Lockheed prioritizes F-21 despite F-35A display in India

Lockheed Martin, America's defense giant, faces a strategic crossroads in its ongoing campaign to secure India's massive Medium Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) tender.

The company's initial focus has been on the F-21, a customized F-16 variant marketed exclusively to India. However, the dazzling appearance of two F-35A stealth fighters at Aero India 2023 has reignited discussions about Lockheed potentially offering its premier technological marvel to the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The F-21: A Familiar, Upgraded Option​

The F-21 builds on the F-16's proven legacy. With a production line buzzing in Greenville, South Carolina, Lockheed promises ease of integration and "Make in India" opportunities.

The F-21 offers enhanced capabilities, including advanced avionics and weapons systems, positioning it as a cost-effective modernization workhorse. This approach aligns with the IAF's stated goal of 114 new fighters and substantial technology transfer within India.

The F-35: A Technological Disruptor​

The F-35's arrival on Indian soil was a calculated move. Its fifth-generation stealth, sensor fusion, and network-centric warfare capabilities represent a quantum leap over the F-21.

Offering the F-35 could dramatically alter the Indian fighter landscape and cement Lockheed as India's long-term strategic partner. But this path has hurdles – the F-35's price tag, potential export restrictions, and disruption of India's focus on domestic manufacturing.

Factors Influencing Lockheed's Strategy​

Several variables will likely shape Lockheed Martin's ultimate play:

• The RFP Wording: The specifics of India's Request for Proposal will be crucial. Does it place a heavy emphasis on cost and "Make in India", or is there room for higher-tech, higher-priced options?
• US-India Relations: The geopolitical context matters. Is the US willing to offer the F-35 to further solidify a strategic partnership with India, potentially offsetting the cost?
• Competitors: Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet, the French Rafale, and others are in the fray. Lockheed must tailor its offer accordingly to maintain a competitive edge.

The Stakes Are High​

The MRFA tender is more than just a lucrative contract – it speaks to India's future defense posture and the delicate equilibrium of regional power. For Lockheed Martin, winning would cement its position in an immensely valuable market.

Failure to secure the contract, however, could be a significant blow as other global aerospace giants gain influence.

 

[ABHIJIT APSINGIKAR]

People often underestimate the role of maintainability of any weapon system. The F 16 scores very weĺl in that respect for the reasons you have mentioned. But the Indian armed forces are reluctant to fully commit to an American system. Also in the kind of conflict India might find itself, achieving air superiority might be far from possible.

As I previously mentioned, its perfectly fine to not want it. but that would be a political decision. Any way what people who keep complaining about the age of the air frame design, don't realize is that the F-16 design form the outset was almost perfect. You cant improve a design that was almost flawless to begin with. In such a scenario, modernization efforts would obviously have to revolve around avionics and sensor upgrades.

Mind u the US thoroughly tested the concept of thrust vectoring for F-16, in their experimental F-16 Vista program with Multi-Axis Thrust Vectoring (MATV). However, after thoroughly testing the aircraft in such a configuration, they came to the conclusion that the extra maintenance costs involved were just not worth the effort.

 

[Ajath]

Thats rich coming from us, when we are the only air force to still use the SEPECAT Jaguar, which if my memory serves me right is a third-generation fighter aircraft. Not only that we still continue to employ the Mirage 2000, which has been out of production for more than 155 years now. F-16 is a contemporary to Mirage and was developed about the same time. In fact the Mirage 2000 came a bit later than F-16, while F-116 were first introduced in 1978, the Mirage were introduced in 1984. That itself is a testament to longevity of design.

Mirage 2000 is a derivative of Mirage 3 and 5 . Tweaking was done to suit multirole missions. Ofcourse new computers , FCS , RADARS , Avionics and sensors were added.

 

[Fresh Water]

The U.S. has the tendency to push its buyers into war, by escalating conflicts through back-channels.

 

[ABHIJIT APSINGIKAR]

Mirage 2000 is a derivative of Mirage 3 and 5 . Tweaking was done to suit multirole missions. Ofcourse new computers , FCS , RADARS , Avionics and sensors were added.

Oh, what about the airframe? Mind u our mission computers themselves are obsolete and have just 8GB ram, based on a 28nm processing core. With such avionics upgrades, that increase the overall weight of the airframe without the possibility of engine upgrade, I would expect the re-run of the horrid DARIN III upgrade package, which increased the weight of the airframe well beyond what its engines could sustain.

Any way u undercut the argument that the F-16 is old since the F-16V essentially has all those upgrades as well as support and new more powerful engines.

 

[WarTech]

Politics and stupidity aside, F-15EX is the best 4th Gen fighter on the market. If we want to have a strong fighter backbone, F-15 with AWACS would be a good counter for not only now but future Chinese weapons which the Chinese will bring, as US is looking to dominate Chinese weapons for long term.

 

[Pink Panther]

Both the F414 and the MQ-9 deals are well on the way to being signed, and progress is being made. As for the F404, the Americans are saying that they can ramp up production from late 2025. Hence, I find it highly unlikely that anything will be held hostage to the F-16V winning MRFA.

We have to wait and see, we never know..

 

[Akshat]

Ongoing investigation is by the French authorities and the reports are widely available in both Indian and Western media. I remember reading it in Dec' 23.

Has there been an adverse verdict? There have been several favorable verdicts for sure. Till when will we keep investigating and doubting? Forever?

 

[Akshat]

The Gripen is widely regarded as a very effecient platform, both in terms of capability and price. That the Indian Air Force had envisioned a twin engined aircraft for their needs is the issue. It was regarded very welĺ by the IAF.

No. If that was the case, they wouldn’t have invited F16 or Gripen in the first place. MMRCA was open for all categories as per the tender documents.

IAF tested the plane in field trials and declared that it failed to meet their operational requirements. Not sure how that can mean ‘regarded very well’ in any manner what’s. IAF officially declared it a failure.

As for well regarded globally, how many orders have they even received in the last decade? Only Brazil bought it, and that too when it was told that Saab would open an assembly line to serve the whole Latin American requirements, but not a single order came.

To be well regarded one must have orders, no? And clear trials.

 

[Amit Ray]

If US had a even a simple understanding of India, they would have long back offered F-35A (with lower ToT) and closed the deal, but their G-7 attitude that "let the 3rd world country fly what we plan to junk anyways" has runied all their chances of winning anything but dissappontments.
I mean, lets face it, you plan to sell the same weapons platform to arch rivals, lol...someone was smoking up something pretty high quality to live in that fallacy.
And add to that the GE engine fiasco
That is the problem with the Americans, they can neither be trusted nor have any understanding of India, and the ones guiding them are supposedly "Indians" who left India with their parents 30-40 years ago...but its fun to watch the comedy

Well we all can fathom that you have seen much going by the comments you make. You just don't have the basic idea about how things go, the IAF which has mostly flown French and Russian aircrafts will suddenly start flying F-35A, you think flying fighters is some sort of joke?? Are you aware that operating F35A requires highly advanced infrastructure and special training. Pilots who has never flown earlier versions US fighters won't be able to fly these aircrafts.

 

[Amit Ray]

They successfully sold us Sig-716, F-404, Hellfire, Harpoon, MQ-9, P-8I, MH-60R, Apache, Chinook, Hercules & made billions. Currently we are in the process of begging them to re-open the Globemaster production line. So is F-35 the newest addition in the wishlist of the begging bowl ?
Logic says it is, because the US has no compulsion to sell bleeding-edge VLO Stealth technology to a country which operates potentially malwared Russian AD. They already have more than enough orders from NATO as well as several Non-NATO allies, keeping aside their own which is the largest in the world.

Hey, every thing is paid for and by the way we ain't begging they have come running. You might come of the line of begging clan, don't think India belongs to your class. We have many alternatives.

 

[desigandu]

Given Tejas-Mk2s, F-21s will not meet our requirements, and F-15EX though very capable will be duplicative after our Super Sukhoi upgrades...I suggest we reduce Rafales to 60 planes + 26 Rafales Ms and the rest 60 we should buy (really influence the US) to sell us F-35As...All this in G2G deals with fast delivery...F-35As in fly by condition, but for Rafales we can negotiate domestic assembly with TOT.

 

[Amit Ray]

I don't know the truth "government ptograms" any more than you do. But I keep my mind open while others bury it in the ground. I read about it The Print. It was also carried by India Today and The Wire. You needs links?

All useless and biased portals, if you follow them you will become an object of ridicule, never take them seriously and verify with other portals. Please be kind enough not to mention those portals.

 

[Pink Panther]

Not quite. Even during MMRCA, Dassault had agreed to a production line for 108 Rafales in India, with the first 18 being built in France due to time constraints. Of course, with almost a decade gone since then, MRFA hasn't gone anywhere.

Even after a decade, French is still asking $275Mln for a 4th gen aircraft, when the worlds only 5h gen aircraft is selling for $80Mln, also there were many articles today saying that Chinese J20 had a kill ratio of 0-17 against Rafale.

 

[Pink Panther]

Excellent choice? It failed the trials. Not sure how a jet that can’t even meet your basic needs can be called excellent.

Gripen was a picture in Paper like Tejas MK2 right now at that time, you can't test a paper or picture.

 

[Pink Panther]

The Gripen is widely regarded as a very effecient platform, both in terms of capability and price. That the Indian Air Force had envisioned a twin engined aircraft for their needs is the issue. It was regarded very welĺ by the IAF.

No, IAF didn't care whether it is a single or twin engine, if not how come Gripen C and F16c Participated during MMRCA1.0, Gripen NG or Gripen E and F21 are entirely new fighter jet that were only concepts during last testing, you can't test pictures

 

[Pink Panther]

A full-spec F-16V Block 70/72 is a monster and is still a very very capable aircraft. Yes there are better aircraft such as Rafale and Typhoon available. But for the cost, it kind of delivers on most propositions and is still fairly modern with avionics derived from F-35. In the era of stealthy low observable aircraft such as the F-35, the venerable F-16 is still a fairly robust bomb truck, particularly useful for mud-pushing ops, after air superiority has already been established.

I agree, for the cost F16 Block 70/72 and Gripen-E are way better than Rafale or Typhoon.

 

[Pink Panther]

The Su-35? Why on Earth would we want a Su-35? Firstly, we ideally do not need more heavyweight fighters, which the Su-35 is. Secondly, the Su-35 incorporates lessons from the Su-30MKI anyways. If you really wanted a Su-35, just go for a modernised Su-30MKI instead. Maybe something like the Super Sukhoi program and also throw in the Al-41af engine.

makes sense, we don't need SU-35, but a few SU-57 would be good.

 

[Pink Panther]

The MRFA is not for 5th generation aircraft. Rafale is most suitable and will be chosen in all probability. AMCA is being developed and will not take as much time as LCA Tejas. The ecosystem has been developed and will benefit the future aircrafts.

yes absolutely, but we should be ready to shed $40-$50Bln to buy 114 Rafale F4's with india specific changes and the ability to fire Indian Missiles and French Missiles, and not buy anything for Army and Navy for another 20 Years.

 

[Anant]

makes sense, we don't need SU-35, but a few SU-57 would be good.

I would honestly have to disagree. We would be going back to having too many aircraft types in service in that scenario: SU-30MKI, Rafale, MRFA (assuming something other than the Rafale is ordered), Tejas Mk 1/1A, Tejas Mk 2, AMCA, and then the Su-57? Doesn't help matters from what it is now.

 

[nakul1307]

Made clear already that only twin engines in race

 

[Pink Panther]

Given Tejas-Mk2s, F-21s will not meet our requirements, and F-15EX though very capable will be duplicative after our Super Sukhoi upgrades...I suggest we reduce Rafales to 60 planes + 26 Rafales Ms and the rest 60 we should buy (really influence the US) to sell us F-35As...All this in G2G deals with fast delivery...F-35As in fly by condition, but for Rafales we can negotiate domestic assembly with TOT.

I thing 36 + 26 Rafales are enough to use against Pakistan, there is no way we could use Rafale's against China, we need thousands of jets to fight China, so making 500 Tejas Mk2 and 250 ORCAS would be the only feasible option.

 

[Pink Panther]

I would honestly have to disagree. We would be going back to having too many aircraft types in service in that scenario: SU-30MKI, Rafale, MRFA (assuming something other than the Rafale is ordered), Tejas Mk 1/1A, Tejas Mk 2, AMCA, and then the Su-57? Doesn't help matters from what it is now.

SU-57 is just an evolution of SU-30's , instead of buying a 4th gen Aircraft and paying $275-$300Mln each, buying SU-57 is much better, if F35's are offered then we can get them with both hands, if not, it will be a problem for us in a few years down the line, when our enemies will be flying 5th gen aircraft we will be flying 4th and 3.5 gen aircrafts like Mirages, AMCA will take atleast 15-20 Years.

 

[Shiva]

F series items were well discussed and rejected items in Indian perspective.
Re-emphasis does not have any local foundi to restart discussion.
Even the engine waht GE promised is found to be lagging behind deadlines.
US it seems have insufficient capacity to cater Indian needs.
US industry is not matured enough in its scalability to meet Indian needs it seems.
It seems, worst than Russian capacity

 

[Pink Panther]

Too old now,as Tejas is ramping up production(hopefully),this could have been a worthy proposition 15 or 10 years back as this jet could have quickly started to replace IAF's venerable MiG-21s back then.

So far only HAL people are doing ramp walk.

 

[Pink Panther]

Made clear already that only twin engines in race

who made that clear, IAF didn't.