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.

 

[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.

 

[Anant]

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.

You do realise that the 80 million USD is the cost price, right? You want export prices for the F-35; here you go: (Will adjust the prices to 2024 USD)

1. Australia: First order for 180.57 million USD in 2009 => 259.59 million USD in 2024. Second order for 198.27 million USD in 2014 => 258.3 million USD in 2024. Both orders had weapons included.
2. Belgium: 138.96 million USD in 2018 => 170.67 million USD in 2024. Limited weaponry included.
3. Canada: 166 million USD per aircraft in 2022 => 174.94 million USD in 2024. Weapons included. Canada already invested in the program development as well.
4. Czech Republic: 233.33 million USD per aircraft. Weapons included.
5. Denmark: 111.11 million USD in 2016 => 142.78 million USD in 2024. Weapons not included. Denmark also invested in the aircraft's development.
6. Finland: 155.26 million USD in 2021 => 176.72 million USD in 2024. Weapons not included.
7. Germany: 240 million USD in 2022 => 252.93 million USD in 2024. Weapons included, and the aircraft will be capable of nuclear strike missions.
8. Israel: First order for 137.5 million USD in 2010 => 194.48 million USD in 2024. Second order for an estimated 130 million USD in 2015 => 169.16 million USD in 2024. Weaponry included, but some subsystems not included as the aircraft were modified by IAI.
9. Italy: Not disclosed, but estimated at about 135 million USD in 2024. Weapons included. Italy was a major contributor in the aircraft's development.
10. Japan: First order for 238.1 million USD in 2012 => 318.94 million USD in 2024. Second order for 220 million USD in 2020 => 262.17 million USD in 2024. Both orders have weapons included.
11. Netherlands: First order for 161.56 million USD in 2013 => 213.89 million USD in 2024. Second order value not disclosed, but estimated at about 185 million USD in 2024. Weapons included in both orders. The Netherlands was a major contribution in the program development. Aircraft will be capable of nuclear strike.
12. Norway: Not disclosed, but estimated at about 170 million USD in 2024. Limited weaponry included. Norway was also a participant in the development.
13. Poland: 143.75 million USD in 2020 => 171.3 million USD in 2024. Weaponry not included.
14. Singapore: 229.16 million USD in 2020 => 273.08 million USD in 2024. Weaponry included.
15. South Korea: 166.5 million USD in 2014 => 216.91 million USD in 2024. Weaponry included.
16. Switzerland: 153.1 million USD in 2022 => 161.35 million USD in 2024. Limited weaponry included.
17. United Kingdom: Not disclosed, but estimated at about 150 million USD in 2024. Weaponry included. The UK was the single largest non-American contributor to the aircraft's development.

Hence, you can see the F-35 is not costing anywhere near 80 million USD per aircraft, even if you do not procure any weapons. That is not to say the Rafale is cheap; it isn't. In many ways, the F-35 and the Rafale are similarly priced. However, the F-35 does not cost 80 million dollars. That is the barebones cost price, and even the USAF pays more than that!

 

[Pink Panther]

Hence, you can see the F-35 is not costing anywhere near 80 million USD per aircraft, even if you do not procure any weapons. That is not to say the Rafale is cheap; it isn't. In many ways, the F-35 and the Rafale are similarly priced. However, the F-35 does not cost 80 million dollars. That is the barebones cost price, and even the USAF pays more than that!

I understand the final price, but still F35 is cheaper compared to Rafale including weapons package,mif we are going to buy 4th hen aircraft, we should buy the cheapest aircraft that is somewhat comparable to Rafale.

 

[Ajath]

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.

I was just talking about the origins of Mirage 2000. It wouldn't have taken DASSAULT a long time to come up with MIRAGE 2000. F16 manufactured by General Dynamics now taken over by LOCKHEED MARTIN belonging to late 70s was totally a new platform designed as lightweight , nimble at the same time can carry variety of weapons for air superiority and ground attack roles. Yes , it's a potent aircraft . But little too late for IAF. RAFALE has been ordered by IAF and IN . So it will make sense to go for additional units . Personally speaking I would prefer F15 but creating a new inventory for spares , training maintenance and other infrastructure has huge financial impact.