Indian Military News, Reports, Data, etc.
- Thread starter bd popeye
- Start date
And so it begins, the looong acquisition process
Rafale is a small plane with low range that is completely not suitable for India's geography. They should be getting improved flankers or F-15EX instead. But just like all of Indian acquisitions, this is also terrible.
India only has to cover two fronts so a medium fighter is a good match for what they need. Yes, a heavy fighter would be better, but the IAF was complaining about the maintenance that their flankers entail so there's a preference there for mediums. Realistically, the Rafale is very well suited for the IAF. The main problem is that India is paying way too much for them so it's impossible to acquire the 100+ 4.5 gen medium fighters they need.
Also, India is planning 84 of their Su-30MKIs to 4.5 gen capability so that requirement is theoretically covered. Of course, it's India so who knows if any of these plans come to fruition, and when any of this will happen. I'm personally not optimistic about any of their chances.