US offers India partnership in development of Joint Strike Fighter

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http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/us-offers-india-partnership-in-development-of-joint-strike-fighter/articleshow/10581052.cms

WASHINGTON: The US today offered India partnership in the development of the world' most advanced flying machine, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, months after losing the lucrative USD 10 billion contract for 126 war planes.

Acknowledging that India's recent decision not to opt for America's F-16 and F-18 fighters was a "setback", the Pentagon said it is still interested in selling its top notch fighters to India.

"Despite this setback, we believe US aircraft, such as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), to be the best in the world," the Pentagon said in a nine-page report to the Congress.

"Should India indicate interest in the JSF, the United States would be prepared to provide information on the JSF and its requirements (infrastructure, security, etc) to support India's future planning," the Pentagon said in a one-of-its kind report on India submitted to the US Congress.

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1. “Omnirole” Rafale Steals Lead Over Eurofighter Typhoon in Libyan Operations

While NATO forces fielded the Dassault Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon in the UN-mandated war against Gaddafi’s forces in Libya, details emerging from briefings by the U.K. and French air forces about the use of their respective fighters tell that the Rafale was the primary attack plane while the Eurofighter Typhoon provided intelligence through its targeting pods.

With the Libyan hostilities over, the Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon face off one another in an estimated $11 billion tender for India’s Medium Multirole Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) acquisition, the price bids for which are scheduled to be opened in the first week of November.

The Rafale, which is yet to receive an international order, has never come so close to finding a foreign customer. The Dassault fighter made the shortlist along with the Eurofighter Typhoon after a nearly two year evaluation of European, American and Russian fighters.

No sooner than NATO announced a no-fly zone over the Rebel stronghold of Benghazi in Libya earlier this year, French Rafale and Mirage 2000 jets zoomed across the Mediterranean sea attacking Libyan ground-based military targets, a move which many critics say was prompted to exhibit the French jet’s fighting capabilities to potential customers.

http://www.defenseworld.net/go/defensenews.jsp?id=6202&h=%E2%80%9COmnirole%E2%80%9D%20Rafale%20%20Steals%20Lead%20Over%20Eurofighter%20Typhoon%20in%20Libyan%20Operations

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