Hey everyone. I’ll be doing some special reports on the C-130J, F-35 and F-16 as soon as I’m back to India on Headlines Today, and will post the schedule here for anyone who cares to tune in. But for now, I just thought I’d put down some thoughts about my encounter with the F-35. We were driven down to the F-16 test hanger first, where we got a tour of what was on offer for the MRCA. Then we were asked to put all our cameras away for a tour — the first for an Indian media group — of the F-35 CTOL. I was lucky enough to be the first one to turn that corner. Yeah I know, stupid. But too cool.
First off, the Lightning II is a work of art. For anyone who loves airplanes, believe me when I tell you those pixellated videos and glossy Lockheed photo-releases are a criminal injustice to the real Lightning-II. A perfect bite-sized fighter, with a finish that made me gasp when I turned the corner on it the first time. Everything about the F-35’s design is tight. The hidden hardpoints, the under-cockpit chamber for a minaturised Sniper pod, the subtly rounded planform, the soft-focus cockpit (we weren’t allowed to see the cockpit, first hand, but saw some footage of it later). Either way, we also had an extended briefing on the F-35, which Lockheed-Martin and the US government have so far been only touting as a the pot of gold at the end of the F-16 rainbow. Somehow, that’s a hardsell I don’t quite buy, though the prospect of acquiring F-35s at all is quite attractive in itself. It’s a seriously tight fighter. The F-35 obviously can’t meet the MRCA RfP because its delivery schedule would never meet what the IAF has demanded.
On the other hand, Lockheed-Martin sees a far greater chance of doing business with the Indian Navy before the IAF, if at all. As I’ve written here before, the Navy sent an RfI (request for information) to Lockheed-Martin and has received two briefings so far on the F-35. The level of detail of these briefings is pretty deep — the guys at Lockheed-Martin have apparently drawn out a full-fledged carrier aviation acquisition plan for the Navy, which includes the MH-60R multimission maritime helicopter as a replacement for the Sea King, and a fleet of Marine-Corps F-35 STOVLs as a replacement for the nearly extinct Sea Harrier. They’ll be talking more to the Navy in the coming days, and we’ll possibly know more during Def Expo next month.
F-35 for India in MRCA is too good to be true, considering the long waiting list from the partner countries, not forget little Israel… wanting out of turn delivery.
Even if Navy get a squadren or two it willbe good enough.
Mr. Aroor, the F-35 cannot be selected as MRCA even if it had been affordable with assured delivery schedules, because it is a 5th G fighter, much heavier and costlier to operate than even the Su-30 MKI. Thus, it is in a different ‘class’ of fighters.
It may be hoped that India does not “walk in a nightmare”, by operating the Russian PAK-FA, the indigenous MCA and the F-35. It is impossible for India to operate 3 fifth G planes, as it would entail huge logistics costs, and highly prohibitive expenses in purchase and operation.
Unlike the 1980’s, now India is “flush” with funds. With increased funding, the ADA can collaborate with Boeing to develop VTOL in Tejas and internal hardpoints.
In a fraction of the cost, the naval Tejas project can be accelerated to be developed into one of the best Naval fighters globally.
Thank you.
Abhiman talks like a Marketing person from DRDO. But his points are valid and correct to the core.