The horror and trauma of these attacks is beyond imagining. I grieve not only for those who died this day, but for all those who will die and suffer in the days ahead. I fear the consequences of these attacks for the French nation, for the European project, for all that is noblest and best and humanity. I can only hope my fear is misplaced.

May the dead rest in peace, and those responsible be brought swiftly to justice.

Wouldn’t be at all surprising if the Air Force had opted for the higher cost and higher performance proposal despite stated program objectives. This is, after all, what they did with that other great economy-focused program in the JSF too. The US armed forces are always convinced that infinite money is just around the corner (and they could well be right too, but that’s another story).

What stops them from pursuing licensed production of the C-130J today?

The fact that MTA is five years closer than it was and KC-390 is now visible on the horizon. C-130J is still an option, but no longer the obviously correct choice that it was.

It’s not complacency, it’s the fact that Il-214 is about the 20th priority in Russia at the moment. There is no money to go in all directions at once, and it doesn’t seem like RuAF is desperate to get their hands on the type anytime soon.

But this is exactly what I am referring to. Russia is comfortable placing Il-214 well down the priority list because it knows it has India’s custom in the bag. India needs to alter Russia’s sense of priorities — something that the prospect of losing a significant proportion of funding and orders for an aircraft it does want to build at some point could well do.

With some projects (e.g. FGFA) the case is so strong and the options so few that Russia can more or less get away with treating India however it likes. This is not the case with MTA. There is C-130J and there is KC-390. India has options and therefore leverage and should use it to secure her interests.

The proposal to re-engine India’s Il-76s with PS-90 is clearly related to Il-214/MTA and probably to technology transfer and Indian production/maintenance/overhaul facilities due to be established under that project.

Given that India already has A-50s with PS-90 (the three Phalcon AEW airframes) they have first-hand experience with both engine types and their operational characteristics. They’re in a better position to judge whether such re-engining is sensible than anyone else outside Russia.

If India re-engines its current Il-76s and Il-78s this will allow them to retire the D-30 support and logistics chain entirely, whilst bolstering orders and economies of scale for PS-90 with, one assumes, significant domestic involvement.

Too early to say that KF-X/IF-X project going no where simply because US do not want to transfer 4 critical tech. Those 4 critical tech now being offered by European suppliers as alternative if US continue not to give in. SAAB already offered tech transfer for AESA. While for Indonesia, the building facilities for KFX/IFX sites in DI/IAe still on going. Both ROK and Indonesian present administrations still comitted to the projects.

Indeed. Indonesia should not put all its eggs in the KF-X basket — one of the reasons I think it should go for Gripen E/F with local industry involvement — but nor should it abandon the project at the first sign of trouble!

Admittedly the recent issue with the US refusing technology transfer does not look good for Korea. The Korean establishment should already be familiar with how the US operates from its experience with the T-50 (ROK) project. You don’t hand the US a contract for F-35 and then ask for technology transfer — once you have given away all your leverage — you make the technology transfer part of the F-35 acquisition!

Indonesia needs a lot of things (in the military-industrial realm) more than it needs a handful of 5th gen hanger queens.

Buy Gripen, stick with KF-X, build a modern and professional air force whilst encouraging local industry involvement and development to the greatest extent practicable. A decade from now Indonesia can look at the state of the market (and progress with KF-X) and consider T-50, F-35, and whatever else is on the market and fits operational and politico-strategic objectives.