MILITARY JSF PROGRAMME or cannot join the JSF programme. ReTECHNICAL AND PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS portedly, the aircraft has already been offered either as a natural corollary TECHNICAL F-35 A (CTOL) F-35 B (STOVL) F-35 C (CV) if India selects Lockheed Martin’s F16 in its drive to acquire 126 Medium WING, SPAN 10.67 m 10.67 m Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) WINGS SPREAD 13.11 or even outside its purview. WINGS FOLDED 9.47 Initiated as early as 2001, India’s MMRCA acquisition programme is yet LENGTH OVERALL 15.67 m 15.59 m 15.67 m to cross the second Request for ProHEIGHT OVERALL 4.57 m 4.57 m 4.72 m posal (RFP) stage in which six bidAREAS ders—Lockheed Martin (F-16 Fighting Falcon) and Boeing (F/A-18E/F Super WINGS, GROSS 42.73 m2 42.73 m2 58.34 m2 Hornet) of the US, Russian MiG CorWEIGHT & LOADINGS (ESTIMATED) poration (MiG-35), French Dassault’s WEIGHT EMPTY 12,020 kg 13,608 kg 13,608 kg Rafale, Swedish Saab (JS-39 Gripen) and the Eurofighter Typhoon—are MAX WEAPON LOAD More than 9,072 kg More than 9,072 kg More than 9,072 kg participating. The RFP itself has been MAX INTERNAL FUEL WEIGHT More than 8,165 kg More than 5,897 kg More than 8,618 kg subjected to postponements and it is MAX T-O WEIGHT CLASS 27,215 kg 27,215 kg 27,215 kg still unclear as to when this phase G-LIMITS 9g 9g 9g would eventually get completed. But, even if the decision-making and acPERFORMANCE (ESTIMATED) quisition chain moved on a war-footMAX LEVEL SPEED M1.6 M1.6 M1.6 ing from this moment on, the Indian COMBAT RADIUS 1,093 km 833 km 1,111 km Air Force (IAF) cannot hope to get the first MMRCA before 2014-15. On SENSORS the other hand, if India exercised its • AN/APG -81 AESA-radar option of joining the JSF programme • AN/AAS-37 missile warning system now, it could perhaps get the first F35 as early as 2013. • Electro-optical sensors But is it possible for India to take ARMAMENT such a step? The answer to that ques• Guns: 1 x GAU-22/A 25 mm cannon, slated to be mounted internally with 180 rounds in the F-35A and tion would be an unequivocal no, knowfitted as an external pod with 220 rounds in the F-35B and F-35C ing the bureaucratic snarls endemic to even moving a file for such a purpose. • Hard points: Six with a capacity of 6,800 kg Further, India has already joined up • Missiles: Internal—Four air-air missiles or two air-air missiles and two air-surface weapons; External—Two with Russia to co-develop and co-promissiles and four missiles/bombs duce a Fifth Generation fighter aircraft whose prototype might start flying by the end of this year with possible induction into the service in about the same timeframes as craft”, concerns were still expressed at the lack of techmentioned for the other two types. There are other issues nology transfer as late as beginning of December 2006. which India would do well to examine closely vis-à-vis the Finally, it was only on December 12, 2006, that Lord JSF programme. One of these relate to the level of technol- Drayson, Minister for Defence Procurement signed an ogy transfer and access to sensitive software for optimum agreement which met the UK’s demands for access to softutilisation of the weapons platform. ware source codes and operational sovereignty. JSF partAt one stage, UK, which is the prime Level 1 partner ners lower down the rung, such as Australia, have also in the JSF programme, became thoroughly frustrated by echoed similar apprehensions with regard to the technolthe lack of US commitment to grant access to the technol- ogy access and sovereignty issues. India will have to careogy that would allow it to maintain fully consider all these aspects if and and upgrade its F-35s without US when it considers the JSF. The US Air Force will be involvement. Despite a joint declaPerhaps at this stage it would be the first service to receive prudent for India to pursue its ongoration on May 27, 2006 by the two the F-35A.The first of heads of states President George W. ing drive to acquire MMRCA and the Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair development of the Fifth Generation the USAF’s 1,763 stating: “Both governments agree fighter with Russia, with both the aircraft is scheduled that the UK will have the ability to programmes gathering momentum, for delivery in 2010. successfully operate, upgrade, emand weigh the JSF option at a suitploy and maintain the Joint Strike able future date—possibly in tandem Fighter such that the UK retains opwith the proposition getting progreserational sovereignty over the airsively more lucrative. SP Issue 4 • 2008
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