Posted on 01/29/2011 9:11:34 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
India has no plans as of now to either join the US-led joint strike fighter (JSF) programme or buy the F-35 'Lightning-II ' fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) when it finally becomes operational.
"We cannot have two types of FGFA. We have already launched preliminary work for our FGFA after inking the $295 million preliminary design contract (PDC) with Russia last month," said a top defence ministry official on Friday.
This comes in the wake of comments made by a top Pentagon official, undersecretary of defence for acquisition, technology and logistics Ashton Carter, in Washington that the US was open to Indian participation in its JSF project.
Interestingly, the comments came during a function where an aggressive sales pitch was made for India to select either the American F/A-18 'Super Hornet' ( Boeing) or F-16 'Falcon' ( Lockheed Martin ) over their European rivals in the ongoing IAF's medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) contest.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesofindia.indiatimes.com ...
I thought he went to India to encourage business with the U.S.? Doesn’t seem to have worked out all that well.
Its working well but they already started work with the Russians on the PAKFA.
With all the 4g/5g aircraft everyone is looking to produce, the F15 can still out fly and out fight the enemy and the plane is 30 years old.
This is just sensationalist BS.
The fact on the ground is that India has already sunken costs in with the PAK-FA, and is more interested in purchasing conventional fighters from the US.
Besides, there is no way the US will allow India to manufacture F-35s in India. The PAK-FA doesn’t have that restriction.
Possibly little-known fact outside military aviation circles... The F-15 is undefeated in air-to-air combat. That's not just US pilots, that's everyone flying the F-15 -- no-one's ever been defeated (air-to-air) in one.
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