name some technologies India has been given by the west which is truely world leading..

Almost 90% of the Indian military equipments are Soviet origin and India was tilted towards USSR. So how would you expect the West to give ‘truely world leading’ systems???!!! But of course the scenario is changed now…. (C-130J, P-8I, USS Ternton, Missile Defence, Space, Scorpene submarines as well as MRCA).

India a step closer to making own carrier

(Rajat Pundit!!!)

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/India-step-closer-to-making-carrier/articleshow/4205577.cms

KOCHI: The Navy’s long-standing dream of operating two powerful carrier battle groups (CBGs), to project power as well as act as a stabilizing
influence in the entire Indian Ocean Region and beyond, took a big step closer to reality on Saturday, with the keel of the first indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) being laid at the Cochin Shipyard here.

“It’s a crucial milestone, which will transform India into an aircraft carrier-building nation. The IAC, to be delivered in 2014, will enhance the Navy’s blue-water capabilities. We hope to operate two-three carriers simultaneously in the not-to-distant future,” said defence minister A K Antony.

Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta, in turn, said, “With this programme, India has joined a select group of just four nations (US, Russia, UK and France
) capable of designing and building a 40,000-tonne aircraft carrier.”

It was, however, ironic that for a country that fancies itself as an emerging global power, India does not have an operational aircraft carrier at the moment. Present just a small distance away from where the keel of the IAC was laid in a dry-dock was the country’s solitary aircraft carrier, the 28,000-tonne INS Viraat, docked while undergoing yet another life-extension refit at the Cochin Shipyard.

Sources said the refit on the 50-year-old ageing INS Viraat would be completed only by July, which will then be followed by two months of trials off Mumbai before it can be called fully-operational. As reported by TOI earlier, Navy is also not going to get Russian carrier Admiral Gorshkov anytime before 2012-2013, especially with India and Russia yet to fully resolve the haggling over its huge cost escalation. Russia is asking for as much as $2 billion more over and above the original $1.5 billion package deal, signed in January 2004, for Gorshkov and 16 MiG-29K fighters.

Be that as it may, the IAC’s keel-laying marks an important step forward in India’s quest to build its own carriers, even though it has come after an excruciatingly long delay. Antony, on his part, indicated that India would go in for a larger 64,000-tonne second IAC after the first one gets going. The eventual plan, of course, is to have nuclear-powered carriers since their “sea endurance” is virtually limitless compared to conventional ones.

The 260-metre-long first IAC, the construction of which has seen some collaboration from Italy and Russia, will be able to carry 12 MiG-29Ks, eight Tejas Light Combat Aircraft and 10 helicopters like anti-submarine and maritime reconnaissance Kamov-31s on its 2.5-acre flight deck and hangars.

With a crew of 160 officers and 1,400 sailors, IAC will have an endurance of around 8,000 nautical miles and be capable of speeds in excess of 28 knots, powered as it will be by four LM2500 gas turbines.

It will have two runways with ski-jumps and a landing strip with three “arrester” wires for STOBAR (short take-off, arrested recovery) operations.

“Of the required 18,000 tonnes of steel, developed by DRDO and SAIL, we have already fabricated 8,100 tonnes. The entire IAC is divided into 873 blocks, of which 455 are now ready for grand assembly,” said Cochin Shipyard chief Commodore (retd) M Jitendran.

1) Too costly
2) Too costly
3) Too costly
4) Too costly
oh and TOO COSTLY..

apart from that their is also the issue that in no circumstances would the eads guys allow you to put on a AESA radar.. would make the IAF more advanced then most of the European AF for the next half century!

Oh and it would delay induction of the MMCRA even further! which the IAF cannot afford.. what the IAF needs now is something that is available off the shelf and FAST!

They know how money is offered for 126 fighters and they replied to the RFP which includes ToT, license production and offset requirements as well. So I think price is not a issue here, because they already know about it.

Yes, EADS officials from AERO INDIA mentioned that India can modify the EF according to her requirements. It is not something like, Israel buying staffs from US, so she have to buy what ever US wants’. Its a competition and the EADS is well aware of it. There is no problem for them if, IAF goes for another type of radar. About IAF being more advanced than European AFs, forget EFT, what about F-18E/F, SU-30MKI and PAK FA along with Phalcon???

‘Delay’ is a part of Indian defence procurements, nothing new. :diablo:

http://www.india-defence.com/reports-3822

we cannot conisder edge in modern technologies to be only major requirement.
1. maintainence, logistics
2. performance, avionics
3. weapons package
4. politics

1. We already used British made Jaguars with good maintainence and logistics support. Even better than Russian fighters.

2. Eurofighter has nothing less than any fighters (MRCA contenders).

3. Meteor, ASRAAM/IRIS-T, Storm Shadow and many other.

4. Best among MRCA contenders.

F-16/F-18: USA sanctions, not full ToT, and end user agreements.
Mig-35: Already IAF have SU-30MKI and PAK FA. Delay in many projects.
Gripen-NG: Not upto others. Many US systems.
Rafale: No buyer!!!

Eurofighter Typhoon with EL/M-2052 (or CAESAR) and thrust vectoring version of EJ-200 will be the best choice for MRCA. It incorporates the latest technologies in terms of design, aerodynamics, engine and weapons. If possible, we should go for couple of EA-18G as well, for say around 25. They have pretty descent EA and EW capabilities. Eurofighter and SU-30 MKI backed by EA-18G and Phalcon will be unmatchable in Asia and IOR.

Whatever be the case, it can be said with full conviction and surety, that the PAK-FA has zero Indian contribution in terms of engineering and IAF’s design consideration from the drawing board stage. The HAL is simply seeking to licence produce this fighter in India, and the HAL, IAF and the Indian media are purposely misleading the Indian public into believing that the PAk-FA is a 50-50 JV between Russia and India. Thus, vested interests appear to be at play here.

100% agreed. Most of the basic technologies like aerodynamics, stealth, engine, radar and many others were finalized before India’s participation. Though Indian one will be modified one according to IAF requirements with India systems onboard, HAL is missing many experiences of high end fifth generation fighter and technology development. They could do it from design board for the FGFA to be a 50-50 JV, but it is no more…

Above all Govt of India was readily available to pay $ 5 billion for FGFA but I do not think they will approve a fraction of that for MCA, still they will ask for a fighter better than FGFA!!!!

The FGFA is good and OK but I do not think HAL is getting appropriate returns for such a huge investment.

Ie. If the IN goes for the Navalised PAK FA if it goes for the F 35, then the above said logistics problems will not exist.

How?? They are two different fighters from two different countries. F-35 is from US and the FGFA will be built in India. So it will be much easier to maintain indigenous one.

STOVL will be able to carry nearly as much payload as a CTOL fighter from a catapult, while a CTOL from a ski jump will carry much less.

Mig-29K and FGFA will not carry any less payload than F-35B.

Currently 116 Sukhoi-30MKI are in service : Russia

Russia’s Sukhoi aircraft maker opens office in India
09/ 02/ 2009

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20090209/120047160.html

MOSCOW, February 9 (RIA Novosti) – Russia’s Sukhoi aircraft maker opened on Monday a representative office in the capital of India, New Delhi, the company’s press service said in a statement.

Sukhoi, which is part of Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), is the manufacturer of the famed Su family of combat aircraft, as well as the new Superjet-100 passenger airliners.

The Sukhoi office will support sales and maintenance of the aircraft delivered to India, and facilitate contacts with local authorities and companies, the statement said.

The Indian Air Force, after years of negotiations, purchased 50 Su-30 aircraft in 1996 and acquired the license from Sukhoi and Russia to manufacture an additional 140 Su-30MKI aircraft. Currently 116 Sukhoi-30MKI are in service.

Russia earlier said it had started talks with Indian firms on the delivery of SuperJet-100 passenger airliners and other civil aircraft to the country.

“The Indian civil aviation market is very attractive. It is very dynamic and has great potential,” said Alexei Fyodorov, UAC’s general director at a recent meeting of the Russian-Indian intergovernmental commission on military-technical cooperation.