Perhaps a customized tape would allow for other weapons like Kh-31. I suggested F-16AGILE (aka F-2A) because you can carry wingtip AAMs, two underwing drop tanks, a centerline droptank, and two standoff weapons without hindering the hanging of an existing COTS targeting pod. And it’s not like the wing building technology isn’t worthwhile, as it’s the same technology behind the F-35 program.

F-16/AGILE developed wing boosting wing area by 25%. Like Japan elect to fabricate the wing from graphite epoxy using state-of-the-art co-cured composite technology to maximize the strength while minimizing the weight. They will need this technology for the AMCA. Carbon fiber single piece stabilizer, larger and with better stealth shaping, with an integrated drogue parachute as used by multiple operators. The horizontal tails would also be larger. Using composite materials already developed for F-2A and Block 60 reduces overall weight and radar signature.

Heavy inboard pylons allow 600 gallon drop tanks; contemporary Vipers carried 330 gallon tanks. Option to integrate conformal fuel tanks (CFTs); CFTs let them carry about half less fuel, but with much less drag and do not penalize the manuever performance like underwing drop tanks. CFTs are not perfect and do exact their own minor aerodynamic cost in acceleration and handling.

Choice of larger air intake for GE, or the traditional smaller air intake.

Standard F-16 nose and cockpit to avoid pitfalls of Japan’s F-2 program. APG-80 1000-module AESA from the F-16 Block 60 program fits nicely in existing nose. AESA radars like the APG-80 have more power, better range, less sidelobe “leakage,” near-100% combat availability, and more potential add-on capabilities via software improvements. Unlike the APG-68s, the APG-80 can perform simultaneous ground and air scan, track, and targeting, and it adds an “agile beam” that reduces the odds of detection by opposing aircraft when the radar is on. By default, the aircraft equipped with wiring and space allocated for a helmet-mounted cuing system that can be added to improve pilot situation awareness.

General Electric in either F110-GE-129 delivering 29,400 lbf (131 kN) or F110-GE-132 turbofan, which is rated at a maximum thrust of 32,500 lbf (144.6 kN) – alternative vendor Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 delivering 23,770 lbf (105.7 kN) or F100-PW-229 turbofan, which is rated at a maximum thrust of 29,160 lbf (129.7 kN). Regardless if they chose PW-229 or GE-132, they both are technologically better than India’s dated Al-31 version they use in the MKI program.

Stick to standard 20mm M61A1 cannon, found in all F-16 variants.

Total of 13 hardpoints for carrying weapon systems and stores: one on the fuselage centreline, one on each wing-tip and five on each wing. Eight underwing stations, with two plumbed for wet tanks and the centerline is also plumbed for a wet tank. Integrated weapons include medium range, GPS/IIR-guided AGM-84H SLAM-ER cruise missiles that can deliver accurate hits on ships and land targets up to 250 km away. Optional AWW-13 Data Link podsallow the pilots to receive text, data, and photos from various sources, and can be used to communicate with the SLAM-ER in mid-flight. At shorter ranges, stealthy AGM-154C JSOW glide bombs and GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs (installed 4 to a rack) give them wide-ranging one-pass attack capabilities against hard targets. In the air, AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder short-range missiles give them over-the-shoulder kill capability. Besides Sidewinder, also compatible with existing inventory of Python 5, AIM-132 ASRAAM, and Derby missiles on outer two pylons.

The original wide-area navigation FLIR housing above the nose has been retained from Block 60. Choice of AN/ASQ-32 or other externalized targeting pods. AN/ASQ-32 is derived from its work on the AN/AQS-28 LITENING AT. The ASQ-32 can even be used to find aerial targets, allowing passive targeting, and offering a tracking option that radar stealth won’t evade. Performance, however, can be drastically improved by adding either IRST21 on centerline droptank or the Legion standalone IRST. Distributed RWR blisters aid in self protection.

Self-contained electronic countermeasures systems, which provides both advance warning capabilities and automatic countermeasures release. The aircraft’s advanced avionics suite has room available for future improvements. Indirect source code control for key avionics and electronic warfare systems, sporting up to eight chaff/flare dispensers. As a rule, the software source codes that program the electronic-warfare, radar, and data buses on US fighters are too sensitive for export. Instead, the USA is able to send customers customized “object codes” (similar to APIs), which allow them to add to the F-16’s threat library on their own. Leverages the Block 60’s modular mission computer (processing throughput of 12.5 million instructions per second), fiber-optic avionics data bus, as well as advanced identify friend or foe to provide sensor and weapons integration.

And remember, all this technology is available now. The risk is very low. The F-16/AGILE is easily recognizable from the F-16 Block 50’s that Pakistan operates. And it gathers the technologies not found in Rafale that get India more quickly to an AMCA product.

If France helps get Kaveri running augmented – something the Russians were apparently doing already – would a Kaveri powered MiG-29M+ or MiG-29K make sense? We already know Kaveri was slated for AMCA, but that project looks less and less likely to ever happen in its current form. At least MiG-29 gives them a shorter term platform to build. It wouldn’t be a big stretch to see an indigenous MiG-29 variant powered by Kaveri and toting Astra AAMs.