(An abridged version of this interview was first published in Vijay Times, 10 February 2007).
The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is perhaps the most impressive jet thundering over Bangalore skies at the AeroIndia 2007. Boeing is pitching this superb fighter strongly for the Indian Air Force’s 126 multi-role combat aircraft deal. But amid the intensifying dogfight between the world’s six fighter jet majors – Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Mikoyan-Gurevich, Dassault, Eurofighter and Gripen – to grab what surely will be the world’s largest foreign aircraft deal, there’s now a surprise twist. The US Air Force wants India to buy F-16 fighter jets, rather than the F-18 jets, in its 126 multi-role combat aircraft deal.
In an exclusive interview with this author, Major General Eric J. Rosborg, the USAF’s Assistant Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs, said that a common aircraft in the US and Indian air forces would provide greater ballast to the already burgeoning relationship between the two. The US Air Force flies the F-16.
Maj. Gen. Rosborg is the man responsible for formulating and integrating US Air Force policy with respect to political-military relationships, security assistance, technology and information disclosure issues, and attaché affairs in support of US government objectives.
Asked about the other American aircraft that is a contender for the large Indian order, Maj. Gen. Rosborg said that while both aircraft were good and were backed by the American government, the USAF would prefer the IAF to buy the F-16s, rather than the F/A-18E/F Super Hornets. ‘‘The US Air Force flies the F-16s and US Navy flies the F/A-18s. The key item the USAF wants to realize is for the potential of the air force to air force relationship to fully blossom. For that to happen, we need to share a common aircraft. With it will come a common understanding of maintenance, logistics, training, etc’’.
Speaking about what made the F-16 a good buy for the IAF, Maj. Gen. Rosborg said ‘‘I have flown the F-16, commanded it in combat. It is not only a sophisticated single-seat, single-engine, multi-role fighter, it is also the most combat-experienced fighter’’. He added that the aircraft’s lifecycle costs were ‘‘extremely low’’, based on high reliability of components, low failure rate of major systems, and the overall low cost of operating a single-engine jet.
‘‘If you have 10 F-16s, nine out of them will be ready for a mission at any given point of time. Combat capability, system reliability and low lifecycle costs make it an unbeatable fighter’’.
Maj. Gen. Rosborg refused to comment on the apprehensions about buying aircraft from America – especially such a large number -- because of the sanctions-happy US Congress. ‘‘Regardless of the political considerations, the air force-to-air force relationship has progressed very far. From my perspective, it would not be useful to pull in political or other considerations’’.
‘‘My President (George Bush) has laid out a strategic relationship with India. We have mutual interests and mutual concerns. A common airplane with our two airforces would enhance this relationship’’.
Asked what version of the jet the USAF would be happy to see in the IAF’s hands, Maj. Gen. Rosborg said that the USAF operates Block 50-52 F-16s and would be happy to see the IAF acquire the same. ‘‘It depends on the Indian request for proposal. If the IAF wants anything better, we will consider that. But every country is going to carefully consider from a disclosure standpoint, from a technology standpoint what can be released, what cannot be’’.
‘‘The USAF intends to fly the F-16 well into the 21st century. The bottomline is that we want the two great airforces of the world to have a common aircraft so that we can progress in our relationship. The F-18 would be terrific too, but it would be more difficult for the two airforces to achieve a shared understanding’’.
