Posted on 02/08/2007 7:57:08 PM PST by sukhoi-30mki
Boeing offers IAF advanced AESA radar with F-18
Feb 8, 2007, 12:30 GMT
Bangalore, Feb 8 (IANS) After offering to co-produce the F-18 Super Hornet in this country if it wins an Indian Air Force (IAF) order for 126 combat jets, US aerospace major Boeing Thursday upped the ante by committing itself to equipping the aircraft with the latest generation radar that greatly enhances its capabilities.
And, in keeping with current 'Network-centric warfare' doctrine of the Indian Armed Forces, Boeing says the F-18 is more than equipped to put this concept into practice by coordinating operations in the air and on the ground.
'Yes, the aircraft will come with the AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array). The radar is in operation and represents the latest generation of radar technology,' Rear Admiral Jeffrey A. Wieringa said at the media briefing during the ongoing Aero India air show.
Wieringa wears the twin hats of deputy assistant secretary of the US Navy and director of the navy's international programmes office.
The AESA radar, according to the official, engages targets at very long ranges, continues to search while tracking many targets and can produce high-resolution maps from long stand-off ranges.
'The AESA radar, along with the F-18's advanced sensor technology, gives it true capability to operate in a network-centric warfare environment,' Wieringa added.
There is, however, just one catch: while the aerospace major is more than ready to co-produce the aircraft, it is not willing for technology transfer of the radar 'due to its sensitive nature', said Chris Chadwick, Vice President and General Manager for Global Strike Systems of Boeing Integrated Defence Systems that manufactures the aircraft.
'We are looking to building a lasting relationship with India and to work closely with the Indian industry in capacity building. Thus, I don't foresee AESA becoming an issue (due to the absence of technology transfer),' Chadwick added.
Toward this end, Boeing has a large presence at Aero India where, apart from the F-18, it is also showcasing the C-17 heavy-lift transport, the C130J Super Hercules medium lift transport, and the Chinook CH-47 medium lift helicopter. This apart, there is a large-scale model of the P8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft that has been offered to the Indian Navy.
The F-18 currently flies with the US Navy and with the air forces and navies of seven other nations, including Australia and Spain.
Should the IAF deal comes through, India will be the first country outside the US where the F-18 will be manufactured. It will also be the first time Indian companies will be able to participate in the production of a US fighter. India's Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd currently manufactures the Sukhoi Su-30 and MiG-series of Russian jets, as also the British Jaguar.
The F-18 was developed from the experience gained by four separate platforms - the F-14 Tomcat air superiority fighter, the A-6 medium attack bomber, the EA-6B airborne jammer, and the S-3B airborne tanker.
'This gives the F-18 multi-role combat capability as it can be deployed for attack, air dominance, close air support, and reconnaissance, as also as an airborne refueller,' Wieringa pointed out.
Six aircraft are currently in the running for the IAF order. Apart from the F-18, these are F-16, Russian MiG-35 (an updated version of the MiG-29 the IAF operates and which was previously in the running), the French Mirage 2000-V, the Swedish Gripen, and the four-nation European Rafale.
Defence Minister A.K. Antony told reporters here Wednesday a request for proposal would be sent to the manufacturers 'at the earliest'.
However, even assuming that this happens within the next few months, it would be eight to 10 years before the first of the aircraft arrive, given the Indian bureaucratic ways.
© 2007 Indo-Asian News Service
Your link is broken, but yes, I agree it is the APG-79, which is an AESA radar, and the F-16 block 60 is fitted with the APG-80 AESA radar which we sold to the UAE.
Basically the same. Not identical, but basically both are actively electronically scanned array radars.
The Russians have been a reliable supplier to India, and they may stick with them. Since they are trying to build defense relations with the US, I wouldn't be surprised to see a few orders come this direction.
And the US is India's ally? Just look at how much military equipment the US sells to Pakistan! The US has put sanctions again and again on India going back decades.
The Russians never sell to pakis and never put sanctions on India. From India's perspective Russians have been a stalwart ally.
"They certainly are not flexible,but we can't be sure because they may be willing to yield to demands just to get a foothold in the Indian market "
Ohh we can be sure. Dont live in a dream world. :)
LM, Boeing & co will never go beyond a point. Look at the amount of controversy over JSF tech transfer to UK.
We have to throw pakistan a bone and it sucks. Will India let us fly over their territory daily to get to afghanistan? The US doesnt trust pakistan and knows they are hiding osama,zawahiri, mullah omar, and other terrorist. We have to be friendly with them because we have to ally with them out of circumstance. If war broke out between the pak and India the US would no longer sell arms to pakistan. Count on it.
"Will India let us fly over their territory daily to get to afghanistan?"
India was the first one to offer assistance to the US in catching the taliban. In fact thats what scared musharraf into acquiescing to President Bush's demands because he knew if he didnt then India would be glad to help. President Bush accepted the main contention of the Pakis to keep India out of afghanistan.
"We have to throw pakistan a bone and it sucks"
Damn straight. Just recently US signed the contract to give 500 AMRAAMS to pakistan. Thats much more than throwing a bone. Thats almost 1 AMRAAM for each aircraft in the IAF. Sorry but allies are rather like Israel or Russia who DONT sell to the Pakis. No wonder then that India is the No 1 customer of Israel's defence industry.
"If war broke out between the pak and India the US would no longer sell arms to pakistan. Count on it."
The dynamic is a lot different. Pakis dont want a war. ISI has a strategy to hurt India by "a thousand cuts" via terrorism. They have given up on trying to get Kashmir outright with a war. They know thats not possible. Its India thats more like to start a war to take out the infrastructure of Jihad in Pakistan occupied Kashmir. The problem is that with the 500 Amraams its got, the pakis will try to deter India from doing just that. Mush also threatened first use of Nukes against India in the 1998 Kargil war not too long ago. So they can continue terrorism actively against India without repercussions.
Its in this light that the US sale, of f-16's with apg-68 radars and 500 AMRAAMs , has to be seen.
This is just my take. The Indian govt has no doubt been seduced by the nuclear deal and I think its a fair guess that the US will get substantial defence contracts in India in return.
India sided with russia during the cold war. Thats not something to be proud of.
"India sided with russia during the cold war. Thats not something to be proud of."
India had nothing to do with the cold war. In fact India was very much a US ally during the Kennedy administration. It was during the Nixon administration when US started supporting Pakistan and during the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war that India had to align with the Soviets primarily to checkmate the Chinese. We now know that Nixon was conspiring with the Chinese against India! He pushed India into the Soviet hands.
Read this link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-Pakistani_War_of_1971#American_and_Soviet_involvement
When I called Microsoft about a software question, the guy answering the phone thought this was a good deal for his country.....
Whew,the kind of things that get talked about during customer support calls!!!
I was only kidding....
I know they're in India because I've talked to them so many times.
If I remember correctly there was talk of a project of upgrading some Mig-21s models with stealth material coating...also talk of working on a stealth fighter along with Russians for joint production.....Anything happened on that front ???
Well there was talk on a forums of giving the Migs & other aircraft a Russian Radar absorbent material (RAM) Coating.Don't know much after that or if such technology is as good as they claim it is.
I think India is yet to decide on which design partner it wanted to join (Sukhoi or Mig) given that the IAF seems confused on what it wants-single/twin engines,range requirements etc.The Russian Government seems to be backing the Sukhoi design which seems to be more or less ready & India may well hitch along for the ride.
If the US doesn't well,the Ruskies,France,Britain or Israel will step on the plate & offer there products.
About India's willingness to ensure the integrity of US techology,I don't think it's any less than the UAE,Pakistan or Saudi Arabia all of which are recieving high-end weaponry(Pakistan being China's all weather ally).
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