| Lockheed Martin unveils the new F-21 Fighter Jet during Aereo India 2019. |
February 20, 2019 - The American aerospace company Lockheed Martin unveiled the new F-21 multirole fighter plane during the biggest Asian airshow "Aero India 2019", currently underway in Bangalore.
The company, which had previously offered its F-16 Block 70 fighter jet, said the F-21 is specifically configured for the Indian Air Force and provides unmatched ‘Make in India’ opportunities and advanced future airpower to the nation. Lockheed Martin will partner with the Indian company Tata Advanced Systems to build the plane on site.
According to Lockheed Martin, the F-21 is different inside and outside [compared to the F-16 Block 70]. The most notable differences between the two variants are the single large display inside the cockpit similar to that of the F-35 - the Block 70 has 3 different displays - and a big dorsal spine to accomodate electronic equipments.
The announcement of the new aircraft follows the multi-billion dollar request sent by India to introduce 114 new fighter jets under the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) program. The F-21 will have to compete with Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, Saab Gripen E, and Russians MiG-35 Fulcrum and Su-35 Flanker.
Written by Matteo Sanzani
