BEST FIGHTER FOR CANADA

On again/off again?   The on again/off again  Indian Rafale deal has finally moved on to the next chapter...  The problem is, nobody seems to know how long the book goes on for. What was to be a order for 126 aircraft has shrunk to a mere 36 .  All of those aircraft will be bought ready-to-fly from the French government.  In the original deal, 108 of the 126 Indian Rafales would be license-built in India by HAL. Ultimately, it was those HAL-built aircraft that ended up being the sticking point.  Dassault declined responsibility of quality control for Indian-made Rafales.  This, along with other factors stalled negotiations to a full stop. Here we go again? Of course...  This leaves a 90-fighter sized hole in India's air force. For now, India has " bought some time " to decide what to do next.  Do they submit a new RFP (request for proposals) and start the process over again?  Do they simply continue to negotiate for mor...

There is more rumbling about India's seemingly never-ending negotiations to purchase the Rafale.  Despite Dassault's fighter winning the MMRCA competition three years ago, Indian officials are still hesitant to sign off on the purchase. In the past, it seemed the biggest issue was Dassault's refusal to take responsibility for aircraft built by India's indigenous manufacturer, HAL.  Now, we can add escalating price to the list of challenges, as Dassault is insisting that India accept the most recent variant of the Rafale, the F3R , rather than the F3 bid for the MMRCA.  As with anything, the technological upgrades of the F3R come with a substantial price tag.  Recent estimates peg the Indian Rafale at $120 million per unit, almost double the original $65 million that allowed it to win the MMRCA. While the second place Eurofighter Typhoon is ready to pick up the slack , there is no provision for a "runner up" to step in.  If India and Dassault cannot...

Turkish TFX concept (that one in the middle looks kinda familiar...) You would think that talk of a JSF "death spiral" would encourage the Pentagon to cling on to every potential F-35 sale like a hungry dog with a turkey leg.  Recent events in Turkey would suggest otherwise, however.  A recent decision to purchase Chinese missile  defense systems has the potential of getting Turkey kicked out of the JSF club . Like Canada, Turkey is a "Level 3 Partner" in the JSF program.  Unlike Canada, however, Turkey is much more committed to the program, looking at ordering 100 (vs 65) airframes in total and possibly buying its first two within months.   The F-35 won't be Turkey's only fighter however, as it recently purchased some F-16s , not to mention plans on an indigenous fifth generation fighter design (with a little help from Saab). Proposed KAI KFX design. Turkey isn't the only country working on its own "5th generation" stealth fig...

On January 31, 2013, Dassault must have been happy.  It had scored a huge victory when it became selected as the winner of India MMRCA program .  Not only was this Dassault's first foreign sale for the Rafale, but its jet came out victorious against some very impressive competition. From left to right:  Rafale, Typhoon, F-16IN, F-18E, Gripen, and MiG-35. With 126 fighters up for purchase, with six different contenders, it goes without saying that the MMRCA (medium multi-role combat aircraft) competition was fierce.  The Rafale was considered alongside the Eurofighter Typhoon, Lockheed F-16IN Fighting Falcon, Boeing F-18E Super Hornet, Saab JAS-39E Gripen NG, and the Mikoyan MiG-35.  Selection of the Rafale was based on capability, price, and the usual industrial benefits.  Its similarities to the Indian Air Force's (IAF) current Mirage 2000 was likely seen a plus, as was its potential compatibility with India's upcoming INS Vishal aircraft carrier...