Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, so long as the ToT side of things remains intact. Obviously both Dassault and the IAF would prefer the full 126, but the numbers will likely be made up in time with the kinds of follow-on orders that are common in Indian procurement. Indeed IAF/MoD are almost certainly in a much better position today to project and balance Tejas/MMRCA/Su-30MKI/FGFA production and induction rates than they were back in 2007.

Some great Tu-22M3 Backfire pics on Russianplanet.net recently. Here’s a few:

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1. why do you say the newly built H-6 variant is a success? Is it because it is in fact a new build with modern electronic? This basically serves as non stealthy flying platform for launching air to sea missiles. Probably a test bed for many new systems for next build indigenous bomber.

3. If they are going to go for subsonic strike bomber, why do they need new advanced engine to be developed. Why not use something already built. Why design new engine unless you need to push the performance capabilities such as speed for super cruise.

Just as significant as the updated systems in H-6K are its ‘new’ engines translating to improved range, endurance, and payload. The same benefits would apply to any new-generation engine (plus the ‘secondary’ benefits to reliability, maintenance, electrical power generation, etc.) H-X would probably justify investment in a new engine all by itself, but when one considers that it would benefit (and benefit from) similar investments being made for J-20, Y-20, C919, etc. then a new engine for H-X becomes a no-brainer.

Maliki is a funny guy.

Recent events in Iraq bring to mind the following passage from Patrick Smith’s brilliant book Time No Longer: Americans After the American Century:

“Nations are eventually made by those who live in them, irrespective of a great power’s interest to fashion them to its liking. Americans should know this better than anyone, though the point seems to elude them [….] what will finally well up from the Afghan and Iraqi earth will be by way of millions of conversations, interests, persuasions, alliances, oppositions—the very fibre of a political culture, none of it having anything to do with America.”

a question.

Its more than likely that F16-IQ will never be delivered to Iraq.

Would the US give us a refund or will they take the money and run?

We really could use that money just about now to buy ACTUAL USEFUL WARPLANES that we could ACTUALLY USE.

In the event that the F-16IQ delivery is rescinded, probably the latter. Once you’re out in the cold…

A new minesweeper class Project 12700.

Thirty Minesweepers to Join Russian Navy by 2050

I’m not sure we need to concern ourselves with projections to 2050…

It didn’t take four partners to afford Typhoon anymore than it took a dozen partners to afford F-35. As for comparisons with other aircraft, TF-X doesn’t have to do anything new to be worth doing anymore than Tejas or KAI T-50 did. Like those aircraft, TF-X is a strategic program aimed at developing national industrial capabilities.

The major problem with a Turkified Gripen E/F is that there probably simply isn’t enough work available to satisfy the domestic industry objectives that are the raison d’etre for the TF-X program in the first place: same issue that sunk Turkish participation in KF-X.

A Turkified Gripen E with F414 EPE would make an excellent air-defence asset complementing the strike-oriented F-35. I am skeptical of the viability of a more ambitious project.

Mr Chander also said there was a scope for exporting 500-1,000 “cost competitive” indigenously developed LCA Tejas combat aircraft.

Let’s not get carried away here…