Indian Air Force Chief Flies Rafale In France

Following the signing of the Pilatus contract, the Govt should finalize and sign the contract for Rafales too asap..

Good Boy !

Now since he's in France, why doesn't the Air Chief also hop over to Switzerland and check out the new Pilatus ?

Once he's done with the Pilatus, Russia is just a hop and jump away. Why, he can scoop out the PAK-FA there too !

And Alaska is just a swim (oops a flight) away from Russian far east. So, our good Air Chief can check out the new C-17s and Apache choppers in the US.

Aaaawww. We ain't bought anything from Mexico and Canada. Ab Air Chief India kaunsey imported plane mein aayega ??

I feel better option is to go for next generation F35 Fighter as rafale performed poorly in Libya war and to buy fourth generation aircraft which is very expensive costs as much as F-35 i would definitely go for F-35. I would not assemble the F35 but ask McDonald Douglas to improve the Tejas and help in modern assembly line to mass produce it to have the numbers.They can give everything rafale has on Tejas which would be cost effective and make it 4.5 generation fighter.I am very annoyed with Dassault for asking 41 millions to upgrade Mirage which is an obsolete aircraft with most of body life gone and questionable engine that may not last more than couple of years.I feel French are here to loot.Scorpene deal signed without engine who would sell a ship or submarine without an engine.

TIMBAKTOO

hmmmm, France 35% strike, UK 12% strike, nato statistic,
10 Eurofighter 91 strike with simple bomb helped by tornado, 12 Tornado 455 strike,
rafale 950 bomb, 225 aasm, 15 scalp
forget the ef2000, tornado is better, rafale is much better. danis was on way to do better than UK with F16.

read the report of libya from fleet chief ow falkland war.
published in UK parliaemnt.
lool !

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmdfence/writev/950/lib09.htm

8. It is for consideration that an interim buy of this aircraft should be made before more cash is wasted on refurbishing old Tornado airframes and further Typhoons are bought. The main advantages of the F18 for the UK are:

a) that it is available now,

b) that it is both land-based and carrier-based capable,

c) that it is one-third the price of a Typhoon or the F-35,

d) that it has more swing-role capability than Tornado and Typhoon combined,

e) that its performance as an interceptor is comparable to the Typhoon,

f) that it has tanker, EW/ELINT and Defence Suppression versions [F18G] that are not available elsewhere,

g) that it would allow for savings by having a Joint Headquarters and Training Squadron,

h) that either service operating the aircraft could support the other if required, and

i) that savings would accrue in maintenance, training and spares which are plentiful as variants of the aircraft are operated by the USN, USMC, Canada, Australia, Spain, Finland, Kuwait, Malaysia and Switzerland.

10. Contrary to what one would expect when looking at such costs, the Typhoon’s role in Libya is very limited. There is no air threat, the aircraft has no air to ground surveillance or targeting capability and is only capable of delivering Paveway Mk II laser guided bombs which do not have GPS precision guided capability (thereby restricting target options to those that do not have a risk of collateral damage).

Question

11. Why is the limited capability Typhoon being operated over Libya at all and at such huge expense (more than £80 million in three months) when we are told by MoD/RAF that the Tornado GR4 is such a capable and reliable Close Air Support vehicle – with a much lower cost per airframe hour?

Suspected Answer

12. There is probably more than one answer:

a) There are not enough serviceable Tornado aircraft to do the job properly.

b) The presence of Typhoon in the Libyan Theatre is a Public Relations exercise by the Royal Air Force to attempt to provide some justification for the existence of this very expensive fighter aircraft.