An Obsolete Fighter F21 Will Find No Place Even In Myanmar Air Force
A news report mentioned that USA is desperate to sell its vintage obsolete aircraft F21 to India. Therefore it is sending a State Department bureaucrat to India to beg our government to buy their trash.
Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs R. Clarke Cooper was on a two-day trip to India for the sale of F21 in $15 billion fighter jet deal that had been activated by Narendra Modi government in his previous term. The naïve Cooper is coming with the single biggest agenda of pushing the new Modi regime to expedite the defence deal, which has been pending for over a decade now.
Has Cooper done his home work ? F16 was outright rejected by the IAF in the technical bid of MMRCA itself. Thereafter in the recent clash with the PAF a F16 was shot down by a MIG21. So do the Americans think that we are deaf, dumb and blind fools, all at the same time. On top of that when they feel like their Trump starts getting fits over CAATSA and other craps like sanctions over import of oil from Iran etc.
Yes, we do wish to buy certain things from the Americans but since we will be paying hard cash, therefore the transactions will have to be on our terns.
F-21 is out but we may consider the F/A-18 Super Hornet for our Navy but it will have to compete against the French Rafael. Also the giant defence conglomerate must be willing to set up its production facilities in India while making it an export hub.
We will also like to have another 11 x C17, are the Americans willing to give these from their reserves. Orders may follow for up to 24 x P8Is over a few years, 24x C130 Hercules, 12x Chinooks and around 12x Apaches Attack hepters.
But please do not mention F16 again or any other fighter. Even your F35 may be very good but it is neither affordable by us nor suitable for the IAF.
The IAF wants to build a fighter ecosystem in the country, and the Modi Government has taken positive policy decision on the matter. We will push through the TEJAS in all its avatars. So kindly supply us with the engines for the MK1, MK 1A and MK2 without creating fuss and hurdles.
For MK3 we will have our own Kaveri engine. Next we will push our AMCA and in the interim we may buy 100 odd Rafael or MIG 35 from your arch rivals the Russians or it may even be the Swedish Grippen but please do not mention F21. Yes, if you wish then try and engage us in joint designing and production of a 20 ton transport aircraft or a 10 ton transport helicopter, you are welcome.
Generally Assistant Secretaries do not get to meet Union Cabinet ministers but Since Cooper is desperate, he may get to meet Shri Rajnath Singh our Raksha Mantri and Shri Jaishankar our Videsh Mantri. This will be the first high-level visit from the US since the formation of the new government.
Cooper will discuss matters with his counter part the Foreign Secretary and also the Defence Secretary to pave the way for the proposed trip to be made by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is planning to visit India on his way to Osaka, Japan, for the two-day G20 Summit to begin from 28 June.
