Was RFP sent to DRDO when India acquired T-90?Sanku wrote:
No one can make this claim without sending a RFP to the manufacturer. Period. Just can not. Not sending the RFP itself was a criminal act. In the past there have been RFPs where people chose to opt out making it a one horse race, even then specs were changed to get more options in.
In the given time frame, it stands to reason -- Il would have easily patched together an airframe like Gripen and Mig 35 did for MRCA trials, and if they could not, time should have been given. There was no hurry?
In any case the whole "today or bust" for C 17 was done precisely to make sure that Boeing had not closed its line and Il did not have a chance to react.
One week (well not one week, maybe 6 months, but the point is same) and the picture would have changed.
This is precisely like "VIP must stand up to use the loo" type of critical requirements that were added to turn the VIP helo into one Heli show.
A country which cant get Arty guns and combat a/cs for decades cant wait for a week to buy trucks. Wah ji wah.
The whole claim that "C 17 was the only a/c is bogus because "C 17 was the only a/c which was considered by RFPs" obviously C 17 was the only a/c is a tautologically true.
C 17 came first in a competition where only C 17 was invited. Amazing achievement I say.
C-17 price is too steep, i agree; but to say there was a credible alternative at that time is not correct. The purchase could have been deferred till an alternative was available - but IAF thought otherwise.