If you ask me, it's a horrible idea, especially the part about giving them early warning technology and other high tech things. Perhaps with the F-22 and JSF on the way we don't really need to worry about something like the F-16, after all the F-15 and the F-22 can both beat it in pretty much every category, but still, I don't like selling advanced American military craft and technology to potential future allies.
Calling them our allies is foolish, they are temporary "enemy of my enemy is my friend" allies. And selling India possibly 125 craft is irresponsible. It just heightens the tensions in an already tense region.
That being said, I bet if we don't, France will sell them all Eurofighters anyway, which is comparable with our more advanced fighter craft. Plus I'm sure we'll take a hit on this for selling military hardware to India and Pakistan while telling Europe they aren't allowed to sell to China.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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Just for the numbers--- There are a little over 4,000 F-16s in the entire world and the USA only has about 1,500 of them. They are in the inventory of many allied countries of which Pakistan is an ally.
Also, it's called balance of power. India has a much better air force and while they are ticked, they will be pacified with some new aircraft. Fopr which we get a paycheck also. The real chess move is however, that they both have superior air power to Iran--checkmate.
And you're right. If we didn't sell some, well there are over 2,000 others out there that could be sold.
Finally, we are getting ready to roll out the F22 Raptor and the joint strike fighter and the F16, which is over 20 years old will become somewhat obsolete. And, you might like to know that when we sell aircraft to foreign countries, they do not the Eddie Bauer model with leather seats and TV sets, they get a stripped down version.
Otherwise, if friend became foe, we'd be on even ground. Can't have that.
Sleep well tonight.
Posts: 65 | Registered: Mar 2005
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Well I guess when you put it in perspective like that. But still, I get nervous whenever we sell weapons to anyone. I guess nothing can be as bad as selling weapons to Israel though (I know THAT probably isn't a popular opinion on this board, but that's how I feel).
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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Pakistan and India? Something tells me that capitalism is at work here
CNN was calling it a "major policy shift" earlier. as Hammer said, maybe we'll have the F35 and F22 (looks like that one isn't getting cancelled after all) soon, hopefully very soon, so we can stay a step ahead.
Maybe its a move to arm nations around China.
IIRC, the Falcon is a pretty good multirole fighter, and we use it mostly on ground attack runs--bunker busters, etc. Maybe we want to give Pakistan something to use in the War On Terror™.
Who knows?
--j_k
[ March 25, 2005, 11:59 PM: Message edited by: James Tiberius Kirk ]
Posts: 3617 | Registered: Dec 2001
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Iran has F-14's. They've had them for quite sometime. Guess what those F-14'a are doing? They're sitting in hangers unused. It's amazing how useless aircraft become without a few wires. I'll bet all support for these aircraft will come from us. No support from us, the aircraft will not fly.<edit for spelling error.>
[ March 26, 2005, 12:54 AM: Message edited by: Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged ]
Posts: 796 | Registered: Mar 2005
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The F-14s haven't been usable for years. When our tech support pulled out of Iran after the fall of the Shah they sabotaged most of them. What ones weren't rendered unusable, the rest are now derelict from lack of spare parts.
They are virtually useless.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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What I was trying to say was if Pakistan were to become our enemy a simular situation might occur. If Saudi Arabia became our enemy it would happen to them.American contractors fix all of their F-15's.
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If there are as many F-16 out there as you say, I highly doubt they will have trouble purchasing replacement parts from somewhere else. Or if all else fails the black market.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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Replacement parts are one thing, replacement technicians are a completely different matter. The kind of technology we are talking about isn't exactly "Tab A into Slot B" stuff. It takes a good deal of training to know exactly what is wrong and fix it. It's not like the old WWII Aircraft Riggers that would fix planes with spools of chicken wire and duct-tape. Aside from that, within a short number of years, all the electronics inside these planes will completely fail. Integrated Circuits do not have a long life. Most start failing after 3-4 years, with a few lucky ducks lasting up to 6 years or more. And those only last that long because they are properly maintained and cared for.
Posts: 3003 | Registered: Oct 2004
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Not just the parts go bad. Wires break, and relays fail. Anything that go wrong will go wrong. I've seen what happens when a squadron doesn't have enough trained avionics technicians, and it's not pretty.
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