Foxtrot Alpha, a blog written by Tyler Rogoway on Gawker, has a fantastic blogpost on the F-16V, the new ultimate configuration of the F-16 Fighting Falcon. It also has a fantastic embedded video of the Northrop Grumman AESA radar. Please do read that blog and see the video for all sorts of details on AESA radars.
I have never advocated the purchase of U.S. fighter aircraft for the same reason that the U.S. State Department is notoriously fickle as shown in its dealings with even some of its closest allies (Japan and South Korea). But this does show that with the upgrades to its avionics, even a 40 year old fighter design can be kept very relevant.
The Tejas is like raw canvas at this point. Inducting it and perfecting it over a long service life in an economical fashion so that the Air Force can keep getting adequate numbers of high end fighters such as the AMCA and the Rafale are a no brainer. A friend of mine has rightly said that quantity is a quality all by itself. AESA, IFR, newer avionics and certification for carriage of all sorts of smart weapons are smart and budget conscious decisions the Ministry of Defence should take immediately.
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