Two decades later, in the early 1980s, the United States gave a "state-of-the-art" latest General Dynamics-manufactured multi-role F-16 fighter to Pakistan despite Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhis objections. Else, Lockheed Martin may lose credibility and its customer base in an era of sluggish market demand and fierce competition amongst multiple manufacturers chasing a shrinking consumer base.India faced several crises since 1947 but the striking feature of these is that New Delhi weathered all of them without ever using American fighters till date. As one had neither heard, nor seen any reference to this "state-of-the-art" fighter ever before — one thought that the very name F-21 may be an extremely lethal aerial platform — implying it as "the fighter of the 21st century".Though times have changed, there does not seem to be any sign of an imminent entry of US fighters into an Indian Air Force squadron service. "Tailor-made", primarily, for exclusive Indian Air Force requirements and secondarily, to be exported by India, as Lockheed Martin has in mind shifting its entire production line and technological knowhow to India as a joint venture with a local company. Do not buy Iranian oil. Thus, eight years have passed for the F-16 without any sale/order. Not surprisingly, the US supplied the best of its fighters to Pakistan and snubbed India.

However, it all began earlier, when both US President Richard Nixon and his aide Henry Kissinger hated the Indian Prime Ministers guts which were amply demonstrated to the world in the December 1971 Bangladesh war. It’s got to be reborn. Hence, the puzzle: Where do we start from? From the F-16? But then, the F-21 is reportedly different from, and superior to, the F-16! Nevertheless, if the Indian Air Force is to choose the F-21 and nothing else, then the best option, at present, would be to scan through the specifications of the latest version of the F-16 — to at least have an idea. In what way will the F-21, not a single prototype of which has been produced yet, be the ideal choice for the Indian Air Force? Is the choice of a fighter aircraft the sovereign right and decision of the Indian Air Force and the Government of India, or a foreign contractors imposition?Is not the Indian Air Force the sole institution responsible for specifying its own requirements, stipulate as to how it would operate its fighters; against what sort of adversaries and in what operational environments?Not a single Air Force in the world is using the Lockheed Martin F-21 because it has not yet been produced.That all sounds like music to Indias ears, no doubt. And now suddenly the US wants the F-21, which is being touted as the successor of, and superior to, the F-16, China pharmacy cooler unit to be bought by India! How? Through US "foreign military sales" (FMS). These are: "type; programme; (past) users, if any; costs; design features; flying control; structure; landing gear; power plant; accommodation; systems; avionics; armament; dimensions (external); wings; areas; weights and loading; max take off weight; payload; performance; range; and radius of operation".In other words, the F-16’s days are over

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