If it's true, that's good news. Meteor is already integrated with IAF Rafale jets, and we just need to refill the stock. For now, IAF would have know success rate of these missiles. If we see more orders, then they are satisfied with these missiles. But IMO S400 missiles proved to be gold standards for both missile and air defense. We should go with a bigger order of S400 and ASTRA II. Since BVR engagement is going to be very rare after the success of Brahmos, Scalp, and S400.
In the proposed deal for buying 114 Rafale fighter jets for the Indian Air Force, around 80 per cent of the combat aircraft are planned to be built in India.
The project would also see some of the manufacturing facilities getting shifted from France to India.
The Indian side is also discussing with French officials for maximising the localised content in the deal with plans of setting up the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility within India to maximise the serviceability of the planes, government sources told ANI.
The sources said the two sides will negotiate the cost of the project further. The French price offer has taken into account the inflation rate increase in prices at around four per cent per annum.
Sources said that with a large number of parts and systems of the Rafales to be built in India, there is also a possibility of the French Dassault Aviation using an Indian entity for export orders and offering Indian facilities as a hub for MRO for countries in the region operating the Rafale and other Dassault aircraft.
Sources said in the present circumstances, the Rafale has been found to be the best suited to meet Indian Air Force requirements for fighter aircraft, as the serviceability is around 90 per cent, which is much higher than any other aircraft in the world, including the American F-35.
The Indian Air Force is grappling with the issue of depleting fighter aircraft squadrons and the indigenous project is also getting delayed due to issues with engines as well as integration of foreign-made equipment with the LCA Mark 1A aircraft.
Amid this situation, the number of fighter aircraft squadrons required by the Indian Air Force is going beyond the long-accepted requirement of 42 squadrons.
..... Looks like the su57 dreams are gone @Rajput Lion. We wont have enough funds for the su57 as well along with the tejas mk2 if we sign this deal. Unless we abandon the tejas mk2 for the rafale and go for the su57 which is highly unlikely.
Lol. Did Putin travel to India in amidst the war for nothing? Su-57 is coming in huge numbers. Very soon PAF will have J-35s and China already has over 300 J-20s( now with supercruising engines). Su-57 is our only "safe" and "dependable" counter option. The true details of Putin's visit is still classified and only those details which don't disturb Uncle Sam have been disclosed.
In fact very soon your home radio will be software defined.
The classic All India Radio is running on DRM, Digital Radio Mondiale.
In EU FM is now digital already past 10 years I guess.
If a su57 class is inducted, it would be as a 5th gen stealth fighter class.
If a rafale F4 or the F5 is inducted, it will be to fill the role for a MRFA 4th gen class. 4.5 or other sub-number derivatives are each to own preference.
If the Govt tells IAF to make do with 4th gen jet against an adversary (this adversary can field 5th 6th 10th gen whatever) instead of IAF plan of using 5th gen symmetric option, it only reflects the Govt own choice. Neither the need for a 5th gen platform nor the IAF requirement for it nor the core 4th gen designation of Rafale change. These are cold hard facts. LCA mk2 is not a rafale alternative/peer as well.
5th gen subsystems can be mounted on a 4th gen or if possible even a 3rd gen jet , like Rafale F4 or 5 is said to have such. But this is for common iterative development , very much like amca mk1 LCA mk2 using the same subsystems. It is done to close the gap, not as an alternative. If it were an alternative, why would anyone bother spending such huge sums to develop FCAS or stealth platforms anyway?
Ultimately, su57 procurement would take time, and we are currently in a highly volatile geopolitical situation for 3 years running & further compounded of late which would delay a lot of procurement. Basically geopolitics would define which deals get priority over which, after Ru pres visit we are getting EU delegates as the Republic Day guest. This is geopolitics in motion. Hence maybe rafale buying is faster processed now (due to new engine deal as factor) compared to su57. It can also be completely shelved if the GoI mood turn so in future. When you are paying for the party, you also get to choose the music, common saying (ie IAF will have to accept whatever Govt side decide)
Yeah Su-57 is still on the table...as usual the government is just taking time and assessing all the options they have in their hand wrt current circumstances. Although, tbh I would prefer us to not buy any more foreign jets.
Decision to acquire 'a foreign 5th gen stop-gap' was taken late 2024 after Parliamentary Committee's report. It was the first time since 2018(post FGFA debacle) that IAF approved 'over the counter' 5th gen fighter. Between 2018-late 2024, they always maintained that Rafale + AMCA was good enough for all adversaries. But intel giving reports regarding PAF's J-35 acquisition stirred quite a few pots, it seems.
Anyways, since that decision, feelers were sent to both USA and Russia as we were evaluating between both F-35 and Su-57. Remember Aero India 2025? But post skirmish, Uncle Sam showed its true colour by helping Pakistan to the core. That's where it was decided in early June that it was going to be Su-57.
Talks are ongoing about its acquisition format and criteria. People can say whatever they want but Su-57 deal is overviewed directly at and from the top.
I already said last year that we were preparing to order 90 Rafales made in India under direct gov-to-gov deal and that MRFA 2.0 is all but dead(if you remember my last years' post
). And now looks like they'll also add the option of 24 F5s(which is good btw), taking the overall number to 114. However, if you calculate 36 F3R-I with 90 F4, you arrive at 126 Rafales for IAF. Does it ring a bell or two and hark back few ol' memories
. I just wish @randomradio were here now because we had a great discussion regarding gov deal vs tender(MRFA) route for more IAF Rafales.Anyways, the deal is going to be a historic one and unlike media reports, we'll have great access to Rafale's core systems and even SPECTRA. French haven't allowed that to anybody and as @Picdelamirand-oil would confirm, there are national laws in France to prevent this level of deep ToT. Tells you what level of defense partner India is to France. Even domestic manufacturing of parts for the jet would be substantial. We'll be able to integrare all our weapons with enough source code access to the jet.
Looking at the games Uncle Sam is playing vis Tejas' engines, Rafale in such numbers is absolutely imperative and would make IAF much stronger. That's my take on it.
@vstol Jockey
Looks like we did indeed lose one Rafale, just as I always maintained. And my guess is that since IAF has specifically asked DRDO to increase Astra MK2's range well over 200kms, it was PL-15 which took down Rafale.
As per latest information, what are its expected timelines of induction?
Talks are split between 2 parts. One is to acquire a direct order of around 40-60 single-seat Su-57Is and then there is license production of 2-seat MKI variant at HAL Nashik plant. Time of induction depends upon multiple factors. 1st and foremost is the 114 Rafale deal. IAF won't sign any deal before that. If this deal is signed this year then we could sign Su-57 deal by end of this year or early next year. 1st jet delivery from Russia should happen within a year of sign. So depending on the sign date, we could have 1st Su-57 in IAF colours by 2028. But as I said earlier, it depends on other factors.
License production would start from 2029-30 to around 2035 after which production should shift for AMCA or our future 6th gen. Yes, that's coming too
As a massive forest fire rages through the remote forests of Arunachal Pradesh’s Lohit Valley, the Indian Air Force has launched a high-risk aerial firefighting operation, dropping more than 12,000 litres of water from Mi-17V5 helicopters on flames burning at around 9,500 feet above sea level.