IAF in favour of French or Russian aircraft

[tphuang]

According to some reports, India and Russia have agreed to jointly develop this fifth-generation fighter, under a scheduled with entery into service in 2009. This would be the first such joint development venture between the two countries.

There is little chance that Russia will have fifth-generation pursuit planes of its own. Development and construction of a fifth-generation fighter would require about $20 billion dollars, and as of early 2004 it was unlikely that the government will appropriate financing of this scale. "The problem is that economic and military authorities in this country live in parallel spaces and have no common approach to problems," according to Deputy Director of the analytical department of the Political and Military Analysis Institute Alexander Khramchikhin.

Article by global security, India is going to be paying a major amount...say India says they pull out 5 billions commited if China joins and China contributes only 2 billion??

i have heard India is willing to pay mas much as 10 Billion for this plane, Russia definetely needs India to sustain its weapon exports.

There is no question India is paying a lot for this project. If China chips huge amoung of money into it, you can bet J-XX is not going too well. But the sources I read actually said that PAK FA will have prototype out and flying by 2009, but won't enter service until 2015. I think that's quite realistic.

[Sameer]

With all this talk about India in on the pak-fa project, is there any official confirmation of the same?

I can find multiple articles mentioning "sources" but this is a huge investment for India, ie billions, which Indian official has publically stated that India was developing the pak-fa, that i have yet to find.

[brownboi4eva]

I hope you know the Indian Military budget is actually around 40% more than declared...it goes into many projects not immediately talked about or mentioned....Nukes, Subs and R&D...ad its not 10 Billion at once but prolly 1 billion over a 10 yr span

[Neo]

Are there any pictures or artists impressions available of the J-XX yet?

[Sameer]

Are there any pictures or artists impressions available of the J-XX yet?

Yes go to google and search for it, should be very easy to find.

[tphuang]

Are there any pictures or artists impressions available of the J-XX yet?

don't believe them, they are mostly junk. I don't expect real ones to come out until at least 2010 just because of PLA's secrecy. The guy revealing it will probably get shot anyhow.

If you want to see an official one, I guess just check the one on sinodefense.

[Stryker]

Why aren't Rafales being considered by the IAF? Is it because the French aren't keen on selling them or is it the price?

[Sameer]

It is most probably a question of price, the Rafale costs 75M with support while the Mirage 2k5 goes for 40M with support. The MKI is the mainstay of the IAF and its most sophisticated fighter, a fill gap fighter between the LCA and MKI that can also releave the MiG-23BN retirements is necessary.

However there have been talks of intergrating the Rafale radar into the Mirage 2k5 and the French are probably pushing for this more now ever since the Americans offered the AESA with the Super Hornet.

[giggs88]

Jesus, this speculation is killing me!#

have they come to a decision yet?

[Guest]

i think we will have mig-29 with thrustvectoring selected for the IAF.

[ajaybhutani]

i think we will have mig-29 with thrustvectoring selected for the IAF.

theres too many options rite now. And each one with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. We need to wait and watch.

[Samudra]

Jesus, this speculation is killing me!#

have they come to a decision yet?

ha aha ahahaaa

The decision is two years away, Pal, TWO YEARS away!

[tphuang]

If US really allows super hornets exported to IAF allow with AESA radar and co-production rights, I think that's the best offer. The only problem in that offer is whether or not US will be trustworthy to IAF and whether or not operating planes from 4 countries is too much.

[bull]

Juts go ahead and select any of the four,its very well the same.

[brownboi4eva]

I wonder if US will give us AMRAAM with those F-18's....if they do then its a 2 horse race between it and Mig 35