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The Indian Air Force (IAF) is both technically and tactically advanced; they operate some of the most sophisticated aircraft in the world, including the Sukhoi SU-30MKI which even the Russians don't have. And, they know how to employ their aircraft in a highly effective manner, as we discovered during the COPE INDIA exercise last year--although, in fairness, we imposed some Rules of Engagement (ROE) restrictions that put us at a severe disadvantage.

Bottom line: the Indians want advanced fighters, not recycled third-generation jets like the F-4 and F-5. India's potential purchase of U.S. military jets raises several interesting questions. First of all, In dia has spent millions of dollars upgrading its MiG-21s, giving them advanced avionics and a beyond-visual-range (BVR) missile capability. New Delhi's attempts to buy U.S. jets may indicate some dissatisfaction with the upgrade program.

Secondly, the U.S. will have to maintain a delicate balancing act with Pakistan to push this deal through. Islamabad has done much to support the war on terror, and (as one carrot) we finally released a squadron of F-16s that Pakistan had paid for more than 10 years ago. To sell F-15s or F-18s to New Delhi, we might have to make a similar offer to Pakistan, and probably finance the purchase to boot.

"First of all, In dia has spent millions of dollars upgrading its MiG-21s, giving them advanced avionics and a beyond-visual-range (BVR) missile capability. New Delhi's attempts to buy U.S. jets may indicate some dissatisfaction with the upgrade program."

The Mig21s that have been upgraded are the Mig 21(Bis) variety. Only 125 Mig 21 of (Bis)variety have been upgraded and this is the last and final version of the Mig21s. The IAF calls it "the Bisons" and the Russians call it Mig 21-93. India operated as many 500 Mig21s. The "Bisons" are a totally different class of fighters and are heavily upgragded to 4th generation equivalent. The only thing same about the Bisons and older (Soviet origin) Mig 21s is the airframe and other than that the Mig 21s and the Bisons are two totally different fighters. The "upgraded" Bisons are more "Indian" than Russian (or Soviet). In fact in the COPE INDIA excercise the Bisons turned out to be a surprise package for the American aviators. The American pilots expected it to be just like the old Soviet Mig 21s.

Most of the Mig 21s in the IAF inventory are 30-40 years old and in most cases much older than the pilots flying them. These older Mig 21s are no more upgradable. IAF operated as many as 11 different variants of the Mig21s:

MiG-21F Fishbed C
MiG-21PF Fishbed D
MiG-21PFM Fishbed F
MiG-21M (Type 96/Hindustan Aeronautics-India)
MiG-21PFMA Fishbed J
MiG-21MF Fishbed J
MiG-21bis-A Fishbed L
MiG-21bis-B Fishbed N
MiG-21U Mongol A
MiG-21US Mongol B
MiG-21UM Mongol B

Of these only the Bis version were upgraded and they are doing just fine. India plans to keep the Bisons in the inventory till 2015.

China(and Pakistan) operates similar (upgraded) variants of the Mig 21s such as the Jian-7 (and F-7s).

Secondly, the U.S. will have to maintain a delicate balancing act with Pakistan to push this deal through.

The US tried doing that ( maintaining a delicate balance between India and Pakistan) but didn't work then and its almost impossible now. India has gone way ahead of Pakistan economically, scientifically, technologically and militarily while Pakistan has come ever closer to a state of collapse. The US (like before) will achieve nothing and will end up loosing billions of dollars trying to bring bring about an impossible balance between India and Pakistan. What America has to realise is that providing Pakistan with crutches and life support will never make it as strong as India, it will only empower the ISI and the highly islamised Army establishment and will indefinitely perpetuate dictatorship. Pakistan will never achieve true democracy, just a sham democracy controlled by the Army and funded by the US.

Islamabad has done much to support the war on terror..........,

That statement is certainly not true. Pakistan has handed over a few top ranking Al Quaida operatives but that by no means is enough. Pakistan still has most of the terror industry, infrastructure, network, funding, training and command and control structure intact. Leave alone the Indian intelligence, this fact has been repeatedly pointed out by even the CIA. Pakistan's greatest success has been in its ability to convince the US government and the US media that it has helped enough in the WOT and that it cannot/ should not be pushed any further ....or else the imaginary fear that the Mullahs will overrun Pakistan. Its a myth that Musharraf has successfully created by acting the good cop while the Mullahs do the "bad cop" thing. And the American people are only too happy to blindly accept anything what their government and media tells them. And so most of them would readily believe that Pakistan is doing a lot on the WOT regardless of what India has to say out of its knowledge and experience as regarding the realities in Pakistan. Its likely that US government will carry on the policy of appeasing Pakistan until the strategy backfires. In fact as a matter of "back up" (since the US government already realises the potential likely-hood that the strategy may backfire) the US is going for big time alliance with India should things go wrong with Pakistan. A little known fact..........the US gets intelligence about Pakistan (its internal military structure, its various terror organisation and operatives and their movements)....... from India.

and (as one carrot) we finally released a squadron of F-16s that Pakistan had paid for more than 10 years ago. To sell F-15s or F-18s to New Delhi, we might have to make a similar offer to Pakistan, and probably finance the purchase to boot.

Selling them (or rather gifting them as part of military aid) will be a very costly carrot indeed for the US. The last thing the US would want is more sophisticated technology being passed on to China at American tax payers expense.