Manohar Parrikar and Ashton Carter to discuss US proposal for f 16 and f 18; proposal under Make In India

Ashton Carter, US DEFENCE MINISTER

India and America may go ahead to confirm the deal of F-16 and F-18 fighter planes under ‘Make In India’ programme. India may take the decision after the failure of Rafale deal in France.

Ash Carter, American Defense Minister, is to visit India on 10-12 April. India can accept this deal after the discussion on this proposal of his meeting with Manohar Parrikar, Indian Defence Minister.

Carter may sign on LSA (Logistic Support System Agreement) with America during his 3 days visit to India. The LSA can enable Americans warfare ships and army platforms to fill the fuel and other help from Indian defence. The LSA is one that of the 3 accords which America is seeking from India.

Carter during his visit with Parrikar will go on INS Vikramaditya at Karwar naval base in Karnataka; then Parrikar with carter, in USS Blue Ridge of 7th fleet of US Naval Ships. Boeing and Lockheed like planes developer companies may give its presentation.

THE DETAIL OF FIGHTER PLANES

The Dassault Rafale

literally meaning "gust of wind",and "burst of fire" in a more military sense) is a French twin-engine, canard deltawing, 

multirole fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. Equipped with a wide range of weapons, the Rafale is intended to perform air supremacy ,interdiction, aerial reconnaissance, 

ground support. in-depth strike, anti-ship strike and nuclear deterrence missions. The Rafale is referred to as an "omnirole" aircraft by Dassault.

F-16 American

Lockheed Martin has proposed an advanced variant, the F-16IN, as its candidate for India's 126-aircraft Indian Air Force Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) competition. According to Chuck Artymovich, the company's business development director for the program, "The F-16IN is the most advanced F-16 ever." Notable F-16IN features include an AN/APG-80 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, advanced electronic warfare suites, and an infrared search and track (IRST) system. If selected as the winner of the competition, Lockheed Martin will supply the first 18 aircraft, and will set up an assembly line in India in collaboration with Indian partners for production of the remainder. The program is reportedly worth up to Rs. 550 billion (US$14 billion). The F-16IN Super Viper was showcased in the AERO INDIA, 2009.

India initially sent the RFI for a F-16C/D Block 52+ configuration aircraft for the ongoing INDIAN MRCA COMPETITION  to supply the indian Air Force with 126 Multi-Role Combat Aircraft, to replace the Indian air force's fleet of MiG-21s. On 17 January 2008, Lockheed Martin offered a customized version of the F-16, the F-16IN Super Viper for the Indian MMRCA contract. The F-16IN, which is similar to the F-16 Block 60, will be a 4.5 generation aircraft.

Lockheed Martin has described the F-16IN as "the most advanced and capable F-16 ever." Based closely on the F-16E/F Block 60 as supplied to the UAE, the features on the F-16IN include CONFORMAL FEUL TANKS (CFTs); AN/APG-80  active electronically scanned array(AESA) radar,GE F110-132A engine with 32,000 pounds (143 kN) of thrust with FADEC controls; electronic warfare suite and infra-red searching (IRST); advanced all-color glass cockpit with three large displays; and a helmet-mounted cueing system. Lockheed Martin's vice-president-Business Development (India) Orville Prins has said that "I can assure you, the Super Viper is much more advanced in all aspects than the [Block 50/52+] F-16s being given to Pakistan".

In September 2009, F-16IN Super Viper completed a part of the field trials. Lockheed Martin officials stated that phase I of field trials was over and the week-long training phase was in preparation for Phase II of field trials, which began 7 September and lasted two weeks.

Eventually the F-16IN Super Viper lost out to the French Dassault Rafale fighter. It was reported 21 September 2012 that the Indian air force would finalize a contract to purchase 126 French Rafale jet fighters that year, in one of 2012's largest armament purchases. The contract for the 126 Rafale twin-engine, canard delta-wing, multirole combat aircraft is worth $20 billion, Indo-Asian News Service reported.

F-18 American

The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is a twin-engine supersonic, all-weather carrier-capable multirole combat jet, designed as both a fighter and attack aircraft. 

TOP SPEED: 1,915 km/h

INTRIDUCED: January 7, 1983

WINGSPAN: 12 m

LENGTH: 17 m

Unit cost: 29,000,000–57,000,000 USD (2006)

First Flight: November 18, 1978

Engine Type: General Electric F404, Turbofan