That’s clearly a lie. Recent J-16 pilot honored for intercepting and besting two F-22s was involved in an intercept of MKIs where he sneaked up on them after shutting down all electronics.
Indian Military News, Reports, Data, etc.
- Thread starter bd popeye
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Frankly, it is a miracle they got the Tejas somewhat in production and inducted (despite it being an obsolete point defense fighter with little utility in the modern age as shown in being a no-show in both 2019 and 2025.)
The reason I agree it is a miracle is because India failed even more miserably in less challenging aircraft classes like
1) a light prop-driven driven utility plane, the Saras,
2) intermediate jet trainer, the IJT,
3) a prop driven UAV, the Rustom/Tapas.
It has perfectly good utility, provided it works well.
It's just one of similar aircraft, potentially one of more capable among those (JAS-39CDE, JF-17 blk.3, Tejas mk.1a, F/A-50 blk.70, F-CK-1CD, Hurjet). As mentioned in a different topic, aircraft of this type could've been significant situational breakers in, say, Ukraine, which is highest tier battlefield in the world as of now. Simply because they easily provide sufficient capability @ mass - something all but maybe two largest modern air forces just struggle with.
It's in undesirable to generalize this way. It's different programs with different challenges.
China, despite J-20, is stuck with L-15 limbo. So is Russia, which failed i even forgot how many initial turbpoprop trainers.
Just b/c bright heads in both cases didn't derisk powerplants right until lightning struck. Or same bright heads in both countries failed CR929 largely b/c no one even considered that having RR engine as single option is not exactly a bright idea when you're developing something with Russia.
The Russian UTS-800 turboprop trainer is in production. The Yak-152 is not but that is because of the engine.
Yak were using a German made engine from a German company founded by a Russian, with Russian investors providing the capital. The founder provided engines to Russia post 2014 and got himself arrested in Germany.
Yak were using a German made engine from a German company founded by a Russian, with Russian investors providing the capital. The founder provided engines to Russia post 2014 and got himself arrested in Germany.
1) Utility aircraft, Intermediate Trainer, UAV all developed and fielded decades ago.
There is a difference between issues with a particular project and the systematic failures of Indian projects across the board.
2) What L-15 limbo? It was exported, in service as the JL-10 and there is a catapult variant. What more do you need for it to be out of "limbo." (This foolishness is like the Indians refrain that China cannot build engines when the WS-10 is powering hundreds of frontline fighters.)
Production is effectively stuck for last few years, b/c Ukrainian engines. Replacement maybe is about to solve the issue, but fact remains.