“We will not sell the newly rolled out F-21 fighter jet to any other country if India places an order for 114 planes, in an offer aimed at pitching itself ahead of its US, European and Russian competitors for the mega-deal,” said US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin.
Vivek Lall, vice president of Strategy and Business Development for Lockheed Martin, said, “If F-21 wins the contract, then India will be integrated into the company’s global fighter ecosystem, which is a USD 165 billion dollar market.”
In an interview to PTI, Lall said that the new combat jet is designed to operate across over 60 air force stations in India and its key aspects include superior engine matrix, electronic warfare system, and weapons carrying capacity.
He further added, “We will not sell this platform and the configuration to anyone in the world. It is a significant commitment by Lockheed Martin and it shows the importance of India and the importance of unique requirement India has.”
The Indian Air Force issued an RFI (Request for Information) or initial tender last month, to acquire 114 jets at a cost of around USD 18 billion, which is billed as one of the world’s biggest military procurement in recent years.
Lockheed’s F-21, Boeing’s F/A-18, Dassault Aviation’s Rafale, the Eurofighter Typhoon, Russian aircraft Mig 35 and Saab’s Gripen are the top contenders for the deal. According to the official sources, the IAF is pushing for finalising the mega-deal in the wake of the Balakot strikes and evolving security scenario in the region.
Lall further added that if Lockheed wins the contract, it will not only set up a state-of-the-art F-21 manufacturing facility along with the Tata Group but will also help India create an ecosystem for the overall growth of the country’s defence manufacturing.
On observation that the F-21 is similar to Lockheed’s F 16 Block 70 combat jet, he said such a view is unfair as there have been significant differences between the two platforms. F-21 differs in terms of various aspects including its airframe, weapons capability, engine matrix, and availability of engine options.
He also said, “As for example, you are now looking at 12,000 hours of service life airframe in F-21 versus 8,000 hours previously (F 16 Block 70). The additional 40 percent weapons carrying capability is new in F-21 which was not there in F 16 Block 70. The electronic warfare system is uniquely developed for India. Looking from a distance may make it look similar to F 16 Block 70, but it is different.”
Besides having a traditional boom-delivered refueling facility, the F 21 also has an extendable hose-and-drogue refuelling probe. “This is the only fighter in the world which has both the capability,” said Lall, adding the cockpit has a new large area display. “It is a modern cockpit and has a significant piece of ability to synthesise information. These are unique capabilities that we are not offering to other countries in the world,” said the Lockheed executive.
The jet has a Long-Range Infrared Search and Track (IRST), enabling pilots to detect threats with precision and Triple Missile Launcher Adapters (TMLAs) allowing it to carry 40 percent more air-to-air weapons.
Without giving any approximate price of each bare-bone aircraft, he pitched it as the most cost-effective compared to the competitors in terms of life-cycle and operational costs.
Lall said, “If you look at the US government data, the advantage is 30-40 percent in terms of cost-effectiveness. This is lower compared to competitors. If you aggregate with years and years of operations in the life cycle, it is a huge amount of saving for India if it goes ahead with F-21.”
The Indo-US defence ties are on an upswing and both New Delhi and Washington have said they are committed to expanding it further.
