The issue here is not about 4.5th gen vs 5th gen but more on the how much the Koreans are willing to give vs the French. Our Turkish friends were interested to be part of KFX once and asked for larger share but the Koreans denied them.
At the time the Rafales are in service, the world has moved on to 5th gen platforms.
Again, it's not about the money, but about the limited opportunities to get fighter ToT from the Koreans.
I wasn't referring to money from the beginning, you are constantly bringing it up as if that was my issue.
"The offers put out by France, which one Korean defense industry source said included a much larger transfer of fighter jet technologies, has enticed Indonesia, and according to French publication La Tribune, the two countries are close to a deal."
I don't care about a ToT for technology and a plane that is going to start to become obsolete by 2030.
Larger share: that's not gonna happen, korean want to be the one who lead the program.
Fair enough, perhaps this flirting with the Rafale can force some extra concessions from the Koreans.
What's your argument that KFX is better than Rafale?
In every aspect it either performs the same or better. I would rather sit in a KF-X when fighting head on against any 4.5th gen fighter.
Korea is a newbie in fighter design, and French don't have any desire to buy 5th gen fighter means they confidence enough with their Rafale platform and will never EVER let it out of date.
The French are seeing that the Rafale is becoming long in the tooth and are trying to squeeze as much sales out of it before fully focusing on the 6th gen fighter project, the FCAS.
I remember I have said this in def.pk sometimes ago. The current 20% deal doesnt benefit us much and just making us potential market for the paper fighter. With the current condition Indonesia can't afford gambling on paper fighter, it needs time to mature just like any other new fighter from any other country. Time which we dont have and money which we dont have alot to spare.
The TNI-AU has always lagged behind its counterparts in the region and still is. It has too little fighter aircraft for the size of its airspace, and it's fighter aircraft are too old, too diverse and outdated with little upgrades and little advanced weaponry with little PGM capability. The KF-X gives the TNI-AU the ability to make a generational leap. The TNI should currently focus on upgrading the Sukhoi's, try to get some more (more advanced, not with the OC engine and with targeting pod capability) F-16's and should also start to induct AWACS aside sticking to the KF-X.
Or do you guys want to see the same scenario unfolding again in 10 years time like in the late '90's when Hawks (lmao) were send to intercept RAAF F/A-18's? Luckily for the TNI-AU, no shooting war started between Indonesia and Australia, otherwise it would have been a one-sided beating.
