* dumbstruck:

You are still in denial of the original article,

You mean the article linked by the OP?

which was the serious
part of my post. Maybe you are right or maybe wrong. However, how
about some engagement on why your pronouncements of good vs less good
candidates were the EXACT REVERSE of the sources in article?!

I don't know and honestly I also don't really care. Yahoo News isn't
known to be always right, and the article sound very much like a press
release from LMCO. As to the statements that are contrary to mine: well,
I don't know Yahoo's nameless "industry sources", but after almost two
decades working in the fighter business I take freedom to draw my own
conclusions instead of relying on some news articles.

I have a minor anecdote about the India/Russia engagement. Long ago we
had hosts in India who seemed euphoric to be taken off of "Russian
duty" (escorting/schmoozing); they seemed to honestly think that
Russian culture as epitomized by (MiG?) visitors was less bearable by
Indians than visitors of other western cultures.

Sounds familiar to me ;-)

They had little
reason to flatter us, and anyway both of us had taken the trouble to
learn the Russian languange. By their particular complaints about
visiting wives, I would guess the Swedish and thus SAAB might have an
edge . And happiness of bureacracy can trump Indian national
interests; they appear ready to give up the US nuclear deal in order
to preserve a few months of perks according to
http://www.economist.com/world/asia/...ry_id=10026472

Don't underestimate political independence from "superpowers" like
Russia and the US.

But I wouldn't stick my neck out to say Russia was out. You HAVE, in
spite of the article calling it a frontrunner. Has Russia yanked India
around... during it's long history with MiG so far?

Well, times changed a bit since India bought their MiG-21s from Russia.
India isn't the 3rd world like country it has been regarded then
anymore. There is money, and there is increasing activity in the high
tech market. India now can afford to stay independent of Russia, and it
very likely will think twice if it replaces Russian dependency with US
dependency.

If mainstream is desired (something that should be sort of a cousin
to Saab Gripen) go for the Dassault nEUROn
http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/neuron/
Did you even *read* the text?

"Neuron is the European Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) demonstrator
for the development, integration and validation of UCAV technologies and
is not for military operational deployment."

Why be so harshly literal?

Simply because it's a fact. Neuron is just a demonstrator and nothing
else. Results out of the Neuron program will probably lead to a
sales-ready product some time. Neuron definitely will never be a
sales-ready product.

There are many examples of rapid
advancement from a demonstrator to something productive when
motivated. Think WW2 or Pakistan as a motivator. Think of P-80 being
developed in 90 days. Think of the Indian telephone system leaping
from 1930's era landline to 21st century cell phones overnight.

I prefer to think about how development cycles for military equipment
are working today and stay with the facts, thanks.

But best of all may be the EADS Barracuda, which apparently doesn't
work due to software problems.
Nope. EADS Barracuda doesn't work because they sunk the thing into the
Sea.

BECAUSE OF SOFTWARE PROBLEMS!

Nope. Software was only one part of the problem.

Indians have a proven track record for
excellance in software, and might more than "fix" bugs but in time
bring things to unexpected heights of capability.

Yeah, right. If they can fix a bug in some VisualBasic program than they
can easily fix software problems in a UAV demonstrator aircraft ;-)

Hint: it requires much more than just "excellance in software" to get
mission-critical flight operation software ready for prime time.

Besides the fact that there is much more to fix than software, and even
if it gets fixed India would end up with a UAV demonstrator aircraft
that still isn't useable as a combat-ready system.

sez http://www.air-attack.com/news/news_...cuda-UCAV.html
:

''The first Barracuda demonstrator had been planned for use as a major
trials asset in the Agile programme, but was lost on its second test
flight in September 2006 because of software errors.

The proposed Barracuda II would be identical to the first
demonstrator, says Dr Peter Becher, vice-president autonomous airborne
systems for EADS Defence & Security. "We will rebuild. It will be the
same configuration as the Barracuda I," he says''

As I said I don't care what some articles say. But I know that it is
very unlikely that the Barracuda program will be revived any more,
especially with the very limited foundings not only of EADS but also of
the GAF, and also because another totally different multinational UAV
demonstrator program is in the works already.

Benjamin