Shalav wrote:
There you go again with the infallibility thing. Every purchase should be up to debate, that is the reason there are procedures inplace for competitive evaluations for military purchases. BTW the T72 and the T90 do fit in the IL76. This fitting thing is not a grey area. It is binary - they either fit in or they do not fit in. We know they fit in, "barely" is ir-relevant
Read Karthik's reply..
No; actually it does have to answer for everything it does. That is reality and that is the reason it reports to the RM and through him to Parliament and to the citizens it defends. It is a constitutional safeguard. I believe you are confused as to what the armed forces have to report. Strategy and Tactics are their bailiwick and they have no need to report this to everyone. There may be instance where classified missions are being carried out, and everyone is ok with them remaining classified. The advantages of the C17 over alternatives is not classified and they must be spelled out.
I am not confused rather it is you inability to understand what IAF envisions itself as in the not so distant future, the IAF has already made its stand clear on why it needs the C-17, it is the requirement of carrying out sized cargo's and higher up times. The availability of IL-76 today is less than 60%, an unacceptable number. That is the basic requirement of IAF. Now, what is out sized cargo, The biggest threat to Pakistan other than our Su-30MKI is our capacity in terms of them on tactical and strategic airlift. There is a reason why IAF is insistent on A-330 MRTT, the ability to Refuel and Transport at the same time.
Why not? You cannot pick and choose what instances to evaluate the IAF decision making capability with. If they insisted on an expensively wrong decision in the time of poverty it is imperative their decisions be questioned in the time of a more fatter purse. India's money is not only for defence, it can be used for other thing
Yes, I can. Mirage was bought at time, when Ruskies sold us a lemon in the terms of MiG-29A, the less said about its available uptimes the better. It is not even valid to talk about India's purchase pre-2000, as all of them where adhoc and not in terms of India's vision as Regional Superpower. Every purchase from now, would be based on that.
Why? For what? What alternative cannot accomplish what the C17 can in these areas?
Read Karthik's post again and again.
Who told you 10 isn't the end of it?
I dont, but looking at India's purchase in the recent years, this seems to be the trend, buy a little evaluate and create doctrine and order for more.
Who told you we do want it? You accuse others of not knowing anything, but you indulge in fantastic jingoistic speculation without being in the know either. At-least on my side I have the present and future reality - this reality is clearly defensive and not expeditionary - not presently and not in the near future. Furthermore what capability does that 13,500 crore bring, the alternative spend of 8,000-10,000 crore can't?
If you are talking of the medium term future, say 15-20 years, there will be other more suitable aircraft. There is no need to hasten to spend Rs. 13,500 crore simply because we can.
There are some serious capability gaps for the IAF, and what you lot in BR wants India and IAF to achieve, but when it comes to equipment, you are not ready give'em because it doesnt please the Ivans'?
Neither do you. I can however make a reasonably accurate guess that a measly 10 C17's will never do that for us it too little and its too expensive and its too vulnerable to sanctions.
Those 10 will be in the addition to 41 transportable IL-76/76MD variants. It is in this view you have to take it. It is augmentation of the Strategic fleet, we are buying that 10 just for outsized cargo, it simply means Tanks and more Tanks. Just like Jalshawa is about creating a new capability,our new LPD's/LHD's will give us a complete different capability, the Navy does envision landing in Karachi or anyother area of interest, Otherwise what is use of all those landing crafts, Marine Brigade's and now the purchase of LPD Trenton, it is all about creating a new doctrine and capability. India is slowly turning away from land based military, and into Navy/Airforce power.
Furthermore that's why the Navy got the supply ships. You don't control the oceans and its periphery from the air you can only deny space. You control oceans with gunboats. Hulking big carriers, cruisers and destroyers are for sea-control. You've got your facts about how India can control the IOR completely wrong.
You are confusing my example of what Navy intends to do with Jalshawa, and somehow assuming IAF seems to want to do the same with C-17, How you came to that conclusion, is surprising.