Saab Gripen-E vs Tejas Mk1A for Philippines - A Complex Decision Based on Cost, Performance, and Strategic Considerations

In the bidding for a fighter jet contract with the Philippines, the Saab Gripen-E is competing face-to-face with India's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A. The Tejas is a more affordable option, but the Gripen-E has better performance capabilities, making it a more complicated decision for the Philippines.

Compared to the Gripen-E, which costs $85 million, the Tejas Mk1A is a more affordable option, with a flyaway cost of about $43 million per unit. Given Philippine budgetary constraints, the Tejas is an appealing option due of its notable price differential.

On performance, however, the Gripen-E surpasses the Tejas. It has greater battle range, heavier weapons payload, and maybe more sophisticated sensors and avionics. Depending on the Philippines' unique operating needs and perceptions of threats, these variables may be vital.

There's probably more to the Philippines' choice than just the purchase price. The ultimate decision will also be heavily influenced by additional elements like life-cycle costs, chances for technology transfer, and future upgrade possibility.

India is actively pushing the Tejas Mk1A for export in an effort to become recognised as a trustworthy provider of domestic defence platforms. Getting a contract with the Philippines would be a big step forward for this effort.

The competition's result is still up in the air because both competitors have unique benefits and drawbacks. Before making a final decision, the Philippines will need to carefully consider its priorities and compare the Tejas' cost-effectiveness to the Gripen-E's improved performance.

 

[Sandeep]

India should always advertise its weapons, technology and jets regardless of the competition and its capabilities. By not advertising the jet you lose the probability of you getting that contract which you want to win. If your jet meets the technology and weapons capability then you should apply for the contract and even after you get picked it takes time to negotiate the amount of technology you transfer, amount of local production you give and the jets spares, service and LRU price throughout its lifetime.

 

[Anant]

ADA+HAL upgrade Tejas-1A with enhanced GE-90-95 KN engine to attain Mac 2.25 speed, increase its combat radius and improved airframe to carry 4.50 ton of weapon load ! Doors will open for export if we do this !

You do realise what you are writing would basically necessitate a full redesign of the aircraft, right?

 

[Francis Castro]

Unlike the proverbial "DE-BE-DE" at Greenhills or "kumot" at "payong" in Divisoria, MRFs are tad bit more complex requirement.

 

[Out_for_vendetta]

You do realise what you are writing would basically necessitate a full redesign of the aircraft, right?

this guy just trolls all the time, dont waste your time

 

[DrEaDlOcK]

Remind me again why does it even matter? Is that indigenous content the most technologically current system available on market? The answer to that is a categorical no. Our mission computers are at least a 3-4 generations behind the current semiconductor standard. Even when most of our mission computers make use of COST components. Moreover our datalink is slow and LCA has rudimentary sensor fusion and is well behind the world standard.

Nobody is going to give a medal for indigenous content. Its best DRDO understands it. They are paid to develop platform within a set time, which they fail every single time. Not even the missiles program, which was decently successful could meet project deadlines.

3-4 gen behind.
Are you fking kidding bro. Leaving 5gen asides. 4th gen fighter mission computers are likely to 1-2 gen ahead. That's the max acceptable number. 🤣
Even the most advance computer on board on 4.5gen (Gripen) might be just 2gen ahead.
Surely DRDO's has essues but they're not that low of a bottom feeders.
We to are on fabrication level of Gan based EW pods, jammer and Advance level in Gan AESA.

 

[ABHIJIT APSINGIKAR]

3-4 gen behind.
Are you fking kidding bro. Leaving 5gen asides. 4th gen fighter mission computers are likely to 1-2 gen ahead. That's the max acceptable number. 🤣
Even the most advance computer on board on 4.5gen (Gripen) might be just 2gen ahead.
Surely DRDO's has essues but they're not that low of a bottom feeders.
We to are on fabrication level of Gan based EW pods, jammer and Advance level in Gan AESA.

That was an overly optimistic estimate based on the time they take to deliver anything. Semiconductor tech changes every 3-4 years so yes it probably is at least 5 generations behind the contemporary world despite using COTS components. The recent mission computer produced by DRDO is based on a 28nm chip, uses 8Gb ram. 28Nm would make it similar to the pentium III

Seriously 8Gb ram? even modern cell phones have more ram and processing cores. This is the state, while ,14-18nm chips are freely available and world has now moved to 3nm fabrication tech. So yes they are at least 3-5 generations behind the contemporary tech and are incapable of competing in a straight fight.

 

[jagan.g]

LCA Tejas is basically designed and developed as an intercepter aircraft to replace MIG 21s. And today it's the very best in it's class and is very capable of doing much more than what was expected from it.

 

[UKumar]

Boeing is unable to deliver F-35s on time even when they are manufacturing those jets for years and have proper supply chain with private vendors in business since ages... Same thing with Boeing in delay of delivery of red Hawk Jet trainers...

Boeing is not making F35 it is Lockheed Martin does.

 

[Kemayan Labu]

Somehow I don't think the Filipinos would choose Tejas, taking their cue from Malaysia and Thailand who went for KAI FA50 Block 20 and more Gripens respectively.
I respect Indian hardware but if it's a resource for cloned Russian spareparts for say, MiGs and Sukhois, I'd say Yes! 100%.

 

[Tanishq Bafila]

Well, there have been discussion on that thread about how HAL was incompetent to mess that up. When the Korean who use the same GE-F404 in FA/T-50 jets foe future orders do not have any such limitations w.r.t supply of the engines by GE.

Even considering 20 engines/year, there will be sufficient buffer to enable HAL produce 24 airframes per year by 2026 from the existing stock of GE-F404 they already have. So are you certain HAL will be delivering 20 jets per year by 2026?

Tell them the numbers, Sonny.
How many F-35 has LM delivered till date?
How many are they manufacturing each year?

Charminar vale chacha thodi charminar k galiyo se bahar nikalo thodi knowledge gather kr... Aapko to basic cheese bhi nahi pta...

South Korea assembles General Electric (GE) F404-GE-102 turbofan engines and produces parts under licence , that's why there is no problem with the Availability of engines... And they have been making T-50 since 2005.

Regarding engine delivery to HAL , The manufacturing was stopped for a brief period in USA and they are restarting it now , all the 99 engines will be delivered to HAL by 2029... And max delivery rate will happen only from 2026.. In the first year of manufacturing you get the least amount of product and that applies for every product in the market... We don't know how many engines they will produce in 2024 it could be 8/ 12 /14 ..

One more delivery delay from Boeing:

The delivery of the new F-15EX Eagle II fighters has been delayed by production and quality issues by almost 16 months...

According to F-35 Joint Program Office spokesman Russ Goemaere, Lockheed was on contract to deliver 52 F-35s equipped with TR-3 in 2023, but only 21 have completed production so far. Even the officials have said that their allies will get delayed orders and Even there are chances that Canada has to pay 400-600$ million more for the deal because of these delays reported by their own media..

Thoda to knowledge rakha kro , ki mass production aur limited series production mai kya difference hota hai... F-35 , T-50 dono mass production mai hai

Tejas Mk1A 2024 se mass production mai gya hai , from 2nd year se cheese pace pakdti hai production mai..

Basic knowledge bhai yai, but nahi hme to comment section m RR krna hai..

Kuch logo ko DPSUs ko blame krna pasand hai kuch logo ko Private Vendors ko , hobby ban gayi hai..

 

[Tanishq Bafila]

If India wants to export Tejas mk1 or increase the delivery then we have to assemble f404 jets in india...

Same what we are doing with the f414 deal to ensure Timely delivery of jets and get some TOT

 

[Tanishq Bafila]

Boeing is not making F35 it is Lockheed Martin does.

Sorry , Wrote Boeing in both the sentences in the first comment , it was LM & then Boeing

 

[Pramkumar]

Integrating Kaveri Engine only make sure we can produce and export the MK1A. Otherwise it will be windowshopping and just HAL can participate in tenders or offer its products to the other nation. Bramos get its first export order after production of nearly 1800-2000 units in india. unless IAF take delivery of 123 MK1A nothing is going to happen.

 

[Akash Vashisth]

And engines? Where will we get them ?

 

[agent provocateur]

Western conspiracy against India ~ Indian Defence Updates 😉

 

[Man-ju]

Given the reputation of HAL, I don't think Tejas has any chance. However, unlike SAAB or Sweden, India can provide a line of credit to Philippines where they will get Tejas for free and pay for it later at zero interest. All this to cover up the incompetency of Indian PSU. Let's see, most sane prediction is it will be Gripen over Tejas.

 

[k2b2]

maal bechane k liye sirf achha hona jaroori nahi.. offers k sath sath unko bhi retail vyapari banao...hme wholesaler banna chahiye..thodi political help bhi ho jaye..to sab kuchh bikta hai..

 

[Superpower Bharat]

Three years? Bro, as per the signed contract, 18 trainers and 3 mk1a were to be delivered by 2Feb 2024. Only 1 or 2 (depending on the source, officially it’s 1) trainers have been delivered and mk1a is not even in taxi trials, which means at the very least it’s not coming for a few months. And they are only making 2 and will make the third once those 2 clear the certification. So the contract has been massively breached.

And coming to mk1. I don’t know which source you are reading that says 29 mk1 were delivered by 2018. Actual contract for FOC was signed in 2018, and FOC certification itself came in Feb 2019 at the Aero India. And the second squadron Flying bullets, first one to get FOC variants, was formed in May 2020. So no more than 20 mk1 planes were delivered by then.

Now coming to the production line excuse. Can you tell me a single point of time when HAL produced more planes than IAF accepted? IAF had always said that they will buy mk1a once mk1 production ended. In fact, 40 planes were to be delivered by 2021, as per the capacity of 8 planes per year. HAL didn’t deliver the planes but IAF still placed fresh orders. Not to mention, the cost for the production line etc. is anyways borne by IAF, plus profit. So if you promise something to IAF, it already includes the cost considerations and after that delays are not only immoral but illegal. Whether IAF orders 40 or 4 is immaterial.

Its really surprise to see that when it comes to HAL you expect quick delivery of a 3 types of 4.5 gen jet with lower price and low order number. But when it comes to privet companies you want full fund from the government, a order of 200-300 units at a time for a single types of jet and with a higher price.. Also the facilities like lower tax, cheap electricity, cheap land...etc.. etc.. are additional. Are you thinking HAL is doing charity..??? HAL has Money tree or Alladin ke Chirag ??

 

[Pink Panther]

Tejas made for the next 15-20 years should go to IAF before any other country gets them, HAL simply doesn’t have time to make for other countries, it is better off Philippines go for Gripen like Tailand.

 

[beencensured]

Tejas made for the next 15-20 years should go to IAF before any other country gets them, HAL simply doesn’t have time to make for other countries, it is better off Philippines go for Gripen like Tailand.

Even Dassault has backlog on production, but HAl can say at least Tejas mk1a is being certified.