UAE is not only making customized version , they were placing orders in on time , our Govt should try to learn from them in defense purchase . Even though uae is small country, doesn't have worst enemies like China /Pakistan , its trying its level best . India has some – ve things , which should be avoided.
1. Returning of unspent money . 2. Making Sanctions against defense suppliers , due to this indian defense preparedness is effected hardly. 3. Delaying / canceling orders / slow decisions have become usual one . 4. IAF authorized sqn strength should be increased from 39.5 to 79.5 , if increased may be india could attain this level in future . We need our mother india to be stronger. not interested in another 1962 kind of work .
What I concur from this article is that the current model of Rafale is not optimal for hot and high operations such as in India. I suppose that out of all MMRCA entries, only Gripen NG is able to supercruise with full load of weapons.
The IAF should renew it's interest in the 63 Mirage 2000-9s which UAE wants Dassault to buy back. Why?
1.We are talking about 63 ready-to-fly jets which a)We already operate b)Have served us well in terms of performance, realiability and cost effectiveness. So no waiting periods, no hurried purchases of costly western or substandared russian crap – just buy & fly!
2.These 63 jets will supplement our own mirage fleet levels while they undergo their upgrade programmes.
3.These 63 jets will immediately arrest the alarming decrease in current force levels.
4.Purchase of these jets will help us in reducing the number of units being ordered in the MMRCA contest.
bad news for India. UAE and Pakistan have a defence pact and most of the airforce of UAE has pakistani air force pilots on deputation as UAE itself has a small and rich population who are not too keen on joining defence forces. The pact includes UAE providing its air force assets to Pak in case of war.
These planes will likely be piloted by Pakistan air force and should be assumed that the customization requirements were drafted by Pakistani combact air force pilots as well. At end of 71 war Indian airforce was shotting more planes from Middle eastern countries then Pakistan.. If these new Rafels ( or even the other F-16's that UAE has) ever see any action, it will most likely be against India..
Its high time our defence planners add mayb 10 squardens to their count of fighter planes of Pak airforce ..and also additional types (rafeal and Eurofighter included) and upgrade our airforce accordingly
Anonymous @ 8:11, excellent point. Maybe if India acquire these 63 jets at a very reasonable price, India can then take the money it saved and acquire more 5th generation fighter.
I highly doubt that 1. there will be an all out war between India and Pakistan. and 2. Middle eastern countries will interfere with that conflict if it occurs. Mirage 2000-9 are actually as expensive as brand new Gripen and F16. When India wanted to buy used M2k5 from Qatar, price quoted was $60mil per plane. Instead, $45mil per plane Su30Mki are much better value for money. Gripen NG supercruise is technically very possible since it has very high power to weight ratio.
Doubts never win war or prevent them. Nehru doubted chinese would attack..and more examples are there
Do read some history on Indian conflicts.. Pak has always got help from Middle east and also US in 1971 so would be foolish to make contradictory assumptions.. Do you think Pak financed its nuke programme without middle east help and wound not get help in time of its distress
As they say ..if you assume , you make an ass of you adn me which is specialy right in nations defence and soverignity
The article clearly states" "The policy of UAE since the mid 1980s was that they will never ever take any platform unless they modify it and upgrade it to fulfill the UAE requirement"
I wish Vincent reads this for his usual rant that countries don't need anything to be customised.
Since UAE is getting royalties, probably that's why our upgrades of Mirage cost us so high and also UAE will get royalties if India went for F16IN. As long as russkies/Gripen/Typhoon don't win Indian MMRCA competition UAE gets royalties.
Why are we still in love with obsolete aircrafts that has already been given up by the French Air Force in favour of Rafael?
No doubt the Mirage is a fine aircraft but it is no more in production. Spares are going to be a big problem. Even ugrading has its limit and the French has proven beyond any doubt by demanding a hefty price for upgrading our Mirages with new avionics and radar.
Instead of old planes (F16, F18, Mig 35 in different avatars) why not spend a bit more and get newer planes that has a long life cycle and which can be upgraded in stages?
Go the Rafael or the Eurofighter Typhoon way. It would turn out to be a wiser decision without fear of sanctions and with more TOT.
Please keep in mind, that only around 30 of them are new, the rest are old and only upgraded to -9 standard. Also they won't give away all 63 together, if they get the first Rafale squad, we could get the first Mirage squad from them. So it will take years till we could get all of them. One more reason I request to think about is, that these fighter are technically only on par with LCA MK1 (multi mode radar, BVR capable, glass cockpit…).
So why should IAF pay so much, for used fighters, if they can get new LCA MK2 with better techs in the same time? I think that is one reason for the change from MRCA to MMRCA, because they wanted something superior than LCA MK2 in weight and techs.
UAE is not only making customized version , they were placing orders in on time , our Govt should try to learn from them in defense purchase . Even though uae is small country, doesn't have worst enemies like China /Pakistan , its trying its level best .
India has some – ve things , which should be avoided.
1. Returning of unspent money .
2. Making Sanctions against defense suppliers , due to this indian defense preparedness is effected hardly.
3. Delaying / canceling orders / slow decisions have become usual one .
4. IAF authorized sqn strength should be increased from 39.5 to 79.5 , if increased may be india could attain this level in future .
We need our mother india to be stronger. not interested in another 1962 kind of work .
What I concur from this article is that the current model of Rafale is not optimal for hot and high operations such as in India. I suppose that out of all MMRCA entries, only Gripen NG is able to supercruise with full load of weapons.
The IAF should renew it's interest in the 63 Mirage 2000-9s which UAE wants Dassault to buy back. Why?
1.We are talking about 63 ready-to-fly jets which a)We already operate b)Have served us well in terms of performance, realiability and cost effectiveness. So no waiting periods, no hurried purchases of costly western or substandared russian crap – just buy & fly!
2.These 63 jets will supplement our own mirage fleet levels while they undergo their upgrade programmes.
3.These 63 jets will immediately arrest the alarming decrease in current force levels.
4.Purchase of these jets will help us in reducing the number of units being ordered in the MMRCA contest.
"Gripen NG is able to supercruise with full load of weapons."
I highly doubt this. Gripen Ng's supercruise is extremely overrated imho. And hot weather will affect it too.
bad news for India. UAE and Pakistan have a defence pact and most of the airforce of UAE has pakistani air force pilots on deputation as UAE itself has a small and rich population who are not too keen on joining defence forces. The pact includes UAE providing its air force assets to Pak in case of war.
These planes will likely be piloted by Pakistan air force and should be assumed that the customization requirements were drafted by Pakistani combact air force pilots as well. At end of 71 war Indian airforce was shotting more planes from Middle eastern countries then Pakistan.. If these new Rafels ( or even the other F-16's that UAE has) ever see any action, it will most likely be against India..
Its high time our defence planners add mayb 10 squardens to their count of fighter planes of Pak airforce ..and also additional types (rafeal and Eurofighter included) and upgrade our airforce accordingly
Anonymous @ 8:11, excellent point. Maybe if India acquire these 63 jets at a very reasonable price, India can then take the money it saved and acquire more 5th generation fighter.
I highly doubt that 1. there will be an all out war between India and Pakistan. and 2. Middle eastern countries will interfere with that conflict if it occurs.
Mirage 2000-9 are actually as expensive as brand new Gripen and F16. When India wanted to buy used M2k5 from Qatar, price quoted was $60mil per plane. Instead, $45mil per plane Su30Mki are much better value for money.
Gripen NG supercruise is technically very possible since it has very high power to weight ratio.
Dhagash @7:03 AM
Doubts never win war or prevent them.
Nehru doubted chinese would attack..and more examples are there
Do read some history on Indian conflicts.. Pak has always got help from Middle east and also US in 1971 so would be foolish to make contradictory assumptions.. Do you think Pak financed its nuke programme without middle east help and wound not get help in time of its distress
As they say ..if you assume , you make an ass of you adn me which is specialy right in nations defence and soverignity
The article clearly states"
"The policy of UAE since the mid 1980s was that they will never ever take any platform unless they modify it and upgrade it to fulfill the UAE requirement"
I wish Vincent reads this for his usual rant that countries don't need anything to be customised.
Since UAE is getting royalties, probably that's why our upgrades of Mirage cost us so high and also UAE will get royalties if India went for F16IN.
As long as russkies/Gripen/Typhoon don't win Indian MMRCA competition UAE gets royalties.
Why are we still in love with obsolete aircrafts that has already been given up by the French Air Force in favour of Rafael?
No doubt the Mirage is a fine aircraft but it is no more in production. Spares are going to be a big problem. Even ugrading has its limit and the French has proven beyond any doubt by demanding a hefty price for upgrading our Mirages with new avionics and radar.
Instead of old planes (F16, F18, Mig 35 in different avatars) why not spend a bit more and get newer planes that has a long life cycle and which can be upgraded in stages?
Go the Rafael or the Eurofighter Typhoon way. It would turn out to be a wiser decision without fear of sanctions and with more TOT.
Mirage 2000-9 of UAE
Please keep in mind, that only around 30 of them are new, the rest are old and only upgraded to -9 standard.
Also they won't give away all 63 together, if they get the first Rafale squad, we could get the first Mirage squad from them. So it will take years till we could get all of them.
One more reason I request to think about is, that these fighter are technically only on par with LCA MK1 (multi mode radar, BVR capable, glass cockpit…).
So why should IAF pay so much, for used fighters, if they can get new LCA MK2 with better techs in the same time?
I think that is one reason for the change from MRCA to MMRCA, because they wanted something superior than LCA MK2 in weight and techs.