I do not see India growing to super power status for all the factors above.

Suit yourself. I think China, the Soviet Union, and the United States all demonstrate that even deep flaws in a society will struggle to overwhelm the power that follows from sheer numbers coupled with even inefficient economic development. The country might fall apart I guess…

I guess all those Indian doctors wanting a job with my division are mercernary as they’re trying to get to Australia as opposed to looking after the poor in India.

Yes, but then we don’t tend to regard doctors as heroes in any case, so there’s nothing to push back against there — we just call it ‘capitalism’, whereas military folk like to be seen as making a noble sacrifice or serving something greater than themselves or somesuch. Hard to sustain that narrative if folk are jumping ship for better scratch elsewhere. Incidentally, the confluence of western medical tourism of India with a chronic lack of healthcare throughout most of that country is not only immoral, it should probably be a crime.

Actually the Brazillians appear to not give a crud about military affairs other than counter narcotics and COIN because that is the true threat to them.

Very sensible of them.

You talk about FX-2 but it’s perpetually delayed.

That’s what happens when you have a democratic system and no credible boogeyman to scare them into accepting gross military spending whilst the greater part of the population cry out for housing, health and education. FX-2 will come with time.

However as India struggles to resolve the above problems, it can never rise to its potential.

Of course. This is why nobody is suggesting that India’s economy will ever grow to become triple the size of the United States as mere population would suggest. Nonetheless, India’s ongoing problems will not prevent it from attaining superpower status by 2050.

People want to do the best for their families. How is that wrong?

Nothing wrong with it in and of itself, it’s only if you wish to be considered something other than a mercenary that it becomes an issue.

Also still not sold on Brazil as a major power.

Militarily Brazil is a midget – it’s air force and navy are extremely outdated and small (Brazil has a mere 10 frigates, the most modern ones are from the early 1980s). It’s growth plans are limited too.

I agree that Brazil will remain a merely modest military power for the foreseeable future, and its influence limited largely to South America. But nonetheless I think it is instructive to look at where they are investing their limited resources: we find them developing their own aircraft, designing their own missiles, and maintaining rare carrier skillsets, whilst pursuing nuclear submarines and an industry-focused combat aircraft program in FX-2. Their approach is very much like India’s, only without the greater urgency that comes from facing credible present-day threats in China and Pakistan. Another point of comparison for Brazil would be as a less developed Japan.

India might be a military big wig in Indian Ocean but again it doesn’t have the same pull economically and politically.

Not yet, no. The next generation is China’s, the generation after that is India’s. In terms of GDP, India should overtake FR/UK within a decade and Japan by 2030. For its part Brazil should overtake Japan in mid-2030s.

I know people in the Navy and also in commercial maritime industry and they said recruiters are often waiting to pounce on any RAN ship coming into port. Money on things such as oil rig supply vessels is excellent and you get a cushy 4 weeks on- 4 weeks off as opposed to long patrols that sometimes go on for months.

And here I thought ADF personnel were all selfless heroes faithfully serving their country.

I would agree that it would cause some Political Contention. Yet, so would purchasing Japanese Submarines. Regardless, my point was a SSN maybe the only viable solution for Australia’s Submarine Requirement.

Requirements are not handed down from God on clay tablets, to be obeyed even at the cost of sacrificing one’s firstborn, rather they function within broader national frameworks, which includes a budgetary framework. If Soryu is the best solution within budgetary feasibility and yet it doesn’t meet the requirement, then you alter the requirement. Y’know, like the US did with F-35 — repeatedly. :rolleyes:

Funny, Brazil and India to name just two think SSN’s is the better solution………..

Your examples are the world’s future third- and fourth-largest economies which see fielding SSNs as part of their emergence as regional and global players in the 21st century. Relevance to a minor power like Australia: none. No comparable powers field SSNs or have plans to do so.

http://www.futuredirections.org.au/…/FDI_Strategic_Analysis_Paper_Future_S

The speed and endurance of nuclear powered vessels make them an attractive prospect. At USD 2.5 billion, the Virginia -class submarine would also be within budgetary constraints[/B]

This is rubbish. The cost of the boats themselves is only one factor to be considered, just as important is the cost of developing the support facilities and skillsets to maintain a small number of nuclear powered boats. Another problem with the Virginia class (but not the French Barracuda…) is personnel costs, with the Virginia class having more than double the crewing requirement of the Collins and Soryu boats. And if you don’t think this matters, consider that the high crewing requirements of the Arleigh Burke class is one of the major reasons it wasn’t selected for the AWD program. At the end of the day, if you took Australia’s current submarine funding and plowed it into acquiring the Virginia class, we’d be lucky to field a single unit at the end of it.

I agree yet I think Australia is looking for something bigger.

lolwut? The Japanese boats are the largest non-nuclear subs ever made.

So, Russia is going to accept a less capable PAK-FA than India??? Sounds fishy to me…………..

What do you expect India to say — that they are switching out Russian components for inferior Indian components?

The story used to be that Russia was going to begin inducting T-50 earlier with current 117A engines and presumably other systems maturity compromises, whilst India was going to wait for the Stage 2 engine. But now it seems that Russia’s plan is also to wait for the Stage 2 engine before commencing series production also.

An ideal FA-XX would need to have greater range (both supersonic and overall) than the F-22, Have a fast dash speed, Incorporate advances in LO and stealth (RAM, RAS etc) developed for the various stealth programs that are ongoing (LRS_B being the largest one)…It would need to have both speed as well as endurance. New engines are a definite requirement, and programs are well funded with all major propulsion players getting a shot. It would probably rely on much better data links, and passive sensors, in addition to high power active sensors. DEW’s probably would be something that would be incorporated from inception (as opposed to an ugprade planned into the future for 5th gen fithers (F-35) ). The advances in eletronics, open architecture systems, propulsion would probably mean that you could a raptor like (but better) system to be a lot more multi role than the raptor. I doubt that even the USN knows much more beyond these broad themes, as they are still in RFI stage of the program. Industry, ONR & DARPA inputs would of course guide future course of action. Lockheed is planning self-healing structures etc, Boeing wants to take the pilot out and make it optionally manned etc etc . I believe the highest USN official, to come out and talk of the program has already said that much higher kinematic, speed capability would be the goal.

My head hurts. The aircraft proposed is an alternative to F-35 to operate alongside SH in 2015-2035 timeframe and alongside F/A-XX thereafter, not an alternative to F/A-XX.

Why develop a new jet when there are already delta canards powered by dual F414 equivalents at a higher performance level than F-35?

Because Rafale/Typhoon aren’t VLO and are smaller aircraft than F-35/SH or the proposed alternative?

Mind you, USN buying into Rafale instead of Super Hornet makes for an interesting alternate history scenario…