The bragging rights to the first stealth fighter beLongs to the US of A. After close to 20 years the Russians finally came up with one of their own too. Then it was the Chinese. South Korea and Japan in way was racing against each other to build one too, latter opted out due to the financial constraint caused by tsunami that hit it.
Designing what more building a stealth fighter is very costly to the extend it may bankrupt a country if one is not carefully. We all know that US is already bankrupted. Russians had to join with India to avoid bankruptcy. The Chinese produce it too cheaply to bankrupt itself. South Korea? Mmm...
South Korea has Indonesia as partner to this venture, both are not economic giants yet but are said to become one be in decades to come. Can this two really do it?
They have a better chance if Japan join in. However due to past Jqapanese treatment over the Koreans especially during world war II this may not be traditionally possible.
But it if was, then a combine force of two strong democratic powers through their large economies and advance technologies may completely build a fly away unit and not only sell it to themselves but the rest of non aligned countries in Asia and the rest of the developing world too.
No more will these two countries be desparately hung up for F22.
They really need to do this especially when China has one now, and definitely hundreds or maybe thousands later.
Sunday, 26 February 2012
Friday, 24 February 2012
Hornets can still sting...if its operators allow it to
Malaysia already has a batch of 8 F 18Ds, why not add another 10 of the same said second hand models to make it 18, a perfect numbered squadron. First off all it's cheap and for all you know US or even Australia might give their retired hornets to her air force for free, subject of course to her bearing the cost upgrade that her air arms need anyway.
By doing so Malaysia can wait for the 4.5 as well as 5th generating fighter to mature and make the right decision rather than procuring something that is not fully developed. There is no guarantee what the future holds for these brand new fighters with the budget slash cuts and all. If an early aqusition is made of her MRCA, Malaysia might buy into something that misleadingly sounds good in the beginning but run the risk of having halted development in the later stage due to shortage of funds or even cancellation of related sub programs if not the programme itself.
F 18D especially a second hand unit would surely cost less but perform better than gripen, the cheapest among the 4.5 generation contenders. A future programme to add AESA capabilities and weapons to go with it on this type of hornet if there is any enough takers, and by the looks of it there are, since the are 9 countries operate them, many in large numbers. Many of them too are in a dilema of not only choosing but waiting for the right but as always delayed fifth generation fighter to come along, hence leaving a big gap in their line of defences.
F 18 C/D could be in this milineum what F 5 was in last century, a cheap easily maintained fighter, only that the hornet is more capable not only as a fighter but as a multirole with SEAD capabilities.
By doing so Malaysia can wait for the 4.5 as well as 5th generating fighter to mature and make the right decision rather than procuring something that is not fully developed. There is no guarantee what the future holds for these brand new fighters with the budget slash cuts and all. If an early aqusition is made of her MRCA, Malaysia might buy into something that misleadingly sounds good in the beginning but run the risk of having halted development in the later stage due to shortage of funds or even cancellation of related sub programs if not the programme itself.
F 18D especially a second hand unit would surely cost less but perform better than gripen, the cheapest among the 4.5 generation contenders. A future programme to add AESA capabilities and weapons to go with it on this type of hornet if there is any enough takers, and by the looks of it there are, since the are 9 countries operate them, many in large numbers. Many of them too are in a dilema of not only choosing but waiting for the right but as always delayed fifth generation fighter to come along, hence leaving a big gap in their line of defences.
F 18 C/D could be in this milineum what F 5 was in last century, a cheap easily maintained fighter, only that the hornet is more capable not only as a fighter but as a multirole with SEAD capabilities.
Long overdue...Rafale's worth finally duly noted!
The long awaited announcement for eager enthusiasts on the selection of India's MRCA has indeed surprise myself and I am sure many others. Somehow with all the buzz in the media air it would seem for sure typhoon was to be the sure winner, though we know how lacking the type is when it comes to its multirole capabilities while the flyaway and hourly of cost of flights are exorbitantly prohibitive.
Dasault Rafale finally declared as India's MRCA winner, lifted the USD 10 billion trophy it so desprately deserved. This is what it may need to break away from no abroad sales curse of its most modern and capable fighter yet. Or was really a curse?
It always seemed that rafale was was chosen over it's bitter nemesis the typhoon and has always made it to the finals of many competitions, only always to be denied by f15 eagles "attach herewith" American political pressure. Korea and Singapore fighter aircraft competition has bear witness to this. Japan would have followed suit if the French did not wisely pulled out avoiding unnecessarily waste of their already limited resources.
It was the leaked Swiss report that finally put rafale in its deserving place, placing typhoon no where near it and Gripen no where at all. India's decision on Rafale firmly cemented its position as a lethal omnirole fighter with no possibility of sanction attached to it, that being the best weapon ever in this neo centric American world.
Some reports have concluded that India's selection has spark Brazil, UAE and even the Swiss to select Rafale for their next future fighters. This may leave the European conglomerates wishing they should have just let the French's concept lead them in the first place thus have broader base of market waiting for them. Of course their egos says otherwise.
In all true sincerity Malaysia and maybe Iran should follow India's suit and fly the Rafales.
Dasault Rafale finally declared as India's MRCA winner, lifted the USD 10 billion trophy it so desprately deserved. This is what it may need to break away from no abroad sales curse of its most modern and capable fighter yet. Or was really a curse?
It always seemed that rafale was was chosen over it's bitter nemesis the typhoon and has always made it to the finals of many competitions, only always to be denied by f15 eagles "attach herewith" American political pressure. Korea and Singapore fighter aircraft competition has bear witness to this. Japan would have followed suit if the French did not wisely pulled out avoiding unnecessarily waste of their already limited resources.
It was the leaked Swiss report that finally put rafale in its deserving place, placing typhoon no where near it and Gripen no where at all. India's decision on Rafale firmly cemented its position as a lethal omnirole fighter with no possibility of sanction attached to it, that being the best weapon ever in this neo centric American world.
Some reports have concluded that India's selection has spark Brazil, UAE and even the Swiss to select Rafale for their next future fighters. This may leave the European conglomerates wishing they should have just let the French's concept lead them in the first place thus have broader base of market waiting for them. Of course their egos says otherwise.
In all true sincerity Malaysia and maybe Iran should follow India's suit and fly the Rafales.
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