Posted on 01/19/2012 3:16:51 PM PST by ravager
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_MRCA_competition
The Indian Air Force Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) Competition, also known as the MRCA tender, is an ongoing competition to supply 126 multi-role combat aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF). The Defence Ministry has allocated 42,000 crore (US$7.98 billion) for the purchase of these aircraft,[1] making it India's single largest defence deal.[2] The MRCA tender was floated with the idea of filling the gap between its future Light Combat Aircraft and its in-service Su-30MKIs air superiority fighter.
Procurement of the aircraft and equipment are to be carried out in accordance with the procedures laid out in the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP)-2011. The DPP provides for a comprehensive technical and field evaluation of equipment being procured to ensure conformity with the Service Qualitative Requirements (SQRs). The DPP also stipulates standard terms of contract to ensure product and maintenance support of the equipment being procured.
On 27 April 2011, the IAF shortlisted two of the six competing fighter jets—Eurofighter Typhoon and Dassault Rafale.[3] Bids for the two remaining competitors had been received in 2011. A total cost is being determined for each bid.
The Indian Air Force Bharatiya Vayu Sena) is the air-arm of the Armed Forces of India and has the primary responsibility of conducting aerial warfare, defending the Indian airspace, conducting strategic strikes inside enemy territory and providing aerial cover to ground troops. It is the fourth largest air force in the world, with a strength of more than 2000 aircraft, including more than 900 combat aircraft and 305 helicopters,[4] and presently operates a total of 34 squadrons.[5]
Most of the IAF's 797 fighter jets are of Soviet/Russian origin. These include the India's indigenous HAL Tejas (LCA), Russian Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, MiG-27, MiG-29 as well as the Sukhoi Su-30MKI. Added to these are the Anglo-French SEPECAT Jaguar and French Mirage 2000 aircraft, produced under license.
The MiG-21 forms the backbone of the IAF and more than 200 of this type are in operation. These aircraft were acquired in the late 1960s and early '70s, and performed well in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War. However, they have been aging, and have mostly become obsolete. Added to that is a poor safety record, which has made their replacement paramount for the Indian Air Force.
>>>>>>>>>Don’t talk about foolish policies until you know basic facts. The Taliban did not exist until 1991, 3 years after the Soviets left Afghanistan. The US did not ever fund or arm Osama Bin Laden. Bin Laden took over Maktab al-Khidamat, which was an Arab organization funded by Gulf State Arabs like its former money man, OBL. The US funded native Afghans.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
You can call them Taliban or not it won’t change.
Afghan rebels were that same nasty people.
They fought ‘Perchami’ and Russians not because of distinguished freedom loving but because they removed rags from womens’ faces and sent girls to colleges.
Nation, freedom, liberty weren’t behind resistance for 99% fighters.
If you don’t know what the different groups were, how can you possibly know what was in their hearts? We are talking about different ethnic groups and sects here: Pashtuns, Tajik, Hazara...
Can you explain what part of the article is “flagarand SPIN”? And what exactly is “flagarand”? So far you have only loosely thrown out words like “propaganda” and “spin” without explaining how or why. As I said before, surely it cant be a propaganda only because you disagree with it. Why don't you tell us what is your take on 1971 India-Pakistan war?
“And the Russian equipment you mention...
...it is all Soviet era crap barely updated.”
Wait. Hold it right there. You said this “propaganda” article was written only to bolster Russian arms sale because they are facing desperate competition. And my response was they are still very much in business....and your response is....oh but their weapons are all crap! Do you realize how ridiculous you sound? They maybe crap but Indians are still buying it. So how does it matter if its crap?
And surely a nicely written “propaganda” piece would be enough to kiss upto Indians and have them buy more arms no? Because obviously Indians have no intelligence of their own to tell for themselves what happened in 1971 war right? /s
As for Russian weapons. They are not crap, not even close. Secondly, even if American weapons are 100 times better, if they are not on sale to India then it doesn't matter how good they are. Thirdly Indians have beaten Pakistan (which used American weapons)in 4 wars, using Russian weapons. I believe Indians are sufficiently intelligent enough to tell whats crap and whats not.
“the new Chinese weapons R&D (which is now far in excess of the Russians”
No, they are not. Chinese fighter gets are still using Russian engines. They still rely heavily on Russia for technology. I would say Indian technology is on par with the Chinese. The Indians have built more or less everything the Chinese have been able to build thus far.
So it clearly mentioned that According to IAF ,they even rejected US SUPA DUPA aircrafts along with russian Junks..
US funded the Pakistan government and ISI. And the ISI funded whatever side they wanted to fund in Afghanistan.
>>>>>>>>If you don’t know what the different groups were, how can you possibly know what was in their hearts? We are talking about different ethnic groups and sects here: Pashtuns, Tajik, Hazara...>>>>>>>>>>>
I have an idea on Afghani divercity.
That ethnic division is one of many reasons making the place a pot of snakes.
Still have no idea if it has something with a topic.
As it always happens in a poor muslim country the most radical group is to take an upper hand, so I won’t buy an idea if there could be something “moderate” instead of Taliban.
Soviet softcore communism was good for a society like that, being very unfriendly to religious extremes, and it wasn’t good to counter it supporting these groups later developed into Taliban.
Reds could have washed their brains from militant islamist crap to fail later like communists did worldwide leaving Afghanistan quite a peaceful post-Soviet craphole in a class of Tajikistan or something.
Today’s Russia is not Soviet Union. India is better off allying itself to the West with whom we share far more in common values, aspirations and world-view than we do with Mafia-run Russia. In fact, I feel that the common Russian people are also better off aligning themselves with the West than the Putinistas who run a fascist regime out there.
While the article may not be “false”, it is still propaganda trying to remind Indians of the good old days of friendship with the Soviet Union when all Russia does to India today is (proverbially) hide substandard goods under shiny boxes (Gorshkov).
Our permanent interests align better today with American ones than with Russian ones.
I am not claiming that the Taliban existed before 1991. I am familiar with the timeline and history of the area. I just grouped them together in one point to say that it is immoral to support terrorists for whatever reason.
No matter how you spin it, that was an insult to the troops as well as an immoral act.
“Indira Gandhi chose, for whatever reason, to side with the USSR”
The reason was the same one every other “Third World” leader played both sides against the middle, and why today they all protest poverty: to get free stuff.
“The most foolish policy was to arm Osama bin Laden”
We’ve done a lot of stupid stuff. But if there was any evidence the U.S. directly helped Bin Laden, believe me, it’d be more famous than the Bay of Pigs. The MSM would have been shouting it from the rooftops for the last decade.
That you seem to think we did derives from the power of suggestion merely. We armed the mujahadeen, not Bin Laden.
The last Shah, Mohammed Zahir Shah, was a Pashtun just like the Taliban. However, he introduced a parliament, civil rights for women, and universal suffrage.
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