Lockheed Martin responds to RT for MMRCA

Mumbai, Apr 28 (UNI) The U S Government, supported by Lockheed Martin, today responded to the Indian Ministry of Defence's Request For Proposal (RFP) for a Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft Program (MMRCA) claiming that it had proposed the most technologically advanced F-16 ever conceived, uniquely tailored to meet or exceed the requirements of the Indian Air Force.

''No other operational multi role strike fighter in the world today matches this aircraft,'' said Orville Prins, Lockheed Martin's Business Development Vice President and MMRCA program Campaign Leader in a release here.

''The F-16IN is a unique configuration of the F-16, designed to address the requirements specified in India's RFP,'' he said, adding that the new aircraft would be even better than the existing F16s.

''This proposal also represented a long-term partnership between the Air Forces of India and the United States and between Indian industry and the F-16 industry team,'' Mr Prins said The F-16IN has been especially designed to include a multitude of cutting-edge technologies such as a modern, full-colour, all-digital, glass cockpit; the APG-80 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar; the GE F110-132A engine for increased, thrust; a large weapons inventory; a highly effective electronic warfare suite; and Conformal Fuel Tanks (CFTs) to significantly extend range and persistence.

The aircraft also includes advanced survivability features such as superior agility, excellent pilot situational awareness, and critical systems redundancy. The F-16IN is designed to provide outstanding front-line capability, unprecedented reliability and an extremely low total cost of ownership, the release said.

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