| Submit your comments on this article |
| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| India says no US pressure to buy its fighter jets |
| 2005-10-07 |
| NEW DELHI - Washington is not pressuring India to buy US fighter jets to replace its ageing fleet and aircraft manufacturers around the world will be asked for sale proposals, Indiaâs air force chief said on Thursday. The Indian Air Force plans to buy 126 multi-role fighters for an estimated $9 billion to modernise a fleet that consists mostly of vintage Russian MiGs, in one of the biggest global military aircraft purchases in recent times. While New Delhi has shortlisted the French Mirage 2000, the Russian MiG-29, Swedenâs JAS 39 Gripen and the American F-16 for the deal, Washington has also offered to sell Boeingâs F/A-18 Super Hornet. Representatives of the US aircraft makers and senior US defence officials have already made several presentations to Indian officials this year. âThere has never been any pressure on the Indian armed forces to buy anything,â Air Chief Marshal Shashindra Pal Tyagi told a news conference. âIf the Indian air force chief, whoever it might be when these aircraft are finally bought, if he does not want that aeroplane he will not get it. Full stop,â Tyagi said. Some defence experts say growing warmth between India and the United States and a far-reaching defence pact signed between the two countries in June could pressure New Delhi to choose the American planes. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #9 The MIG-29 is a intercepter/dogfighter. It has short little legs and is designed to defend local airspace/airbases. The SU-27 is the air support for long range strikes (long range for the soviets, considered short to medium range for NATO). The 29 had the first targeting tied to the pilot's helmet so he could lock on to a target by looking at it. With US radar, targeting and missiles the MIG-29 is a very dangerous, manuverable fighter. With Russian gear, it is above average since it does not have a powerful radar for radar guided weapons and relies heavily on heat guided missiles. |
| Posted by: mmurray821 2005-10-07 18:08 |
| #8 I could be wrong on this, but I thought the MiG-29 was an interceptor (like the -25) and built for the PVO, not an all-round air superiority fighter for the VVS, like the -27 and -31? |
| Posted by: Jackal 2005-10-07 17:00 |
| #7 And one thing I'm surprised nobody in the IAF considered How'd you know it wasn't considered? |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2005-10-07 14:45 |
| #6 C'mon! Buy two and we'll throw in a pony! |
| Posted by: Dar 2005-10-07 12:16 |
| #5 The Mig29 with American avionics would result in a plane who is still shorter legged than its most of its (western designed) opponents and, who like usual in Soviet jets is much more maintenance intensive than western planes and thus can make less sorties a day. Scenario go like this: Mig 29s and F15s/F16s fight, each side returns to base for refuelling, F15S/F16s return and catch the Mig29s still on the ground. West Germany got some of them after unification. The pilots loved them but they were still phased out: Mig 29 is great for air combat but not so great for war (ie making sorties day after day). |
| Posted by: JFM 2005-10-07 12:07 |
| #4 This stuff sells itself. |
| Posted by: mojo 2005-10-07 10:10 |
| #3 ...The Gripen is a superbly maneuverable little ship - a worthy successor to the Draken and the Viggen. However, its cost is a problem - the Swedes, as is their tradition, developed every ounce of that ship on their own - and since it has had a (natch) longer than expected development period, it's gonna cost some serious money - no matter what, more expensive than the F-35 by some distance. And one thing I'm surprised nobody in the IAF considered was yanking out the Soviet electronics in the MiG-29, and rewiring it with up-to-date US systems and installing Slammer and Sidewinder. A bird with those capabilities would give the best fighter drivers in the world fits, not to mention the exploding heads it would cause in Pakistan and Beijing. Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2005-10-07 08:39 |
| #2 The SAAB Gripen can hold it's own with any of the current lot of Fighters. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet O´ Doom 2005-10-07 00:21 |
| #1 The MIG-29 with an updated Radar suite and the F-16/18 are excellent choices. The Mirage 2000 is an older plane with a fair track record and I have no idea what the Gripen could do, although I have seen some good press about it. Depends on the electronics suite I guess. |
| Posted by: mmurray821 2005-10-07 00:10 |