Posted on 05/16/2011 9:33:00 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Umm, the European aircraft are more expensive than the American offerings, so your first theory is out.
About the second, well if corruption is so rampant in India, how did Lockheed, Boeing and GE win so many deals since 2005?? Applying your logic, that would most certainly have had to involve some corruption since the net worth of those deals is almost 8-10 billion USD. About this particular contract, if there was any proof of bribery, do you think the other competitors would have stood idly? It is not like they are not allowed to object or appeal. Do you think the media and opposition parties in India would waste an issue to flog the government with??
Sometimes accepting that an air force made a technical decision to opt for newer systems makes more sense.
http://www.sldinfo.com/?p=18921
I was just making some general comments about corruption in Indian government agencies. And it is quite true since I know it from personal experience.
As for technical aspects of aircraft selection I will defer to more knowledgeable posters in this thread.
Nobody is denying that corruption is an issue in India. But to think that non-American systems were selected illegally in one of the most closely monitored fighter contracts in recent years is amateurish thinking.
Plus they have the same 2 enemies — islamofascists and chicoms
It doesn’t seem so short-sighted given that the Pakis have the same aircraft — not good. Plus also the tech offered is bigger and the indians can put on Israeli tech
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