Typhoons For India?

[PolluxDeltaSeven]

India initially required an off the shelf fighter to replace the numerous Mig-21's it had in service whilst the development of its own LCA proceeded.. The initilal four contenders being the Mig-29, Mirage 2000, F-16 and Gripen.

Well... In fact, the Indian Air Force initially planed to buy 126 (or was it 146?) Mirage 2000 (probably Mk2 standard) directly to Dassault, with no other contenders or open market.
The discussions between Dassault and Indian government and industrials was so engaged that Dassault's financial and export previsions always included this big contract during years.
The major Mirage 2000 purchase to India was planed to assure another modernisation of the aircraft (new engine, radar etc...) in order to have a "low-cost" alternative to the Rafale on the export market... Maybe even a production line in India, in order to reduce the cost of the plane.
Some preliminar agreements and contracts even were already signed in order to prepare this deal.

But sadly to Dassault (and for some in the IAF), only few months before the final deal agreement, the Indian governemnt went for an international request of proposal.
For the IAF, it could be a good thing because Dassault was forced to reduce the price of its Mirage (before just closing the line ) and the other contenders did the same. But the bad point is that the IAF will wait for years for its new light fighters, and they will be obliged to modernise a large part of their fleet.


But for the rest of your post, I totally agree with you, particulary for the advantage of the Mig-35 (common systems with Mig-29MRCA and Mig-29K), the Rafale and Typhoon (industrialy a good potential, but also already existing strutures, with theJaguar, Hawk and Mirage 2000).
But well, even if I agree that the fact that the F-16C is currently buy by Pakistan could be a bad thing for Lockheed's willing in India, I don't want to underestimate the US power of persuasion!!

For my part, I admit that I would be glad to see an European fighter wining the market, just because I totally love the Eurocanards!!! (particulary the Gripen!!)  

[B777LR]

I doubt we will see indian F-16 or F-18. They got too many Mirage 2000 and Mig-29 already...

[upnorth]

I'd say the Gripen is way out as it is not only a threat to their LCA, but with the Typhoon in the offering, the Gripen will not be.

That at least is my understanding on BAe's position on the Gripen and Typhoon. As they have a stake in both aircraft, they won't tolerate them being in competition with each other for a customer, offer one or the other but not both.

[PolluxDeltaSeven]

I think the things change few months ago: now, SAAB is able to present the Gripen alone, without BAe help.

This system is much more adapted to the present export markets, where some countries are not looking for a specific type of aicraft anymore (for example "single engine" vs "twin engined") but for a global offer that inclued the price of the program during its entire lifetime, the training, the abilities etc etc...

That's why we already found the Gripen and the Su-35 for the same market in Mexico, the 767 and the A330 for he tanker program of the USAF (while the A330 is much close to the 777) and now the Gripen, Su-30, Super Hornet and F-16 in the same competition...

Personnaly, I think it is a good thing for BAe, as the Gripen was already a contender in India. The Gripen could be a contender for the F-16 and somewhere the Mig-35 proposal, while the Typhoon could deal with the Rafale, Super Hornet and Su-30...

[GTX]

I'd say the Gripen is way out as it is not only a threat to their LCA

That's assuming of course that the Tejas (LCA) ever enters service.

Regards,

Greg