Lockheed-Martin offers F-35 to India pending US-gov approval

[Saddle Bronc 124]

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/willing-to-offer-f35-to-india-if-us-govt-approves-lockheed/806787/0

Willing to offer F-35 to India if US govt approves: Lockheed

2011/06/21 21:43 IST

After India rejected its F-16 jets, Lockheed said it is willing to offer the latest F-35 fighter jets. Reuters photo

Paris: After India rejected its F-16 jets, US defence major Lockheed Martin today said it is willing to offer the latest F-35 stealth fighter planes if the US government approves it.

“The decision has to be taken by the (US) government.

There has not been any discussion between us and the Indian Government,” Lockheed’s Martin Director of Communications of F-35 Michael J Rein told PTI here, saying his firm is willing to rejoin the bid for the USD 11 billion fighter jet deal for procurement of 126 Medium-Multi Role Combat Aircraft.

The Indian Government had rejected Lockheed’s offer of F-16 along with another US firm Boeing's offer of F/A-18 Super Hornet from the race for procurement of the jets.

Rein said the offer of F-35 stealth fighter to India has been mentioned in a draft Senate Bill and it was up to the US Government to take it forward.

The proposal to allow sale of F-35 stealth fighter has brightened the prospects of Lockheed Martin returning to the race for the deal, a top official of an Aerospace firm attending the Paris Air Show said.

Both Boeing and Lockheed Martin had been aggressively biding for the anticipated USD 11 billion deal.

Rein, who is here to as part of Lockheed Martin¿s delegation to Paris Air Show, was replying to a question on reports that the US defence major will offer its F-35 jets to India to rejoin the race for the MMRCA contract, billed as one of the largest in recent times world-wide.

Lockheed Martin had offered the F16IN Super Viper to India which was rejected by the Indian government along with Boeing’s F-18 Super Horne and Russian MiG.

India has shortlisted two European contenders, French Dassault Rafale and European Eurofighter for procuring 126 Medium-Multirole Combat Aircraft (M-MRCA) deal for the Indian Air Force (IAF) in April.

However, another executive, not wished to be named, said it would be difficult for Lockheed Martin to rejoin the competition as Indian government has already completed the shortlisting exercise.

[dalegg 143]

So Pakistan- I'm going to ask you one more time before I decide to approve this- is there anything you'd like to share with us today?

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Indian govnernment stated "no plans to reopen bids for MMRCA"

[Pooky 3,348]

Indian govnernment stated "no plans to reopen bids for MMRCA"

Rafale it is, then.

Good, the IAF don't need to get bogged down in the Thunderpig fiasco.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Rafale it is, then.

Good, the IAF don't need to get bogged down in the Thunderpig fiasco.

Haha thats what I was thinking as well.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Rafale it is, then.

Good, the IAF don't need to get bogged down in the Thunderpig fiasco.

Nope, it'll be Typhoon--due to Italian component which Rafale doesn't have.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

We should sell lots of F-35's and use the proceeds to buy more F-22's.

[Pooky 3,348]

We should sell lots of F-35's and use the proceeds to buy more F-22's.

No can do. The Raptor line is closing behind the last few heading through assembly. The suppliers have already switched out and getting them back will take a major order. Which is a damn shame.

The Thunderpig will give away whatever technological advantage the US may have and leave its combat pilots exposed if they ever have to fight against a half-decent opposition air force. It's one messed-up aircraft. But then Lockheed has a proven track record in selling garbage as front line assets (most notably the F-104 Starfighter).

[spookyturtle 9,465]

Why do we always buy the garbage and stop production of the good stuff? The F-35 sure as hell ain't in the same league as the F-22.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Why do we always buy the garbage and stop production of the good stuff? The F-35 sure as hell ain't in the same league as the F-22.

Because they went cheap. They wanted the F35 to do EVERYTHING. It can....badly. Its not cost effective now that the price tag ballooned.

F 22 has one role. Air superiority.

Edited June 24, 2011 by Sousuke

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

By the way...i'm not sure if they worked the bugs out of the F22 yet. Last time I heard the paint had to be redone nearly every flight and the canopy replaced extremely often.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

F 22 has one role. Air superiority.

That's what really counts. The F-35 will end up costing more than the F-22.

[Pooky 3,348]

Because they went cheap. They wanted the F35 to do EVERYTHING. It can....badly. Its not cost effective now that the price tag ballooned.

F 22 has one role. Air superiority.

The USAF and the American Aerospace industry got lucky with the LWF competition in 1974. The General Dynamics (ironically now Lockheed Martin) F-16 has evolved into a superlative all-round combat platform, able to dogfight with just about anything, or act as a bomb truck. This time around, for the JSF competition, the DoD tried to replicate the F-16's current capabilities from the outset and, at the same time, make it suitable for the US Navy and Marines, who wanted STOVL capability.

So now they have an over-priced, overweight, unreliable compromise, that can't carry enough payload internally to fight stealthily, can't meet the prescribed mission range parameters and just looks plain ... ugly.

Right now, though, the project appears to be "too big to fail."

[Pooky 3,348]

By the way...i'm not sure if they worked the bugs out of the F22 yet. Last time I heard the paint had to be redone nearly every flight and the canopy replaced extremely often.

Last I heard, they were restricted to FL 25,000 max, as there was a possible problem with the pilot's oxygen system. Still miles better than the Thunderpig.

[SuperDuper! 230]

The role of fighter jets are diminished in the 21st Century, ie overrated . Aerial Dogfights are just no longer part of modern warfare since you can blast your enemy out of the sky from miles away. The defense contractors want us to believe we still need them like we used to.