With around 33 Tejas’s in IAF service before 2010 (20 Prodn, 8 LSP and 5 PVs) the LCA will be well positioned for the next decade.

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And also those 33 LCA’s would be the initial variant.There after there is scope for lots of upgrades.The M2Ks and the Mig29s which are being upgraded now will serve upto 2020 atleast…And similarly later LCA’s upgraded with various equipments will serve well into future.Plus the user friendly architecture will enable them to be upgraded easily..and the increased amount of composites with a small size will come in very handy in the future stealth warfare scenario PoV.

It cant be compared to the likes of dedicated stealth aircraft but compared to most of the aircraft serving now and w.r.t to likely opponents from the sub-continent PoV..the LCA will play an important role for the IAF in coming years.

Edit: Double post.

I would have to agree! Until the LCA is ordered in significant numbers and placed into service. I think you would have to call the program a failure……:(

Finished talking to your MOM already?:p

Wow..look at his frown hes obviously so concerned…feeling like offering him a citizenship right now:rolleyes:

Sonny,it doesnt matter whether you call it a failure or a galactic success..the IAF is already committed to it and already it has played a vital role for Indian Aviation Industry and LCA is the start..more coming soon!

Dont be depressed kid..chin up!:diablo:

To get back on track after all the flame-baiting:rolleyes:

Aero India: Gripen eyes exposure

By R Krishnakumar DH News Service Bangalore:
With the Request For Proposal (RFP) pending on the Indian Air Force’s 126 Multi Role Combat Aircraft contract, Gripen International is eyeing critical visibility at the upcoming Aero India in Bangalore.

With the Request For Proposal (RFP) pending on the Indian Air Force’s 126 Multi Role Combat Aircraft contract, Gripen International — one of the bidders in the race — is eyeing critical visibility at the upcoming Aero India (February 7-11) in Bangalore. Talking to Deccan Herad on Wednesday, Tony Ogilvy, Vice President (Sales and Marketing) — Gripen International said the show was extremely crucial in the company’s plans for India.

“We’ve pooled all our resources into the event. A big pavilion has been shipped out and for the first time in Asia, three fighter aircraft from the Swedish Air Force will be on display. Aero India will reflect Gripen’s commitment to India and show our real intent,” Mr Ogilvy said. The simulated cockpit for fighter pilots — that will be part of the Gripen pavilion at Aero India — will showcase its key features including top-of-the-line visual display and air-to-air datalinking.

Bangalore calling

Gripen, the fighters export and marketing wing of Swedish aerospace major Saab, is in the MRCA race with its JAS 39 fighter. The contract, the RFP for which is expected to be issued soon, is worth around Rs 30,000 crore. Mr Ogilvy — who is also Gripen India’s Campaign Director — said that in a market which has the F-16s, MiG-21s and the Mirages, Gripen’s had been a low-profile presence.

He, however, said the idea was to push for the change through a series of initiatives, one of them being the launch of the Bangalore operations, complete with a core team of three to four senior design and technological experts.

“Bangalore is the centre of the Indian aerospace industry and Aero India will be the ideal platform to display Gripen aircraft for the first time to the IAF, as well as the public,” he said.

Mr Ogilvy said Gripen JAS 39 offered a low-maintenance model with an assured life of 40 years. He said IAF had wanted fighters in the race to be upgraded to Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars and Gripen would — on acceptance of RFP — include the radars in the offer. On IAF’s demand for heavier, twin-engined fighters, Mr Ogilvy said he was not aware of such preferences. “We are presenting ourselves in the six to eight tonne category and single-engine fighters are the norm these days.”

http://deccanherald.com/deccanherald/jan112007/national2224302007110.asp

Akash missile ready for user trials: Antony

NEW DELHI, DEC 6 (PTI)

Development work on country’s surface to air Akash guided missile has been completed and the system is ready for trials by the Indian Air Force, Defence Minister A K Antony told Rajya Sabha today.

“After the user trials, the missile will enter production and induction,” the Minister said in a written reply.

He said Nag, the fourth generation anti-tank missile, was also ready for user trials by the army.

On Trishul missile, Antony said all development work had been completed and the DRDO was in dialogue with the IAF for possible induction.

He said before this the DRDO and the IAF would jointly develop the user trial criteria.

To a question by Vijay Darda whether Government recently had taken a review of major DRDO projects like missiles, artillery location radars and Arjun Main Battle Tank, the Minister said though no particular review had been undertaken, projects of DRDO were subject to review by various committees.

“Even experts from outside are invited to carry out such reviews,” he said.

Interesting stuff about the Delhi class..

Structure: The Delhi Class design, for which Russia’s Severnoye Design Bureau (SDB) acted as a consultant, are hybrids of Western and Russian technology – incorporating elements of the Sovremenny Class destroyer and the Rajput Class (Kashin-II) destroyer with the locally-designed Godavari Class frigate, including the frigate’s most unique aspect, namely the large dual helicopter hangar for two Sea King Mk.42B helicopters. The huge missile blast deflectors on INS Delhi indicate an original intention to fit the supersonic 3M-80 (NATO: SS-N-22 Sunburn) AShM which was deemed too costly. INS Mysore and INS Mumbai lack these blast deflectors.

http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/NAVY/Delhi.html

I really cannot believe that people are actually comparing instances from WWII to justify idiots whose sole aim is to kill civilians.I am not talking about any definition or any specific criteria here but USAF bombing German cities(BTW..remember Germans bombed London?) and countries operating camps just to brainwash and arm people to civilian killing mode are not the same thing.

Instead of invading Iraq it should have been pakistan, seeing as that seems to be the favourite terrorist haunt these days.

:diablo: