SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
A report presented in the Argentina parliament confirms that LCA-Tejas along with bids from JF-17, F-16, and Mig-35 have been received and are under active consideration, and the hold-up is due to a lack of funds being allocated for the procurement of 12 jets.
Argentina is looking to procure a multi-role supersonic fighter jet with mid-air refueling capabilities that are equipped with AESA radar and Data-Link, Electronic self-defense capabilities along with no British-origin components.
According to the claims made in the report, JF-17 has a cost per hour of $7000, F-16 is $10000, LCA-Tejas is $12000 and Mig-35 is $18000 but these figures are estimates as per open source information compiled in the report and not actual costs per hour as disclosed by the OEM.
Interestingly JF-17 has been offered a WS-13 turbofan engine that is of Chinese origin instead of the Russian Klimov RD-93 afterburning turbofan that is operational with Pakistan and its export client Nigeria and Myanmar.
HAL has offered to replace British-origin parts like nose cones with Indian-made ones and Martin Baker ejection seats with Russian or American ones. There is no clarity on which alternatives will be used for the Inflight refueling probe on LCA-Tejas aircraft which presently is also of British origin.
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