About the MASC requirement, if the Osprey is unsuitable owing to pressurisation issues what is the feasibility of reviving this project or building something based on it? It would also solve the Russian Navy’s future needs in this area.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mil_Mi-12

The original order for 28 Tejas mk.1s came under the condition that HAL/ADA develop the mk.2 to satisfy the IAF’s revised requirements for a gen 4.5 fighter(more powerful engine, AESA radar, greater manouerability etc.). Now it looks like AK Antony and Pallam Raju(both socialists from Kerala and ardent supporters of the DPSUs) may have forced them into accepting more. I just hope the IAF doesn’t end up browbeaten into taking a product that’s behind the standards of its contemporaries just to support indigenous industry.

I always wondered why Aegis-equipped ships had such a large, ‘blocky’ superstructure. Makes them look ungraceful and un-stealthy compared to the new Russian and European designs.

And I’m inclined to believe that report is just saber-rattling designed to get the Navy a budget increased. With the billions and billions that are spent maintaining and upgrading them the Aegis ships are probably the most operationally ready warships in the world.

Is the PLA Navy air arm(PLANAF) planning to acquire the J-10B? I believe they have a large number of J-7s and JH-7s to replace and only 24 Su-30MK2s.

Well, if there are defects then obviously HAL/DRDO/ADA would never publicly admit to them.

I’m inclined to take the IAF’s side here knowing that the DRDO/DPSUs have a history of overstating their capabilities, especially when they are trying to prevent the armed forces for buying an imported system over their own products. Nothing wrong about that; they are fighting to keep their customers, but it’s a tad underhanded.

How is it that the GE/Eurojet choice was due 3 months after the article was written but 23 months later the choice has still not been made? Starting from now, when is the choice between the engines due to be made? In another 3 months perhaps? That would be around June 2012, wouldn’t it? 🙁

Apparently the GTRE(Gas Turbine Research Establisment) is pushing hard for IAF to accept their joint venture with Snecma instead. Despite many, many calls for the Kaveri engine to be de-linked from the LCA project it hasn’t happened yet because the GTRE are fighting hard for their own survival over the program’s(in over 50 years they’ve developed very few things, this being the only significant one).

I don’t follow why you should feel the need to spend time and money fixing something that is claimed not to be a problem unless it really is a problem.

To support the Indian aerospace industry, what else? It’s the same reason the Eurofighter was supported despite its many problems, along with various other defence programs in various countries. That said I think the Kaveri deserves the same fate as Trishul; and the GTRE(nickname within DRDO: ‘Go Take Rest and Enjoy’) should be disbanded.

Well, if the new design was a failure…

I guess this dims the export prospects of the Amur for a few years at least. Hopefully if the Indian Navy opts for Amur for their second submarine line they’ll ask for a European-origin sonar suite.

The size of those weapons bays looks too small to realistically fit in those missiles. A long-range AAM like R-77 or ALCMs like Kh-31 would not fit into those bays, at least not in feasible numbers.