Indian Air Force News and Discussions ll

[Corax]

thats still an eye-watering number, its clear everything about this deal is unclear, but wow this is an insane deal.

just to contextualise this all, the entire development cost of the Rafale was 25bn eur adjusted for inflation.

then, 20bn for the 280 aircraft for the french air force.

Insanity really, i cant help but wonder if India would have been better off just going the J-16 route and developing new engines for the flankers and continue to build them under license with new avionics and systems etc. Its what i wish the PAF did with the mirage.

I don't think the indians can operate a top heavy fighter fleet like the Chinese. The whole point of the MMRCA was for a medium weight fighter. They should have acquired the Mirage 2000 production line when the French offered it to them.

 

[peacemaker99]

I don't think the indians can operate a top heavy fighter fleet like the Chinese. The whole point of the MMRCA was for a medium weight fighter. They should have acquired the Mirage 2000 production line when the French offered it to them.

The whole poimt of mmrca is a multi role medium weight fighter

 

[ThoroughPro]

Around 2003–2007, indians on the now-defunct Pakistani Defence Forum often mocked the JF-17, claiming Russia would never release the RD-93 engine for the aircraft. They argued the JF-17 would spend its entire existence sitting on the back of lorries because China itself lacked a suitable engine to power it.

Fast forward to 2026, and the contrast is striking. India’s Tejas program continues to face engine and broader development challenges, while the JF-17 is battle-tested, operational, and nearing 200 aircraft produced.

The LCA Tejas is 43 year old program and still remains hampered by structural challenge. The JF-17 which was launched in 1995 is now both a domestic and export success story.

They plan, and ALLAH plans, and without doubt ALLAH is the best of planners.

 

[White Privilege]

Eight years after being scrapped by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led (BJP-led) Union government in 2016, it has re-emerged as a $40 billion acquisition for 114 aircraft, rendering it roughly four times the cost of the original plan, despite involving fewer fighters and a far less defined industrial framework. This excludes additional costs such as weapons packages, infrastructure, and training support, industry officials said.

So 40bn just fly away, not the procurement cost? $350 million per aircraft... they've lost their minds! I'd probably expect to add another 5-10 billion depending on the extensiveness of the spares, support and weapons packages... India is basically funding FCAS. Madness.

 

[Beijingwalker]

France Refused Source Code — India Still Bought Rafale​

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[NeptunesVortex]

France Refused Source Code — India Still Bought Rafale​

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Since you’re a paid propaganda bot, nothing better can be expected from you especially on technical topics. You clearly don’t understand the difference between full source code access and weapon integration access.

No country gives away the complete core source code of frontline fighter jets. Not the US with the F-35, not France, nobody. Those systems are proprietary and highly classified.

What India actually needs for Rafale is:
• API/interface access
• Interface Control Documents
• Weapon integration support
• OEM certification assistance

That is enough to integrate Indian weapons like Astra, Rudram, SAAW and Indian datalinks onto Rafale.

India does not need access to Rafale’s core flight control software, radar algorithms or SPECTRA EW internals just to integrate its weapons.

France is expected to provide the integration level access needed for Indian systems while keeping the protected core software with themselves. That’s how most modern fighter jet deals work globally.

Next time learn the technical difference first before posting propaganda.

 

[hussain0216]

On paper the Indian military is mighty. Real life it has been hollowed out greatly and the air force especially is facing block obsolesence. Even the most optimistic time scales do not have new Rafales enerting till 2032.

Their Navy is very strong but hampered by the need to protect two very mediocre carriers with hardly any planes on them

Their carrier purchases especially were pure vanity, it like putting a very very expensive millstone around your own neck, just to try and impress others

 

[Beijingwalker]

Since you’re a paid propaganda bot, nothing better can be expected from you especially on technical topics. You clearly don’t understand the difference between full source code access and weapon integration access.

No country gives away the complete core source code of frontline fighter jets. Not the US with the F-35, not France, nobody. Those systems are proprietary and highly classified.

What India actually needs for Rafale is:
• API/interface access
• Interface Control Documents
• Weapon integration support
• OEM certification assistance

That is enough to integrate Indian weapons like Astra, Rudram, SAAW and Indian datalinks onto Rafale.

India does not need access to Rafale’s core flight control software, radar algorithms or SPECTRA EW internals just to integrate its weapons.

France is expected to provide the integration level access needed for Indian systems while keeping the protected core software with themselves. That’s how most modern fighter jet deals work globally.

Next time learn the technical difference first before posting propaganda.

If there is indeed a paid propagandist, it's you, not me. You Indians like to make wild claims without any evidence, that's a big problem of you Indian bunch.
And I just posted a video, didn't give any comment, what are you trying to explain anyway?

 

[NeptunesVortex]

On paper the Indian military is mighty. Real life it has been hollowed out greatly and the air force especially is facing block obsolesence. Even the most optimistic time scales do not have new Rafales enerting till 2032.

Their Navy is very strong but hampered by the need to protect two very mediocre carriers with hardly any planes on them

What’s with this obsession over Indian aircraft carriers? Whether they’re mediocre, good or excellent is for Indians to decide.

At least Indian carriers actually operate fighter jets and will soon be joined by 26 Rafale M fighters as well. What exactly do you guys have to compare with?

I’d still take this criticism seriously if it came from Americans or the French, countries with decades of carrier aviation experience. But from you guys? Not really.

 

[LX1111]

Since you’re a paid propaganda bot, nothing better can be expected from you especially on technical topics. You clearly don’t understand the difference between full source code access and weapon integration access.

No country gives away the complete core source code of frontline fighter jets. Not the US with the F-35, not France, nobody. Those systems are proprietary and highly classified.

What India actually needs for Rafale is:
• API/interface access
• Interface Control Documents
• Weapon integration support
• OEM certification assistance

That is enough to integrate Indian weapons like Astra, Rudram, SAAW and Indian datalinks onto Rafale.

India does not need access to Rafale’s core flight control software, radar algorithms or SPECTRA EW internals just to integrate its weapons.

France is expected to provide the integration level access needed for Indian systems while keeping the protected core software with themselves. That’s how most modern fighter jet deals work globally.

Next time learn the technical difference first before posting propaganda.

It's pretty much what I expected，The Indians got several high-level interfaces.To integrate India's own weapons.
I don't think he will inherit the Astra missile that India is talking about.
You didn't get the source code for the control system.You can't make radar and missiles work together.
I saw India say that the Astra II missile will be equipped with a two-way data link.
If you can't get the source code,These estimates are also not usable.

 

[peacemaker99]

It's pretty much what I expected，The Indians got several high-level interfaces.To integrate India's own weapons.
I don't think he will inherit the Astra missile that India is talking about.
You didn't get the source code for the control system.You can't make radar and missiles work together.
I saw India say that the Astra II missile will be equipped with a two-way data link.
If you can't get the source code,These estimates are also not usable.

You dont know how this works do you?

They are not giving source code because they want us to pay them for the integration project that their engineers will do for millions.

Astra will be integrated. India wants to do it using drdo engineers and france wants to do it using their engineers at cost of millions.

Reading anything else into tjis is stupid.

 

[White Privilege]

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Has this been issued before the much anticipated Rafale request?? Then it may be a message to the French to relent on Indian demands....

 

[LX1111]

You dont know how this works do you?

They are not giving source code because they want us to pay them for the integration project that their engineers will do for millions.

Astra will be integrated. India wants to do it using drdo engineers and france wants to do it using their engineers at cost of millions.

Reading anything else into tjis is stupid.

If you want to inherit the Astra missile
You need an ICD.This is the weapon control interface file.
Missiles need to work together with mission computers and radar.You need a call interface for the fire control system.
I don't know if the French will open up two such high-level permissions.
I don't think the French would.
Or Indians have enough ability，They were able to hack into the Rafale's avionics code.

 

[peacemaker99]

If you want to inherit the Astra missile
You need an ICD.This is the weapon control interface file.
Missiles need to work together with mission computers and radar.You need a call interface for the fire control system.
I don't know if the French will open up two such high-level permissions.
I don't think the French would.
Or Indians have enough ability，They were able to hack into the Rafale's avionics code.

What the french want - 10s of millions project to do the integration

What india wants - save the millions by using our oen dngineers

French dont have any issues with customer customizing for their own reasons. The contract has a 30+ year shelf life including spares and refit. They want a happy customer.

 

[rafale]

At 4 times the price - nice !

After getting shot down 4 times.........i mean, this is a whole new journalist level of rub salt to the wounds.

But in reality, they simply have no choice. What else can they buy? Even if they buy these 114 Rafales, the first ones aren't gonna arrive for another 3 years.......by that time IAF would have lost a squadron worth of jets anyway.