F-16V - lockheedmartin.com
The entire fleet will have to be replaced with modern
aircraft and fast and a deal is in the works to buy 126 aircraft. What needs to
be decided is which fighter jet India will buy. The choice is between The F 16
Block 70 produced by American firm Lockheed Martin and the JAS 39 Gripen E by
Swedish company Saab.
Uday Singh Rana | News18.com
Updated:September 19, 2017, 6:43 PM IST
New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has so far been
largely dependent on MiG 21s and MiG 27s, Soviet-era aircraft. So bad is the
condition of the MiG that it has earned the ominous epithet “Flying Coffin” and
“Widow-maker”. There have been at least 10 accidents involving the MiG over the
last five years.
The entire fleet will have to be replaced with modern
aircraft and fast and a deal is in the works to buy 126 aircraft. What needs to
be decided is which fighter jet India will buy. The choice is between The F 16
Block 70 produced by American firm Lockheed Martin and the JAS 39 Gripen E by
Swedish company Saab.
The deal, whoever wins it, will be inked under Prime
Minister Modi’s ‘Make in India’ doctrine. The aircraft will be manufactured on
Indian soil. For the Make in India push, Lockheed Martin has tied up with Tata
while Saab recently announced a partnership with the Adani Group.
News18 compares the two modern aircraft, one of which
will become the mainstay of the IAF in the times to come.
F16: Pros
Perhaps the most battle-proven aircraft in the world, the
F16 is currently in use by the air forces of 27 nations around the world. First
put to use by the US Air Force in 1976, the F16’s major clients are the United
States, its NATO allies and Pakistan. It has a length of 14.8 meters, a
wingspan of 9.8 meters, a maximum take-off weight of 16,875 kg, a fuel capacity
of 3,175 kg, a payload limit of 7,700 kg and can attain a maximum speed of 2470
km per hour.
The fact that the F16 has proven itself in battle over
the years certainly means F16 would be the “safer” bet over the Gripen.
Besides, Lockheed Martin has offered to sell the F 16 Block 70, the latest
variant, to India. This means that in the event of a military confrontation,
India would have a technical advantage over its regional rival Pakistan, which
continues to use the Block 52.
From a ‘Make in India’ perspective, partnering with
Lockheed Martin, the largest producer of defence equipment in the world,
certainly has its advantages. The F 16 has a single supply chain, which means
that the entire aircraft can be manufactured and assembled at one facility.
During war time, aircraft can be produced at a much faster rate. Since the F 16
has a wider market, India would be able to sell not just aircraft but also
spare parts to other parts of the world.
F16: Cons
Increasingly, Indian defense experts have started to
worry that Lockheed Martin may be pushing old, obsolete technology on to India.
Critics of the F 16 claim that it is an analogue aircraft in a digital age. The
Block 70 may be its latest variant but the F 16 itself is over 40 years old
and, according to many, leaves little room for modification. Since the F 16 was
rolled out in 1976, Lockheed Martin itself has produced newer aircraft such as
the F 22 Raptor. While relatively cheaper when compared to the Gripen, it has a
higher operating cost and lower life cycle.
The Sensor technology of the F 16 is inferior to that of
the Gripen. While the Block 70 may present a technological advantage over
Pakistan in the event of an armed confrontation, it presents a strategic
disadvantage since the Pakistan Air Force knows the F 16 aircraft better than
the IAF and can plan accordingly. F 16s were first commissioned by Pakistan
during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to counter both the Soviet Union and
India. Since then, it has formed the bulk of the PAF fleet.
Besides, US President Donald Trump’s ‘America First’
policy may come into conflict with Modi’s ‘Make in India’. Washington may not
allow Lockheed Martin to collaborate with India in a way that may harm the jobs
market in the US.
Gripen: Pros
Produced by Sweden’s Saab, the Gripen E has a length of
15.2 meters, a wingspan of 8.6 meters, a maximum take-off weight of 16,500 kg,
fuel capacity of 3,400 kg, a payload capacity of 5,300 kg and can attain a
maximum speed of 2470 km per hour. It is one of the most advanced multi-role
fighter jets in the world and is adept in all kinds of missions –
air-to-surface, air-to-air and reconnaissance.
It also has one of the most advanced Sensor technologies
in the world, which can come in handy in a dogfight or thwarting stealth
missions, and a far superior radio communication system when compared to the F
16. Simply put, the Gripen is packed with modern warfare features, including a
“digital cockpit” with a 3D screen.
It has a much lower operating cost and higher life cycle.
The Gripen lends itself well to modifications and updates, which makes it ideal
to replace the obsolete Soviet-era aircraft. Saab has also offered to
manufacture a naval variant for India’s aircraft carriers. Currently, only four
nations in the world use the Gripen in a major way – Sweden, South Africa,
Czech Republic and Hungary.
Saab is a much smaller company than Lockheed Martin and
hence, it needs the deal more than the American firm. This would give the
Indian Government a better hand on the negotiation table.
Gripen: Cons
The difference in scale between Lockheed Martin and Saab
is immense. As a company, the Swedish manufacturer is 1/13th the size of its
American counterpart. Add to that the fact that the Gripen uses an American
engine and it raises doubts over the effectiveness of the Supply chain that
Saab hopes to set up in India. Lockheed Martin, on the other hand, can provide
a single supply chain.
While the operating cost of the Gripen is less than that
of the F 16 Block 70, the ‘per unit’ cost of each aircraft is much higher.
Besides, it has not been proven in combat the way the F 16 has. The F 16 has
been used extensively in battle and in wargames and a strategic partnership
with an American firm may further bolster India-US relations. This is an
advantage that Saab may not be able to provide.
Original post: news18.com
There is a flaw in the article the Gripen E cost the same as the F-16V at around $150 million a unit........
Thailand also operate the Gripen and wonder how the author missed that?
Another major point is that the Gripen performance is superior to the F-16V....so combat proven or not is not the issue.......
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Saab Gripen E: Details
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