The MKI is hardly a period of shame, as the MKI didn’t exist until maybe 6 years ago – roughly the time that Su-27SM jets came into existence. The Indians flew around their Su-30K’s for a LONG time.

4-5 years is hardly a LONG time. particularly since the the basic su-30 was used by IAF in the interim to formulate tactics for the platform. it was these that created a furore at COPE with USAF F-15’s. MKI development was delayed in russia by two years because a test article crashed at 1999 paris air show and problems with integrating 3rd party components.
MKI arrived in 2002, that’s 8 and not 6 years.

Aspis, even when off topic your posts carry a very incisive take on broad issues and are eminently readable.
cheers !

Interesting, I find the PAK-FA to be great-looking (at least the prototype looks promising).

well some people love the X-32 ! there’s no accounting for tastes. personally I like the look of PAKFA but less than that of the flankers. the mig-29 is still the most beautiful fighter ever made IMO.

many mistakes in this one.

geoff, are you aware of the details of the gorsh to vikramaditya program ?

pakistan’s first indigenous helicopter.

http://arabnews.com/world/article216316.ece;jsessionid=B323B946FE297807FE81B614577FA0B2?comment=submitted&postingId=216810

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday successfully conducted flight of its first locally-manufactured two-seater helicopter.

Three engineers from Rawalpindi Mujibur Rehman, Rehan Janjua and Shakir Ayub,designed the helicopter capable of flying at the height of 17,000 feet with a top speed of 190 kph.

Private sector engineers plan to go for serial production of the helicopter. “We plan to develop the helicopter for ambulance and security operations”, said Mujibur Rehman Khan, a retired air force officer.

“Traditional helicopters have a stick-to-head, a mechanical system, so when the pilot moves the stick a mechanical system moves the push-pull rods on the rotor system.

“We have a fly-by-wire system, where the control of the pilot goes into the electronics of the aircraft and then ultimately moves the swash plate or the control rod servos. It’s like driving a car with a joystick rather than a steering wheel.”

The helicopter has been built at the cost of nine million rupees. “We have a plan to build 80 helicopters, which we intend to sell to public sector forces,” he added.

video of the machine. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwCapCpDkjQ

other than your subjective opinion do you have any objective reasons to pad your POV ?

LCA’s payload is enough for the job it is meant to. if you think otherwise please mention what payload it needs to carry but cannot. otherwise your opinion is just that.

and what has size got to do anything with it ? it still has everything a fighter needs to be capable.

come to think about it.. how well does the Naval Tejas and Gorshkov supposed to operate since the Tejas probably won’t have good range, or a heavy A2G load, and its carrier doesn’t have any granites or other surface missiles.

the primary responsibility of IN carriers is providing air cover to its battle group. the Tejas unrefuelled combat radius of around 600 km is enough for that job.
it can also perform anti-shipping missions if needed.

for long range strike the mig-29k will be used.

The Naval LCA will likely be used more in a Training Role.

just because the NLCA looks like the tejas trainer doesn’t mean it is a trainer.