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2004-03-04 Afghanistan/South Asia

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Posted by Fred 2004-03-04 00:05|| || Front Page|| [2 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Fred, that's just propoganda. The Mig-21 is perfectly safe.

...

Bwahahahahahahhahaha!

Posted by Charles 2004-3-4 6:31:21 AM|| 2004-3-4 6:31:21 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 You know, Fred, I think you're cackling a little too loudly. I thought the original Indian Air Force plan was to have replaced these planes with the LCA, which got delayed the better part of a decade when we stopped selling them the engine for it and put an embargo in place on warplane technology, in response to nuclear tests.

Posted by Phil Fraering 2004-3-4 9:16:36 AM|| [http://newsfromthefridge.typepad.com] 2004-3-4 9:16:36 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 ...Phil, I was under the impression that LCA has actually been a goner for some time now - is it still officially 'under development'?

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2004-3-4 10:47:16 AM|| 2004-3-4 10:47:16 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 So these guys are open to replacing MiGs with newer MiGs? Sheesh. As far as replacements go, let them go for the Mirage. I don't see any compelling reason to sell them our top-notch stuff.

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2004-3-4 10:54:08 AM|| 2004-3-4 10:54:08 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 "I don't see any compelling reason to sell them our top-notch stuff."

jobs?

Posted by liberalhawk 2004-3-4 11:01:23 AM|| 2004-3-4 11:01:23 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 I don't see any compelling reason to sell them our top-notch stuff.
In addition to jobs, as LH mentioned, here are a few other reasons, just off the top of my head:
1. The export version (except for the F-16i) is late 1980's technology, not "our top-notch stuff".
2. The F-16 requires a SIGNIFICANT learning curve for most US pilots, so the Indians that actually master the aircraft will be very, very good. They're also much closer to Pakistan than we are.
3. Any such sale would also require a large number of technicians come to the United States to learn to maintain the aircraft. Most will leave with a favorable impression, which they will spread in their home country (check with the Germans who trained at Alamagordo, NM).
4. It'll tighten a jaw or six in China, not to mention Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Burma (Myanmar, excuuuusse me), and the rest of South/Southeast Asia.

Posted by Old Patriot 2004-3-4 11:39:57 AM|| [http://users.codenet.net/mweather/default.htm] 2004-3-4 11:39:57 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 It will also piss of the paki's cause they got a much older type of F-16.

Posted by Evert Visser 2004-3-4 11:49:55 AM|| [http://chinditz.blog-city.com/] 2004-3-4 11:49:55 AM|| Front Page Top

#8 So, what's wrong with the Mig-21 (new Nato codename "Kamikaze")? :-)

I agree with OP... if it cheeses off the Chinese and convinces the Pakistanis that selling nuke technology overseas is a no-no, it's a good thing. Besides, the maintenance contracts for the aircraft will be a long-term military relationship with the Indians of a sort that we haven't had with them for quite a while.

Posted by snellenr 2004-3-4 6:08:52 PM|| 2004-3-4 6:08:52 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 AFAIK, the LCA is still an active program. But if they were going to cancel it and buy something else, the way we showed ourselves to be an unreliable supplier with it would probably put us at a disadvantage for providing a replacement.

Posted by Phil Fraering 2004-3-4 8:26:44 PM|| [http://newsfromthefridge.typepad.com] 2004-3-4 8:26:44 PM|| Front Page Top

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