BVR intercepts are fine and good -- in exercises. In the real world most of the time aircrew hands are tied by a requirement to VID the target before firing. This doesn't guarantee immunity from blue-on-blue engagements, but it helps.
So in that sense, the restriction of this operation to a "knife fight" was excellent training.
I dunno why people didn't expect the Indians to be pros. They inherited a good tradition from the UK and unlike many former colonial posessions didn't get in a snit about it and throw the baby out with the bathwater.
If you're familiar with the history of the IAF there are not too many surprises here.
As far as funding, this may actually hurt the IAF. My understanding is that they would dearly like to consign the -21s and -23s to gate guards and the smelter. The -21s are old, high-time, and getting harder to maintain, and still have the safety record of a 1950s aircraft, which is to say, not good. You can IRAN them to the teeth but you can't arrest metal fatigue....
d.o.l.
Criminal NUmber 18F
What decade are you talking about?
Yep ,the IAF is throwing out the (lousy) Mig-23s & Mig-25s.The Mig-25s which used to have a habit of flying over Paki cities ala the SR-71,will be replaced by the new generation UAVS ,India is acquiring from Israel like the long endurance,Heron .The 21s,though,due to their large number cannot be booted out as easily-so these are being upgraded with Russian help(& with a sufficient dose of French & Israeli tech) to have a new Kopyo M radar,AA-12 missiles & ability to operate PGMs.The IAF is also upgrading it's Mig-27 & Jaguar attack jets with Israeli help ,including installing Synthetic aperature radar,air to air missiles & the Litening targetting pod.The IAF recently invited bids for over 120 multirole jets-the prime contender is the French Mirage-2005 MK2,followed by the Russian Mig-29M,while the Eurofighter & Swedish JAS-39 Gripen are the darkhorses.The IAF already operates the Mirage-2000 & Mig-29s(fighter variant),so logistics is'nt a problem for those 2.