RAFALE and MiG-35 fighter aircraft to take part in Aero India 2011

The Aero India airshow expects to display the 6 MRCA contenders – the French Rafale; the Russian MiG-35; the U.S. F-16 & F-18; the Swedish JAS 39; and the European Typhoon which all compete for a big tender to propose the Indian Air Force a new multirole fighterjet.

The show will take place near Bangalore at the Yelahanka air force station from February 9th.

Enjoy this video shot during the Paris Airshow 2009:

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RAFALE or EUROFIGHTER to become next Indian Air Force fighter jet according to Indian media – Russian and US media deny

Rafale fighter aircraft aerobatics at La Ferté Allais airshow in 2010
RAFALE La Ferté Alais 2010 - © Xavier Cotton http://passiondesavions.blogspot.com/

Amazing rumours have spread for a couple of days regarding the MMRCA (Indian Air Force Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft) or the MRCA Tender which is an ongoing competition to supply the Indian Air Force with 126 Multi-Role Combat Aircraft maybe up to 189 fighter jets.

The Indians have considered 6 bidders so far:

Typhoon (European Eurofighter Consortium)
Rafale (French Dassault)
MiG-35 Fulcrum-F (Russian UAC subsidiary RSK-MiG)
Gripen NG/IN or JAS 39 (Swedish Saab)
Super Hornet F/A-18 E/F (US Boeing)
F-16IN Fighting Falcon (US Lockheed Martin)

As you can watch the video below, two fighter aircraft have been quoted as finalists for the last stage: The EUROFIGHTER-Typhoon and the RAFALE.

However, American and Russian media deem that such statement cannot be true. Official results should be announced soon. Well, wait and see…

Photo above: RAFALE La Ferté Alais 2010 – © Xavier Cotton PASSION pour l’AVIATION

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Indian Air Force MiG-21 CRASHES

MiG-21 fighter jet crashes in eastern India

07:42 08/08/2010 A MiG-21 fighter jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed in the eastern Indian state of Assam, local media reported.>>

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5th generation fighter Sukhoi PAK FA future big hit?

The Indian-Russian PAK FA (or T-50) might become a blockbuster in 5th-generation-fighter category according to these arguments:

  1. It would be far less expensive than its direct competitors (up to 3 times cheaper)
  2. The PAK FA’s range would be superior by 70% compared to the F-22 one
  3. Bigger in its wing surface and lighter than the F-22, it should be more maneuverable than the Raptor
  4. It would be between 14 and 20% faster than the F-22
  5. The PAK FA would have a 20% thrust-to-weight-ratio advance

As far as radar, system, and stealth are concerned, the Raptor must be over any other fighter aircraft considering its heavy program cost (around $65 billion) compared to the PAK FA one which should not exceed $8 billion.

However, the main problem in such comparison is that crucial assets such as stealth are not visible, and kept secret. Moreover other factors can change the balance: weaponry performance, pilots’ training, and data links among others. For instance, the Russian military are not likely to purchase more than 10 PAK FAs by 2012, and around 50 only by 2016.

Pictures and articles below:

Russian military to buy 50 fifth-generation fighters after 2016

18:53 17/06/2010 Russia’s Defense Ministry will order at least 50 fifth-generation fighters from 2016, a senior official said on Thursday.>>

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Russia’s fifth-generation fighter jet completes first stage of tests

22:36 17/06/2010 Russia’s fifth-generation fighter aircraft Sukhoi T-50 made its 16th test flight at the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TSAGI) in Zhukovsky near Moscow, thus completing the first stage of air and ground tests.>>

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Russia’s 5G fighter to be 3 times cheaper than foreign analogs

16:26 17/06/2010 Russia’s fifth generation fighter will be about three times as cheap as its foreign analog, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.>>

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Vladimir Putin in Russia’s fifth-generation fighter jet

19:42 18/06/2010 Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin arrived on June 17 in Zhukovsky, Moscow Region, to observe the test flight of a Russian fifth-generation fighter.>>

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Indian SU-30MKIs & Singaporean F-16s in France soon

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Sukhoi Su-30 MKI – Photo: 1st Lt. George Tobias – www.af.mil

By Frontier India | June 7th, 2010

An Indian Air Force contingent of 230 Air Warriors was flagged off from Air Force Station Bareilly by Air Marshal S Varthaman, Senior Air Staff Officer, Central Air Command at a formal ceremony today. The IAF contingent would be taking part in Exercise Garuda scheduled from 14 Jun to 25 Jun 2010, at Istres Air Base, France.

The IAF assets taking part in exercise include 6 Sukhoi-30MKIs Air Dominance fighter aircraft , 3 Ilushin-78 Flight Refueller Aircraft & 1 Ilushin-76 Heavy Lift Transport Aircraft.

Photo from US Air Force Link

Further information on this site: Brute Gorilla: IAF TEAM FOR EX – GARUDA FLAGGED OFF and here:Brute Gorilla: French Naval Ship Tonnerre (Mistral Class) at Cochin

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