U.S. Offers New Tailored Fighter Technologies to India
In a recent comment on India’s requirements for 126 new combat aircraft, IAF C-in-C Air Chief Marshal Tyagi said manufacturers from Sweden, Russia and France had replied to requests for information, and two U.S. companies had sought further details of the program. The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) had cleared both Boeing and Lockheed Martin to negotiate with India for respective offers of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and F-16C/Ds. The prototype MiG-29M2, plus production Dassault Mirage 2000-5 Mk 2s and JAS 39 Gripens, had also been offered to India for the same program.
Lockheed Martin Senior Executive Mike Kelly announced that if India’s requirements went beyond any existing fighters, his company was ready to make further F-16 upgrades available to meet the IAF’s most demanding specifications with complete technology transfers, plus assembly by Hindustan Aeronautics of up to 100 aircraft. Current F-16 production consists of USAF Block 50-52 aircraft and Block 60s developed exclusively for the United Arab Emirates. “We’re ready to develop a new Block 70 F-16 specifically for the IAF,” said Kelly.
The U.S. is also offering F-16s to Pakistan to supplement its earlier Fighting Falcons, while negotiations with India to acquire a dozen surplus Mirage 2000-5DDA/EDAs to reinforce the IAF’s own Mirage 2000 fleet have been confirmed with the Qatar government. — John Fricker
