Rakesh wrote:Cain Marko wrote:The numbers tweeted there seem really strange if not straight from a rafale fanboy.
1.5x loiter time
30% extra range
Even the availability of the mki is not as ridiculously low as pointed out. Currently close to 70%. I understand people want the rafale badly, so do I but the are bogus claims are just that.
The bolded part in the tweet are spot on about the Rafale. The issue is not about the Su-30, but more about what the Rafale can do. I cannot edit the tweet (as it is not mine) and posted it as is. The five sorties per day by the Rafale is confirmed by Air Marshal Vinod Patney (Retd) and the 75% availability is also confirmed as per the PBL in the agreement signed in Sept 2016.
The 400-550KM range for MKI looks terribly off. I'd love to know what assumptions went behind both numbers (full loadout, full fuel, low altitude), because the stated number doesn't seem correct to me.
Sumeet wrote:Nikhil and Vimal,
We are not yet at the stage where we can live without imports. Western technologies from nations like France & Israel is very much needed to counter foreseeable threats in our hostile neighborhood. This allows us time to invest in our own local R&D and build our own eco system. I sincerely hope Rafale is the last foreign fighter we have to purchase. After this it will be LCA Mk2, AMCA, upgraded MKI.
The real focus in 6th generation fighter is about weapon system deployed, sensor suite, data fusion, sophisticated EW and net centric warfare. Equipment developed for MWF LCA Mk2 will help us lay the foundation for 5th/6th generation avionics.
Agreed, it may be worthwhile idea for us to invest in joint 6th gen program, but I fail to understand what threat do we envision in our neighborhood that will need the Rs 50,000 crore follow on order for 36 x Rafales now.
If anything, Balakot has shown that the M2Ks, MKIs and Bisons performed spectacularly, proving to be more than a match for whatever PAF threw at us (JF-17s and F-16s). I don't see the PAF investing Rs 1,00,000 crore in a new type to keep up with us or them having 18 squadrons of 4th gen fighters unlike the IAF. With the planned induction of additional Mig-29s and Su-30s as well as the Rs.10,000 crore M2K upgrade, we will retain both the numerical and technological edge over the PAF. Similarly, the PLAAF can be kept at bay by accelerating our Su-30MKI upgrade.
So, I'd rather throw the money at additional LCA squadrons and MKI upgrades versus paying Rs. 50,000 crore for just two more squadrons of gold plated planes that we don't even get the technology for.