News Desk |
US aerospace giant, Lockheed Martin, has committed that it will not sell its newly rolled out F-21 fighter jet to any other country if India places an order for 114 planes, in an offer aimed at pitching itself ahead of its US, European and Russian competitors for the mega-deal.
Speaking to international news agencies, Vivek Lall, vice president of Strategy and Business Development for Lockheed Martin, says if F-21 wins the contract, then India will be integrated into the company’s global fighter ecosystem, which is a USD 165 billion dollar market.
The Maryland-based defence manufacturer had earlier claimed that the new combat aircraft it is providing to India will have impressive standoff capabilities.
In an interview, Lall said, the new combat jet is designed to operate across over 60 air force stations in India, and its key aspects include superior engine matrix, electronic warfare system and weapons carrying capacity.
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“We will not sell this platform and the configuration to anyone in the world. It is a significant commitment by Lockheed Martin and it shows the importance of India and the importance of unique requirement India has,” he said.
US defence manufacturer Lockheed Martin has said the F-21 multi-role combat aircraft it is producing indigenously for India will address the immediate requirements of the country’s air force, besides giving it a “significant edge”.
The new combat jet is designed to operate across over 60 air force stations in India, and its key aspects include superior engine matrix, electronic warfare system and weapons carrying capacity.
The Maryland-based defence manufacturer had earlier claimed that the new combat aircraft it is providing to India will have impressive standoff capabilities, greater staying power with lower fuel consumption and state-of-the-art network data-linking capabilities across all platforms.
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The aircraft will feature Advanced APG-83 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars, which has detection ranges nearly double that of previous mechanically scanned array radars and the ability to track and attack more targets with higher precision.
In addition to this, its Advanced Electronic Warfare (EW) System, developed uniquely for India, will enhance survivability against ground and air threats. The Long-Range Infrared Search and Track tech will enable pilots to detect threats more accurately, while the Triple Missile Launcher Adapters (TMLAs) will allow the F-21 to carry 40 per cent more air-to-air weapons, Lall specified.