DTN News: Indian Fighter Downselect Coming

DTN News: Indian Fighter Downselect Coming

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources including Aviation Week By Neelam Mathews

(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI, India - August 14, 2010: With flight trials complete, the downselect process has begun for the six candidate fighters in India’s Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) program, a competition with a $10 billion-plus payday for providing 126 aircraft. Opinions vary widely among observers on how long it will take to narrow the field to two finalists from among the MiG-35, Dassault Rafale, EADS Eurofighter, Saab Gripen, Boeing F/A-18 and Lockheed Martin F-16. Some speculate an announcement might come in just two weeks. Others insist it will take much longer to evaluate the extensive technical reports that the tests have produced. Regardless, a commercial bidding process will follow the announcement. Final selection is to be made by the end of 2011. Trials included 643 test points. Results are being forwarded as tabulated data without a quantification of the level of compliance achieved, a senior Indian air force official reports. “We have done an objective assessment and are taking into account the needs of national security,” he says. But cost and politics will play a role in the defense ministry’s selection, he acknowledges. French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s visit to India this year is expected to be followed by a host of inducements, including a large transfer of technology, on behalf of the Rafale. India has yet to sign the Communications and Information Security Memorandum of Agreement with the U.S. that sets limits on what sensitive technology the U.S. will export. It may be signed during President Barack Obama’s scheduled visit to India in November. Beyond informal briefings said to already have taken place, the six manufacturers are to receive a 250-page technical evaluation of how they did. Problems during the trials included the failures of engines and large electromechanical actuation systems. Meanwhile, the defense ministry has revealed that it will buy 42 more Su-30MKI fighters, with deliveries to unfold between 2014-2018 (Aerospace DAILY, Aug. 11). The $4.3 billion deal, which will run through Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., is a top-up order that is to bring the Indian Su-30 inventory to more than 250 aircraft and the number of HAL-assembled versions to close to 200 fighters. Talks continue with Russia about joint development of the T-50 (or PAK-FA), a fifth-generation fighter developed by Sukhoi. The program is valued at $8 billion. Whether those talks will work to the advantage of the MiG-35 MMRCA fighter candidate is unclear.

DTN News: Boeing, Lockheed Wait As India Delays Biggest Fighter Jet Deal

DTN News: Boeing, Lockheed Wait As India Delays Biggest Fighter Jet Deal Source: DTN News / Bloomberg (NSI News Source Info) NEW YORK, U.S. - April 27, 2010: India will miss a deadline tomorrow to complete the world’s biggest fighter-jet purchase in 15 years, risking a possible $1 billion price increase as Boeing Co. and five rival manufacturers resubmit bids. India’s Air Force is still conducting flight trials for competing jets from Boeing, Lockheed Martin Corp. and four European companies, two years after accepting price quotes for 126 warplanes that the government said should cost about $10 billion. The bids expire April 28 and the Defense Ministry has asked manufacturers to submit offers for an additional year, its spokesman, Sitanshu Kar, said in a phone interview in New Delhi. “The companies have been informed by the government that they can extend their bid for one more year,” Kar said. “They have the option of increasing or decreasing their price.” The delay in buying what India describes as “multi-role combat aircraft” may raise the government’s eventual cost, said Mrinal Suman, a retired Indian army major general and arms procurement analyst. “By the recent track record, the cost of these aircraft generally goes up by 7 percent to 10 percent each year,” Suman said in a phone interview. India’s failure to choose a plane within the planned two years “highlights that this is by far the biggest, most complex arms purchase India has ever undertaken,” said Suman, who monitors weapons procurement for the Confederation of Indian Industry. Political considerations have slowed decision-making by Defense Minister A.K. Antony, said Rahul Roy-Chaudhury, senior fellow for South Asia at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. “Antony has been trying to assure a squeaky clean deal to avoid any possible allegation of corruption, because of past scandals” that helped drive the ruling Congress Party to defeat in 1989 elections, Roy-Chaudhury said. Those scandals erupted over allegations that Indian officials took bribes in the purchase of Swedish artillery and German submarines. Open Bid Since the 1980s, no Indian government has made an open-bid arms purchase valued at as much as $100 million, or 1 percent of the fighter deal’s size, Roy-Chaudhury and Suman said. The Indian air force has conducted flight trials for the six competing aircraft from a high-altitude airfield near Leh in the Himalayas, a desert base in Rajasthan state and in the tropical climate of Bangalore, Kar said. “The trials will be over shortly, maybe by the end of May,” he added. The air force “will provide the government with two or three options that meet the technical needs, and then it will be up to the political decision makers,” Roy-Chaudhury said. Chicago-based Boeing, maker of the F/A-18 Super Hornet, and Lockheed-Martin, based in Bethesda, Maryland, which builds the F-16 fighter, may benefit from a desire by India to cement strategic ties to the United States, he said. Lockheed-Martin “plans to update our commercial bid to ensure the best possible value to India,” company spokesman John Giese said in an e-mail. Boeing is “working to provide a compliant response” to India’s request that it extend its bid, spokesman Brian Nelson wrote in an e-mail. Sweden’s Saab AB will make no change in its bid to sell the Gripen fighter, said Eddy de la Motte, who heads the company’s campaign in India. The other contenders -- Paris-based Dassault Aviation SA, Moscow-based United Aircraft Corp., and the European Aeronautic, Defense & Space Co., which has headquarters in Paris and Munich -- did not comment on their plans.

DTN News: India's MRCA - My Take Of The Whole MRCA Deal

DTN News: India's MRCA - My Take Of The Whole MRCA Deal *Source: DTN News / BY : Dr Jaison Jose Manakattu / Mangalore , Karnataka FOR MY TAKE (IDRW.ORG) (NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - September 23, 2009: First of all the budget we have is around $10~12 billion. Aircrafts in contention 1) MiG 35

2) The Eurofighter Typhoon 3) The Dassault Rafale 4) The Saab Gripen NG 5) The F-16 Super Viper 6) The F/A 18 Super Hornet All 6 aircraft’s meet the RFP’s ( guess Rafale not meeting requirements is sorted out now ) . Anyone offering full ToT will surely have the upper hand here. Reliability and service is given top priority because we have to keep them may be for the next 30 yrs or so and this aspect of the fighter would be given more brownie points than flying characters etc. “It’s the biggest fighter aircraft deal since the early 1990s,” said Boeing’s Mark Kronenberg, who runs the company’s Asia/Pacific business. DID has offered ongoing coverage of India’s planned multi-billion dollar jet fighter buy, from its early days as a contest between Dassault, Saab, and MiG for a 126 plane order to the entry of American competitors and even EADS’ Eurofighter.

Equally important will be the AESA. Or else why should everyone offer the AESA as part of the package.Another major factor will be the politics behind it. One factor that could influence could be the time frame of induction. My take about whether it’ll be a single or twin engine fighter who’ll win the competition, I think it wont make any difference as a twin engine fighter has more reliability while a single engine fighter will have much lower operating costs which are both priorities for the IAF. Now let me dissect each of them one by one. 1) THE MIG 35: Since russia and the US are the only two countries that makes every nut and bolt of their fighter jets,the russians are the only ones that can brag about “complete” transfer of technology . Another plus point is that it is so many percentage cheaper than all the other twin engined peers in the competition.Plus we already operate the mig 29 ,our navy is buying them,have MRO facilities, is going to produce RD 33 locally so integration of the MIG 35 into the IAF will be a breeze compared to all the other fighters.We can also customize the aircraft to our needs like the Su 30 MKI.Now the negative points include less reliability , lower tech( the AESA is first gen ), almost total dependency on russia, lack of support and spares which has been a headache for the IAF especially with the Mig 29’s. Also Russia doesn’t offer much of political mileage more than what we have now and ditching them will hurt them,but not so much, as our the major chunk of weaponry, even future ones, is gonna still remain Russian.I guess the russians too believe that they have a huge chance of losing the deal to the west, so there is not going to be a major fallout.Though the Mig 35 has exceptional flying charac, the avionics part is still very much hollow even with the AESA and OLS(the counterpoint that can be given here is that we can customize it to our expected level). The Russian air force has not given a clear indication of inducting it in large numbers and i think they are more inclined towards waiting for the pakfa and this can be a problem as far as support of the aircraft goes in the long term. 2) Eurofighter Typhoon: I’m really appreciative of the aircraft’s capabilities and it is a winner( with the CAESAR ) in all fronts as a weapons platform compared to all other aircraft’s in the competition. But for me this aircraft has the least chance of winning the competition.The EF consortium recently won a 9 billion euro deal for 112 a/c.9 billion euros is around 14 billion US$. and our order is for 126(plus an option of 63 more) .Our budget is 10~12 billion plus we’ll have to shell out money for weapons, support and service for around 30 yrs,ToT, manufacturing facilities for the aircraft and all this is going to be a hell lot of money much above our budget. Yes, 50% of it is gonna come back to us as offsets but then the money we’ve got to pay them in the first place will be exorbitant. Second regarding ToT , I hope they can fulfill that part but the status of their radar is still unclear. Yes the tranche 3 will have an AESA but will it be available for our evaluations is still unknown. They have reportedly tested it back in 2007 but its present status is unclear. On the political front the Europeans have proposed a package which is still unknown. Also on offer is partnership in the euro fighter project for further development but i guess we can arm twist anyone into being part of future development of the platform. Also the fatigue life of the eurofighter is pretty low. around 6000 hrs.This means lower service life which is really bad news especially for the IAF. Also most of the partner nations in EF will spend more resources on purchasing the F 35 when its available. This is highlighted by the Brits cutting back on their commitment towards buying their share of EF’s. Also the new tender called for additional AJT’s for the IAF as they are unhappy with the Hawks, can put a black mark on the companies involved in the EF consortium. Plus point is that if EJ200 engine gets selected for the LCA, EF and LCA will have the same engine. Also the EADS is also helping the LCA to meet is IOC target.Also if the deal happens , the technology being transfered will be top class.. But i think so much is not enough to turn the tide towards the EF with their major drawback being, as i told you.. THE PRICE.. 3) Dassault Rafale: An excellent aircraft, as good as the typhoon, a winner in all fronts except the price tag.The rafale isn’t cheap, might be as costly as the Typhoon. But has a few plus points. The whole aircraft is almost entirely french (may be not as entirely as their American and Russian counterparts) so ToT wont be a problem for the French. Snecma is helping us make the 90 kN Kaveri which we might also be able to use in the rafale if bought. The rafale is going to be the primary aircraft for the french which is only going to complemented by their stealth UCAV which is under development unlike the Typhoon. The Rafale is also the big brother of the mirage 2000 which we operate and was the original choice for the MRCA. The Indian pilots rave about the mirage and the rafale will only be better. With the French promising us the source codes i guess we can equip it with the any weapon system of our choice. The AESA they offer is the only one that is under production other than the american onesThe fact that there is a naval variant too makes the deal very attractive.The french also claim very low operating costs. Plus they’ll be so aggressive in this deal coz they still haven’t won anywhere.They are still hanging on the balance in Brazil . They’ve always been bulldozed by the Americans . Now the negative point is the price. I don’t believe even in my wildest dreams that they can stick to our budget limit unless they give us substantial discounts , also taking into account the the followup order we might place.The typhoon consortium wont be able to do this because its a consortium!! while the rafale can be discounted coz its entirely a french plane and there is no need to convince a bunch of governments about selling a fighter cheaper than what they themselves get. Also the french cant give us anything substantially new politically as they’ve agreed to all our demands (security council seat , nuke deal) long back. The french also has the dirty habit of selling arms to anyone if they get money , even to our neighbor in the west regardless of our concerns. 4) Saab Gripen NG: The first true multirole aircraft that went into production , this one is a truly capable aircraft. It was built from bottom up to be network centric and will truly fit Lock and key into IAF’s network centric doctrine. Plus points include the swash plate AESA( under development , so can be its biggest drawback if it isn’t ready in the stipulated time) , the very low price tag with no aircraft on offer( leaving aside the f 16 sv) so much bang for the buck.Also the data link on the Gripen ,the man-machine interface etc are world class. Its 10 mins refueling and rearming time shows its mission availability and its short take off and landing characteristics will be very attractive to the IAF.The airframe life is 8000 hrs (for the C/D), compared to 6000 hrs for the typhoon. This coupled with very low operating costs(remember it has a single engine) makes it a mouth watering deal. They are also offering more than 50% offset and offering partnership to develop the MCA. The development of the LCA mk ii will be significantly faster with Swedish support. Also like the rafale, the gripen will be the main strike aircraft for the swedes for the next 2-3 decades.So no worries on the support front.The swedes are also offering to integrate any weapon of our choice russian, EU , American and Indian and will let us customize the aircraft any way we want. And if the F 414 gets selected for LCA , it’ll have a common engine with the gripen hence better inventory management. The Gripen will ,as the swedes claim, be the perfect junior partner for the Su 30 MKI (so will the LCA). Also there is a possibility that the Kaveri engine would be fitted into the gripen which if happens would be absolutely great ,both for us and the swedes. Now coming to its negative points, it brings absolutely no political mileage . India can offer the swedes more politically(if they buy the LCA ) than they can offer us. Also their call of “independence” if they buy the platform shouldn’t be taken seriously as they have a significant part of critical aircraft components( engine , radar ) sourced from outside.In my opinion the swedes should’ve selected the Eurojet engine instead of the F 414 for the Gripen NG which would’ve gone a long way lending their independence tag much needed credibility. The LCA mk ii when developed will be strikingly similar in capability and the IAF wouldn’t want two similar aircraft’s in the same class. Also the gripen will be in a tight situation if they lose the Brazilian and Indian deal and would. But that would also make them fight tooth and nail for the deal but how worthwhile is their fight, only time will tell. 5) F-16 super Viper: First things first.. It is American. that means a combination of high technology + the burden of sanctions. The aircraft we are buying should be around for the next 30 years. 30 years is a long time. It was in the last 7-8 years that the Americans have become close to us and they offering us high technology was unthinkable before that.So the next 30 years can also spring in a few surprises. Any thing can happen in this time period from US being our close ally to them slapping us with sanctions. Counter argument can be that there is no guarantee that the Russians wont turn against us and help the Chinese or whatever. But history wise the Americans are more notorious in ditching their partners than the the Russians( for eg take the case of Pakistan) . The Americans deal with the motto “There are no permanent friends, only permanent interests”. I’m no anti american and i believe they were a very responsible superpower(if you forget Iraq , kosovo and Afghanistan ). Now back to F 16 SV. It has a combat ready AESA which is much more advanced than what anyone offers except maybe the AN/APG 79, the platform is combat proven( though not in fights among equals), is agile, comes with advanced sensors and EW suite and as Lockheed martin claims, with some generous sprinkling of 5th gen tech from the F 35 and 22. They are shutting down their production in the US and would want someone to take over its remains and maybe act as a production and support hub for the rest of the world. They are also dangling the F 35 carrot which the navy is somewhat keen to have … Negative points include 4th gen aircraft beefed up to meet our requirements , Indians not very impressed with its capabilities from what they’ve seen from various exercises they’ve participated.The fact that it is gonna be discontinued in the immediate future to make way for the F 35. The typical Indian mindset of i dont want the same car as my neighbor even if it is the latest version. The fact that we’ve to pay 7% royalty to the UAE gov since most of the stuff inside the SV was funded by UAE. And all the reasons stated above when i started writing bout the SV. It was worth buying it if had some 5th gen stuff in it.But i guess the Americans are equating 5th gen=AESA. It would come cheaper than most of the other competitors but i myself is not very inclined towards it ( may be my Indian attitude “Since The whole world has it , i want something new” ). 6) The F/A 18 Super Hornet: Well the Super Bug is a very rugged Aircraft. Any thing capable of carrier landing and take off (including the rafale) would be a very capable one.The SH is also capable of huge payloads and has a very good range compared to all the other aircraft.It is a true multirole/swing role aircraft in every sense.Its RCS is said to be the lowest among the competition, only beaten by the Fifth gen ones. Another strong point is the reliability and the maintenance aspect of the aircraft which is unbeatable in the competition which the IAF is sure to notice. It naturally had to be so as it was made to be Carrier based.The airframe service life is >8600 hrs Also notable is the AESA that comes with it. It is the best that is offered among all the radars and i’m not going in detail bout its specs because it has been dissected and discussed in this same thread. It also has one of the best avionics package and though they dont claim anything to be 5th gen in it , i think it is a much better package than the F 16’s offer. And it would be cheaper than the twin engined euro canards by a mile ( but wont beat the MIG 35) coz of the numbers on order by the USN. Plus it comes with the F 414 on offer to the LCA . Now coming to the not so good aspects of the SH , it is American so everything what i’ve written about the SV would apply here too. The SH isn’t very agile ( it is agile but not as much as the flankers or the eurocanards ). But i don’t think the IAF this time around is concentrating on the close combat aspect of the fighters so this might be forgiven.The SH may also be replaced (or complemented )by the naval variant of the F 35 but the USN might keep it till 2030 at least). Then the problem of ToT. If the americans would’ve given full ToT on this bird i bet there wouldn’t have been any competition coz no one could have matched what the super bug offered. But sadly it isn’t so , throwing the whole competition open. Finally I guess the the competition is between the Rafale , SH and the Gripen ;Yeah, more like the Brazilian tender.What ever differences we have strategically with the Brazilian requirements I’m sure the IAF would be keenly watching it while carrying our evaluation . MY TAKE : Articles are written by Readers of IDRW.org and not by IDRW Team ,Views Expressed are the views of the Readers and not of IDRW.ORG or IDRW TEAM , for more information on MY Take

DTN News: Sweden’s SAAB Offers India Advanced Radar With Gripen Combat Jet

DTN News: Sweden’s SAAB Offers India Advanced Radar With Gripen Combat Jet

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI, India - September 11, 2009: The race for an Indian Air Force (IAF) order for 126 combat jets in a deal worth $10 billion just got more interesting with Swedish plane maker SAAB offering an advanced version of a state-of-the-art radar with its Gripen fighter and also the wherewithal to enable its programming here.

The Gripen is a contender in the Indian MRCA Competition for 126 multi-role combat aircraft. Gripen International handed over its proposal on 28 April 2008. The company is offering the Gripen IN, a version of the Gripen NG for India's tender, and has opened an office in New Delhi in order to support its efforts in the Indian market. On 4 February 2009, it was announced that Saab had partnered with the Indian Tata Group to develop a new Gripen variant to fit India's needs. The aircraft is in service with the Swedish Air Force, the Czech Air Force, the Hungarian Air Force and the South African Air Force, and has been ordered by the Royal Thai Air Force. A total of 236 Gripens have been ordered as of 2008.

“What we are offering is a second generation AESA (advanced extended search array radar) that incorporates a swishplate that enables it to rotate and considerably enhances its capabilities over the existing radar,” Gripen International’s India director Eddy de la Motte told reporters Wednesday.

“The radar will come with its software source code.” The software source code has been a sticky point, with at least two of the six manufacturers in the race for the IAF order, which could go up to 200 planes, expressing reservations on transferring this to India. Without the code, the IAF would be dependent on the manufacturer who is selected for the order for programming the radar, thus impinging on the country’s national security, a defence analyst pointed out. Listing the other advantages of the single-engined Gripen, whose IN version is currently on offer to be followed by the NG (next generation) version, de la Motte pointed to its low lifecycle costs, quick turnaround time, quick engine replacement time, advanced avionics and the fact that the IAF could install a weapons suite of is choice on the aircraft. “In terms of costs, including the life cycle cost, the Gripen is 50 percent cheaper that the other single-engined aircraft (in the fray) and 25 percent cheaper that the double-engined aircraft (in contention),” the SAAB official pointed out. While the IAF has already begun its flight evaluation trials of the six jets in the running, it is yet to resolve the contentious issue of whether it wants a single-engined or a twin-engined aircraft. When the IAF first floated its Request For Information (RFI), it was looking for a replacement for its aging Soviet-era Mig-21, a single engined fighter. Of the six aircraft now in contention, only two - the Gripen and the Lockheed Martin F-16IN Super Viper - are single engined. The other four - the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, the French Rafale, the Eurofighter Typhoon built by a European conglomerate and the Russian Mig-35 - are twin-engined. The SAAB official pointed out that the Gripen was the only aircraft that provided the IAF the opportunity to select the weapons of its choice. “With the other manufacturers, the IAF will have to take the weapons the aircraft comes with. With the Gripen, the IAF can chose from the best that is available in the international market,” de la Motte maintained. The flight trials, being conducted in humid conditions in Bangalore, desert conditions in Jaisalmer and high-altitude conditions in Leh, will conclude in March 2010. Thereafter, the field will be narrowed down to two or three aircraft, after which the price negotiations will begin, with the first of the planes arriving in 2012-13. Eighteen of the aircraft will be purchased in flyaway condition and the remaining will be manufactured by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under a transfer of technology agreement.

DTN News: Boeing, Lockheed Hail US-India Defence Deal

DTN News: Boeing, Lockheed Hail US-India Defence Deal *Source: DTN News / AFP (NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI, India - July 23, 2009: Two US defence industry giants, each vying for a huge fighter-jet contract with India, Wednesday hailed a bilateral accord promising to open the door to greater military commerce between the countries. “The F-16IN is the most advanced F-16 ever,” said Chuck Artymovich, the company’s director, business development. Many in India might think Americans are fully absorbed in the Hillary, Obama or Romney campaigns but for Artymovich and his team, it’s a season of a full-time “India campaign”. Will the campaign lose momentum if the Indo-US nuclear deal falls through? Richard Kirkland, Lockheed Martin’s South Asia president, insists it won’t. “It has already got the backing of the US government and a go-ahead from the US Congress,” he says. Many in India, however, may not agree with him as they would not like to take a favourable US foreign policy for granted. Lockheed Martin hopes to give a detailed proposal soon to the US government on the features and price of the F-16s on offer to India. The US government, in turn, will make a proposal to the Indian government offering F-16s and F-18s. Incidentally, the F-18 Super Hornet, built by Boeing, is not to be mistaken for an upgraded version of the F-16. The Super Hornet is a supersonic carrier-based fighter aircraft and currently its only user is the US navy. The other aircraft competing for the Indian Air Force’s contract are the Russian MiG-35, the French Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon being offered by a consortium of European aerospace manufacturers and Swedish company Saab’s Gripen. Lockheed Martin and Boeing are neck-and-neck in the race for the world's richest fighter aircraft deal in 15 years, worth almost 12 billion dollars, to sell 126 jets to the Indian Air Force. On Monday US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her Indian counterpart S.M. Krishna agreed on an "end-use monitoring" arrangement that would provide safeguards for the sale of sophisticated US weaponry to India. Clinton said the deal, which also provides for co-operation in providing nuclear technology, would pave the way for billions of dollars in exports of military hardware and civilian reactors to technology starved India. Vivek Lal, India head of Boeing Defence Integrated, praised the accord as a "cornerstone of the increasing trust forged by both countries." "The agreement will make it easier to share important US defence technology with India," he said in a statement. "Boeing looks forward to working within the framework of this agreement to support India in modernising its defence forces," he said. Boeing is touting its F-18 "Superhornet" while Lockheed Martin is offering a the F-16 to the Indian Air Force, the world's fourth-largest. Richard Kirkland, Lockheed Martin's South Asia president, also applauded the deal. "We look forward to supporting the requirements of the Indian armed services in partnership with Indian industry," Kirkland told AFP in an email. Industry sources say Boeing and Lockheed have emerged as frontrunners in the bidding for the 126-jet contract, which is also being sought by European Russian, French and Swedish contractors. The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company has offered its Typhoon Eurofighter, while the Russian manufacturers of the MiG-35 and MiG-29 along with Sweden's Saab, which makes the Gripen fighter, are also in the running. French firm Dassault Aviation is offering its Rafale fighters but these are viewed by defence analysts as too costly for India. India is slated to begin field trials of the aircraft in the race for the contract next month. The trials will continue until July 2010. India issued the request for proposals to the six short-listed global aviation giants in August 2007 and the companies submitted their bids last year. The contract includes the outright purchase of 18 fighter jets by 2012 with another 108 to be built in India under a "transfer of technology agreement." India also wants the option to buy 64 more jets. It is the largest arms buyer among emerging economies. India announced in March it plans to buy six Hercules transport planes from Lockheed for nearly one billion dollars, marking the country's biggest ever military aircraft deal with the United States. In January, India signed a 2.1-billion-dollar deal with Boeing to buy six maritime surveillance aircraft for the Indian navy.

DTN News: Pentagon Halts Israeli Fighter Jet Bid, US A Rival On Tender

DTN News: Pentagon Halts Israeli Fighter Jet Bid, US A Rival On Tender

*Source: DTN News / IsraelNN.com By Malkah Fleisher (Related link click here)

(NSI News Source Info) JERUSALEM, Israel - July 7, 2009: A scandal has arisen out of the United States military establishment after Pentagon pressure on Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to withdraw from a massive aircraft tender for the Indian Air Force leaves competing American aerospace companies in prime position to win it. On the table: a $12 billion Indian Ministry of Defense tender for 126 multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) for the Indian Air Force. In a bid to win the tender, IAI was offered a partnership with Sweden's Saab AB to jointly develop an advanced model of the JAS-39 Gripen jet fighter. Israel was to build the electronic systems for the craft, including communications, electronic warfare and radar systems. The Pentagon contacted Israel's Ministry of Defense, ordering them to force IAI out of contention, citing concerns that Israel would integrate American technology into the fighter jets. However, two of the remaining four bidders are American companies, leaving Israeli officials speculating that the actual reason for the demand was America's interest in winning the bid without having to compete by lowering prices, according to Israeli officials quoted in Israeli media Lockheed Martin's F-16 and Boeing's F-18 Hornet are still in the running, as well as Russia's MiG-35 and the UK's BAE Eurofighter. The United States has a history of intervening to thwart Israeli military contracts, to America's benefit. Last summer, Israel's defense establishment backed down from a $500 million Turkish tank tender in order not to compete with the Americans. In 2006, the IAI lost a $2 billion South Korean Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) tender after the US imposed technological and commercial restrictions, which prevented Israel from meeting the terms of the tender. In 2003, the US opposed a $1 billion AWACS contract between Israel and India, citing India's stance against the US war in Iraq. The US offered Israel $1 billion in US military goods to back down from the agreement. However, Israeli officials speculated that the US may have opposed the deal for commercial reasons.

DTN News: US Forces Israeli Company To Back Out Of Indian Air Force Fighter Jet Bid

DTN News: US Forces Israeli Company To Back Out Of Indian Air Force Fighter Jet Bid

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) JERUSALEM, Israel - July 5, 2009: The United States has forced an Israeli company to back out of the multi-billion dollar tender to sell new multi-role fighter jets to the Indian Air Force. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has been pressurized by the Pentagon to back out of a joint partnership with a Swedish aerospace company, Saab Gripen. The six aircraft makers and types involved in the multi role combat aircraft (MRCA) competition are the Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon and Boeing Super Hornet, along with the Lockheed Martin F-16, Saab JAS-39 Gripen and the Mig 35. The deal is estimated at a whopping 12 billion dollars for 126 new aircraft. Saab, manufacturer of the Gripen, asked the IAI to jointly develop an advanced model, which would compete for the deal. The Israeli Defense Ministry ordered IAI to back out of the deal after the Pentagon expressed concern that American technology, used by Israel, would be integrated into the Gripen offered to the Indians. "The stated concern was that western technology in Israeli hands would make its way to the Indians," The Jerusalem Post quoted an Israeli official, as saying. The American request was that Boeing and Lockheed Martin - the two largest US defense contractors - are also competing for the Indian deal. For this reason, Israeli officials said it was more likely that the Americans were concerned that if the IAI competed for the deal with Saab it would force the US companies to lower their prices. A multi-role fighter, the Gripen is in service in Sweden, the Czech Republic, Hungary and South Africa. The IAI was supposed to provide the electronic systems like radar, communications, etc for the plane. his is not the first time that an Israeli company has been forced out of a deal due to concerns that competing with American companies would endanger Israeli-US relations. Last summer, the Israel Military Industries (IMI) had to back down from submitting a bid for a half-a-billion dollar deal to develop and manufacture a new tank for the Turkish Armed Forces.

DTN News: Indian Air Force IAF Chooses Boeing’s Latest C-17 For Heavy-Lift Transport Aircraft

DTN News: Indian Air Force IAF Chooses Boeing’s Latest C-17 For Heavy-Lift Transport Aircraft *Source: Defense Media / IANS (News upgraded to June 16, 2009) (NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI, India - June 14, 2009: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has shortlisted the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III as its new Very Heavy Lift Transport Aircraft (VHTAC). Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik is quoted by the India Strategic defence magazine as saying that the aircraft had been chosen after a thorough study because of its capability to take off and land on short runways with heavy loads, long range, and ease of operation. IAF was looking at acquiring ten C-17s initially through the US government's Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route, and a proposal in this regard was being considered by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), he said adding that the aircraft should come in about three years after a contract is signed.The India selected C-17 as their primary heavy lift aircraft to replace aging Il-76. The new Indian Air Force chief Naik states that 10 C-17s are to be ordered; negotiations are underway. The air chief, who spoke to India Strategic on the eve of the Paris Air Show beginning Monday, is also quoted as saying in its report that flight trials for the six Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCAs) would begin in July and end around March 2010. The chosen MMRCA should start coming to India by 2014. Outlining the trial procedure, Air Chief Marshal Naik said that initially, test pilots from IAF's elite Bangalore-based Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE) would visit the manufacturing facilities of the six contenders; in the second round, they would test the aircraft's performance in humid, hot and cold weather in Bangalore, Jaisalmer and Leh; and in the third and final round, they would test live precision weapon firings from the aircraft in the country of their manufacturer or another country designated by them. 'There would be one team leader but two or three sub-teams, and the template would be common for all,' he was quoted as saying. The six aircraft in the fray are European EADS Eurofighter, US Lockheed Martin F-16 Viper and Boeing F-18 Super Hornet, French Rafale, Swedish Gripen and Russian Mig 35. One of them would be chosen to supply 126 aircraft worth about $10 billion, but the order could go up by another 50 per cent to 189 aircraft, a clause for which is built in the tender (Request for Proposal or RfP) issued last year. The interview report has been published in the June edition of India Strategic, being released at the Paris Air Show. Notably, except for the Su30-MKI, all the combat and transport aircraft of the IAF were acquired in the 1980s, and IAF needs new, and newer generation, aircraft to replace and augment that capacity. India has about 100-plus medium An-32 and less than 20 heavy lift IL-76 aircraft. It is difficult to get their spares as the Soviet Union where they were made has disintegrated into Russia and other states. IAF has acquired old, refurbished IL-76 platforms for its AWACS and Midair Refueler requirements. An agreement was being signed with Ukraine to upgrade and modernize the An-32s, the Air Chief said. An IL-76 can carry a cargo of around 45 tonnes and has a crew of six while a C-17 can carry 70 tonnes, and is much easier to operate with a small crew of two pilots and one loadmaster (total three), thanks to its various power-assisted systems. Two observers though can also be seated. Despite its massive size - 174 ft length, 55 ft height and about 170 ft wingspan - a pilot can fly the C-17 with a simple joystick, much like a fighter aircraft, which can be lifesaving in a battlezone as the aircraft can take off quickly and at steep angles. It is powered by four Pratt & Whitney F-117-PW-100 turbofan engines. Air Chief Marshal Naik said that IAF required contemporary and futuristic aircraft and systems, and that there was an urgency to acquire modern aircraft. The government shared the concern of the armed forces, and the pace to renew IAF's assets was on schedule. By 2020-25, IAF would achieve its optimum level (of 45 squadrons). At present, it is down from its sanctioned strength of 39.5 squadron to around 30-32, but this trend has been arrested, particularly with the induction of more Su30-MKIs and Jaguars. India has given a repeat order of 40 Su30-MKIs to Russia to take their total number to 230. The requirement today is for technologically better, easier to maintain, and a larger number of combat and other aircraft, including helicopters, due to the strategic scenario around India and the need to ferry troops, men and material even within India in times of contingency and natural disasters. He observed: 'The IAF of the future, post-2025, would consist of FGFA (Fith Generation Fighter Aircraft), Su30-MKIs, MRCAs and Tejas/MCA (indigenous Medium Combat Aircraft) with multi-role as well as significant swing role capability.' 'They would employ advanced technologies, sensors and precision weapons. The larger aircraft, i.e. FGFA and Su30 would focus on Air Dominance and specialise in similar roles in long ranges over land and sea, while the MRCAs would don a variety of medium-range and tactical roles. These assets would be capable of all weather, day and night attack with adequate self-protection capability... these assets would be immensely capable and are not going to be confined to the strictly stereotyped roles. They would carry out a number of roles in the same mission.' Air Chief Marshal Naik, who assumed charge May 31 from Air Chief Marshal F.H. Major, would be visiting the Paris Air Show along with top IAF officers to witness what new technologies are being introduced and displayed there by various aircraft manufacturers. The Air Chief said that IAF was also looking at more AWACS but after studying how the first lot of three Phalcon AWACS functions. The first of these aircraft was delivered last month, and the remaining two would be delivered by Israel in 2010. He indicated that IAF had short-listed the Airbus A330 MRTT to augment its Midair Refueller requirement, and that the proposal was being processed by the Ministry of Defence. IAF already has six IL-76-based aerial refuellers, designated as IL-78. As for the C-17, Boeing has brought the aircraft several times to India for its literal catwalk on IAF tarmacs, including at the Aero India 2007 and 2009 in Bangalore. Indian military officials and journalists have been invited for the aircraft's flight displays during the Paris Air Show. The C-17 is the mainstay of the US forces for worldwide deployment, and can be refuelled midair. It is in fact the lifeline of US and NATO troops deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq. According to the Boeing company, the high-wing, 4-engine, multi-service T-tailed military-transport C-17 can carry large equipment including tanks, supplies and troops directly to small airfields in harsh terrain anywhere in the world day or night. The massive, sturdy, long-haul aircraft tackles distance, destination and heavy, oversized payloads in unpredictable conditions. It has delivered cargo in every worldwide operation since the 1990s. It can take off from a 7,600-ft airfield, carry a payload of 160,000 pounds, fly 2,400 nautical miles, refuel while in flight for longer range, and land in 3,000 ft or less on a small unpaved or paved airfield day or night. The aircraft can also be used as an aerial ambulance. (Gulshan Luthra is a defence analyst. He can be reached at gulshan.luthra@indiastrategic.in) SPECIAL NOTE: Related Info on Boeing C-17s by our viewer "Taxpayer" commented: A taxpayer said... In real life, Boeing C-17s never actually land on runways shorter than 5000 feet. If one read the last paragraph, it does not say that the C-17 can land on 3000 foot unpaved runways, but can "land in under 3000 feet" which is not the same thing.If the runways are wet, they need even more runway.Furthermore, that aircraft very heavy footprint, or Aircraft Classification Number (ACN) prevents it from being used on the majority of unpaved runways of the world, because the aircraft creates huge ruts in the runway when it lands.When PCN, runway length and condition of runway (water, snow etc) is taken into account, the C-17 is more restricted into the runways it can use than the Il-76 it is meant to replace.

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Pakistan: JF-17X Stealth Fighter

Pakistan: JF-17X Stealth Fighter

(NSI News Source Info) Source; Tempur - January 27, 2009: In what is seen as a counter to India’s effort to jointly develop the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) with Russia’s Sukhoi Aircraft Corp, Pakistan’s Kamra-based Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and China’s Chengdu Aerospace Corp (CAC) last October inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly develop an advanced, stealthy, single-seat and single-engined derivative of the JF-17 Thunder fourth-generation light multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) that is already being co-developed by PAC and CAC.

Consequently, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is expected to induct only 100 JF-17s into service between this year and 2014, and subsequently switch over to the acquisition of another 150 JF-17-derived fifth-generation stealthy MRCAs between 2015 and 2025.

Present plans call for the latter MRCA to be powered by SNECMA Moteurs’ M88-3 twin-shaft bypass turbofan, incorporate a digital glass cockpit and open-architecture avionics suite, and use SELEX Sensors and Airborne Systems’ Vixen 500E X-band multi-mode active phased-array radar, or AESA, an integrated electronic warfare/defensive aids suite being developed by China’s CETC, along with a helmet-mounted sighting-cum-cueing system for which systems from THALES, BAE Systems and Denel Aerospace are being evaluated.

The M88 turbofan for this aircraft will have variable camber inlet guide vanes, while its high-pressure compressor will have a sixth stage, and its exhaust nozzle will be of the ejector type. The turbofan will deliver 50kN (11,250lb) of dry thrust and 75kN (17,000lb) with afterburning. The primary offensive armament to be carried by this aircraft will be two underwing-mounted Hatf-8 (also called ‘Raad’ or ‘thunder’ in Arabic) air-launched cruise missile, which has a range of 350km.

For air combat engagements, the stealthy MRCA will be armed with three types of air-to-air missiles: 60km-range PL-12 beyond visual range missile; 15km-range PL-13 within visual range missile; and PL-14 ramjet-powered 100km-range missile. The latter two have been developed by China in cooperation with South Africa’s Denel Aerospace.

In contrast, the JF-17, which is due to enter service late next year, is a light MRCA that will be eventually replace the PAF’s existing CAC-built F-7P Skybolt and F-7MG light MRCAs...