Boosting jet engine capabilities has long been a priority for China as it seeks to increase its military clout. The most recent five-year development plan for the country identifies domestic development and production of engines and planes as a major goal.

But it’s a difficult area to master, forcing China to rely heavily on importing technology. Over the last four years, engines accounted for 30% of all its imports, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Even the C919, a commercial airliner that China is developing in the hope of rivaling Boeing, is using engines made by a U.S. and French joint venture.

Even the C919 uses foreign engines… Mmmm!!! This reporter seems to have little appreciation of aviation. The C919 has an absolute need for competitive engines to have any chance at all of securing sales to non-Chinese airlines run on a commercial basis. Chinese military jets do not need engines that rival the best in the world to secure sales.

Okay. What about the claim that there is nothing in the history of Indian acquisitions to suggest that FMS deal could go faster? In that respect, what is your explanation with respect to the speed of the P-8 acquisition?

The core difference is in cost competitiveness, where low volume manufacturing in Europe loses out (Airbus aside). Europe had a market for some 1,200 odd fighter aircraft, which they split between three manufacturers while duplicating large chunks of the development effort. The economic consequences are quite predicable.

Agreed. The biggest waste in dev costs to me was the (now) Eurofighter countries and France not developing a common fighter. The money that should have been saved could have been available to all countries concerned for defence (or anything else) finance.

Exactly, Vietnam is not interested in anything but retired F-16s.

Why only F-16’s? For political reasons (wants to please USA)? Cost of frames + upgrade cost + support is lower than Gripen C 0r FA-50?

Of course it wasn’t a fair competition, it never will be for 4th gen against 5th gen.

So why falsify the numbers if the 5G aircraft is bound to be selected?

To me what state of dependence or independence the South Atlantic Islands enjoys is a decision for the people who live there to make. I am British and would be quite happy for the Falkland Islands to become the Malvinas if that is what the people there wanted.

If it requires a carrier or two with F-35B’s to guarantee that Argentina cannot remove the freedom of people to choose their political status, I am prepared to pay some tax to preserve the right of the inhabitants of the South Atlantic Islands to choose their political status. Unfortunately for the inhabitants of Argentina, Argentina is in such a parlous economic state that it does not pose much of a threat so the question of how Argentina copes with the F-35B is not too crucial.

In what way it can have max survivability in CAS?
By staying at 5,000 meters altitude?
Looks like BS data to confirm a decision made for political reasons.

You’re not supposed to say things like that. It upsets people who are in love with the F-35.

My mistake. I was thinking of interception or what comes under DCA in the listing.