
Saab’s Lars-Olof Lindgren says his company has been quietly working on a plan to build the Gripen in India and has already done a lot of the homework for it.
Aero India 2013 to be held from February 06 to 10 in Bangalore will include participation by the following aircraft. 1. Pilatus PC-12 NG 2. DRDO-ADA Embraer EMB-145I 3. Embraer Legacy 650 4. Embraer Lineage 1000 5. Army Aviation ALH Dhruv (7) 6.HAL ALH WSI (3) 7. HAL LCH (2) 9. HAL Dornier 228-202(K) 10.…
Although the case for the acquisition of the two single-engine trainers is still at a preliminary stage, the IAF is ‘desirous’ of getting their ‘numbers up from 49 to 51’ again and is planning to make a pitch for the aircraft to the Ministry of Defense.
The IAF evaluation of the six competing aircraft for the MMRCA contest took into account the issue of life-cycle cost, which could be loosely understood to mean cost of ownership over the period of operation of the aircraft. This was because it was felt that the true cost of owning a fleet of aircraft was not reflected in the purchase price alone.
The study conducted by IHS Jane’s Aerospace and Defense Consulting, compared the operational costs of the Gripen, Lockheed Martin F-16, Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, Dassault’s Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon and the F-35 aircraft.
DRDO head, Dr. V.K. Saraswat, took a backseat ride in the Swedish Saab’s Gripen C/D aircraft on the sidelines of the Aerospace Forum held at Linköping, Sweden, last week.
This is the second and concluding installment of the two-part analysis of the process of acquisition of 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) by the Indian Air Force (IAF).
This, first of a two-part analysis, examines the MMRCA process and invites you to draw your conclusions as to the veracity of the claims of transparency and adherence to the rule book.
Although the design will be based on the Block 50 model, it will incorporate newer features that have, so far, only been included in the Block 60 Desert Falcons flown by the UAE Air Force and were part of the F-16IN Super Viper for the Indian Air Force tender for 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft.
The US offer of information on the F-35 to India in a report made to the country’s Senate Armed Services Committee comes curiously on the eve of the opening of the commercial bids of the IAF’s MMRCA competition.
US Pentagon: “Should India indicate interest in the JSF, the United States would be prepared to provide information on the JSF and its requirements (infrastructure, security, etc.) to support India’s future planning.” Also read inside: Reality Check: US F-35 offer report
The commercial bids of the two surviving contenders in the Indian Air Force (IAF) tender for 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) are ready to be opened, according to the defense ministry.