so i’m going to go out on a limb and rule out the MIG 35 (india are doing the whole special PAK-FA thing with Russia already).

we’ve dealt with boeing and the Super Hornet, so its the F16 (as operated in a different form by Pakistan) or a euro canard. I think gripen is already an LCA but i dont know if that counts against it?

We already know that Rafale and Typhoon are wonderful aircraft but if the Indian Air Force needs a counter to things like the J10 then i would plump for typhoon (they may not…)

Teer,

wonderful stuff!

Is it realistic to expect Russia/Indian to produce their JSF equivalent aircraft or will they just end up producing a beefed up Flanker together?

on the subject of european companies – the gripen is promoted by BAE aswell as SAAB and isn’t EADS taking the lead on the Typhoon campaign in India?

thanks Sancho78

i reckon that if the UAE liked what they saw in the Al Dahfra exercise before xmas they will buy Rafale.

India might make the decision on the MRCA before they replace the M2000 might they not?

I can see that an upgrade to -5 would be a bit like LM saying the F16 block 52/60 (?) incorporates “JSF” technologies.

on a not unrelated subject can somebody tell me when India last bought aircraft from france please?

I’ve often thought Rafale would do best in countries that were looking to replace Mirage 2000s.

thanks for those.

like i said there is a lot of variation on the web, but at least those are all consistent.

2 questions for the PAKFA expert community then:

1) when is first flight (is there an official date or is it still all smoke and mirrors)?

2) If a third manufacturer chose to design an “air dominance” fighter would it look the same as the american and russian designs? They have distinct similarilties, but i suppose only in so far as the F15 and SU27 could have been said to resemble each other.