BY : TOI




With India’s biggest defence deal expected to be announced soon, US aviation major Lockheed Martin has decided to upgrade its famous F-16 fighter, with ‘super cruise’ capability and also equip it with active electronic scanned array radars.

So far, the ‘super cruise’ capability is only seen in fifth-generation fighters F-22 Raptors and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which is yet to be officially rolled out. The purchase of 126 fighter planes by the Indian Air Force is to be announced on March 2.

Besides F-16, other contenders for the contract include Boeing’s F-18, Russia’s MIG 35, Eurofighter, Sweden’s Gripen and the French Rafale.

According to sources, AESA radars was one of the specific requirements mentioned by IAF in its request for proposal (RFP). The AESA radar, which gives the capability to simultaneously track and destroy ground and air threats, has reportedly been cleared by the US government for installation in 80 F-16s ordered by UAE in a recent deal.

Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin is working on a series of measures to cater to the requirements of the Indian force. The Fighting Falcon, which will be made available to India, will be called F-16 IN.

“The proposed India-specific fighters will also be armed with infra-red search and track pods as well as counter electronic warfare pods. The F-16 IN is a complete new aircraft and caters to India’s requirements and there can be no comparison with Block 50 and 60 fighters, being made for other countries,” Lockheed Martin India campaign director Chuck Artymovich told ET.

He said the company was prepared to meet the RFP requirements of offsets and would do so in the field of aeronautics or for co-development of an Indian Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Fighting Falcons have proved to be the world’s largest selling fighters, with sales touching 4,300. It also holds a record of 400,000 hours of combat flying and of being the safest multi-role fighter in the US history.

Asked why the company did not offer its 5th generation fighter F-35 for the deal, Mr Artymovich said the time-frame in which the supply was required ruled out that possibility. However, the company did not rule out India’s participation in the production of the joint strike fighter in future. In another significant deal with India, the company is set to sell 6 of its transport carriers C-130J. This will be the first ever direct armed weapon sales by an American company to India.