The CFTs are better than normal fuel tanks because they are usually a lot less draggier, free up the necessary hardpoints especially on aircraft with very few of them. And yes the disadvantage is that they cannot be ditched off before a dogfight, but when you think of it, they are not as much of a problem because they are not as draggy as standard fuel tanks are. On some aircraft, they can easily be installed with minimum drag(depends where you find the nice spot) but on others it’s hard.

The lighter fighters out there are the F/A-50, LCA, J-10, FC-1, Mig-29, M2K, F-16 and Gripen. Heres the deal, the high costs of M2K, F-16, Mig-29 and Gripen guarantees you can exclude them.

1)You are left with LCA, J-10, FC-1 and F/A-50.
-The J-10 and LCA performance wise will probably be the most capable there, I would however not count much on either of them because by the time domestic orders are satisfied, it will be past 2010 mark, unless you set up a domestic production line of your own. You are merely left with the FC-1 and F/A-50. The F/A-50 is imho better than anything light Western including the Gripen. It’s performance is similar and such and at a much lower cost. The A-50 is currently flying(twin seater, with American radar and weapons like AIM-120 and JDAM0, however the F-50 will have some time to develop and I will doubt it will be under 30mn, but still twice as cheaper than the Gripen or an F-16. However the F-50 will have a hard time competing against the likes of F-16, and since half of it is American it will have hard time being exported to just anyone like the FC-1 would be.

This really leaves you with the FC-1, which is kind of like plug and play. You can get it for 15mn which is as cheap as a Yak-130 and performance wise better. You can also customize if you like with Russian, Israeli, Chinese or even French weapons. If you want Russian, install Russian avionics like a variant of Zhuk-M/Kopyo radar and weapons like R-73, R-77, Kh-35, Kh-31PD, various Kh-25 versions, Kh-29, Kab-500/1500 versions as well as probably Kh-59ME, Hermes, M400, SAPSAN and whatever. If you want Israeli, give it the EL/M-2032 radar and Python 5, Derby, latest Gabriel, Delialah 2, Spice, Whizzard sets, Popeye Lite, SPIKE-ER, LITENING, RECCELITE and whatever. If you want Chinese, you would get a Chinese radar, SD-10, latest Chinese LGBs, AshMs, the Chinese Kh-31PD copy, smaller cruise missiles and whatever.

All guaranteed under 25mn for a potent multirole air defense fighter at twice less cost of a Gripen and no foreign embargoes and such.

“reverse flick”?

Well as it seems the R-37 is a replacement for the R-33/S, but what is te R-37M? Is it just for Anti-AWACS purposes like the KS-172?

Wow, 17mn/aircraft, quite expensive. Not to mention they get VERY FEW weapons with it.

One question, what is Su-27SK/P/S’s rearward facing sting filled with? I know that it does not carry a radar or anything and only Su-30MKI/-35/-37 do. Does the Su-27SM?

MAKO is dead pretty much

It’s FC-1, J-10, LCA, F-50(single seat multirole version of A-50), Shafaqh(which is rumoured to be a striker mostly, unsure though).

Isnt it funny that none of these are Western but all Asian?

Yahh it is obviously a better selection because the Gripen is a better replacement for hte F-5, it is obviously cheaper than the Su-30 in the longer run when you add everything up, also the Su-30 would’ve been even more of a nightmare to maintain because adding a Eastern type to a Western type oriented AF is going to be a nightmare. Gripen is not exactly Western but it would’ve been much less of a maintenance problem because it’s NATO compatible.

I just hope they get weapons with it like RBS15F, Taurus, and whatever. As for Gripen being 14m, thats very unrealistic. At most they can get 4 Gripens with that.