The US has pitched Lockheed Martin’s F-21 to the Indian Air Force (IAF) for its Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) program. However, very few people might know that the US operated an aircraft named F-21 four decades ago.
Amid rising security threats in India, there is an indication that the country is looking to expedite the MRFA program, which calls for the acquisition of 114 multi-role fighter jets.
Lockheed Martin has offered the F-21 fighter jet to India, pitching it as an aircraft “For India, From India.” If it bags the deal, Lockheed Martin will shift the manufacturing line for the F-21 to India, for which it has already partnered with the Indian firm, the TATA Group.
The F-21 is a heavily modified variant of the F-16 Block 70 tailored to India’s requirements. With futuristic avionics from the F-35 Lightning II and the F-22 Raptor, the F-21 fighters have been dubbed the most sophisticated F-16 variant ever constructed.
However, the F-21 differs from fifth-generation fighters in terms of its airframe, engine matrix, weapons capability, stealth features, and engine operations availability.
The sales pitch presented by Lockheed states that the aircraft features an advanced APG-83 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, long-range IRST, better fuel efficiency (it is the only fighter in the world with probe/drogue and boom-aerial refuelling; it also has conformal fuel tanks), Large Area Display leveraging 5th Gen technologies, enhanced survivability, a 12,000 hour service life, and 40% greater Air-to-Air firepower compared to legacy fighters. Additionally, it can be configured with the Triple Missile Launch Adapter.
While the US has also pitched the F-35 Lightning II aircraft to India, an official offer has not been made–yet, which means that the F-21 remains the official Lockheed contender in the future Indian MRFA contest.
Interestingly, the US had acquired an Israeli aircraft on lease in the mid-1980s, which it decided to name the F-21, long before Lockheed decided to offer one for India.
The Kfir ‘F-21’ Was Leased To The US For Free
The Kfir is best remembered as an air-superiority fighter jet indigenously developed by Israel after it was put under an arms embargo by France. The aircraft entered service with the Israeli Air Force (IAF) in 1975 and remained in service with the IAF until the 1990s.
Although the Kfir did not see extensive combat, it was acquired by foreign countries such as Colombia, Ecuador, and Sri Lanka, and became an excellent example of export. However, the most notable acquisition of the Kfir fighter jets came from a country that boasted of an advanced military itself—the United States.
The Kfir, though used only sparingly in combat by Israel, was leased to the US Navy and Marine Corps under the Ronald Reagan administration for use as “dissimilar” aircraft for air-combat maneuver (ACM) training.
But why did the US buy Israeli jets?
During the early 1980s, the US Navy and Marine pilots operated the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, the Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter, and the T-38 Talon trainer as dissimilar or adversarial aircraft to train tactics against a notional enemy.
While the Navy wanted to improvise the training with the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the aircraft was prioritised for use by the US Air Force at the time. This left the US Navy and Marines seeking alternative options.
It was during this time that Marvin Klemow, a senior representative of Israel Aircraft Industries in the United States, got wind of this matter. Incidentally, at nearly the same time, he had also discovered that the Israeli Air Force was retiring its Kfir C.1 aircraft. Klemow knew that it was a match made in heaven.
In 1984, Klemow offered the Israeli warplane for the ACM role, which the Pentagon accepted.
A three-part agreement was struck between the two sides which stated: the aircraft would be leased to the US at no cost; the US government will ensure that the aircraft is maintained in accordance to IAF standards for the aircraft to be recalled for service in Israel if needed; and the US Navy would provide Israel a similar free-lease arrangement for some of its weaponry.
About forty years ago, on April 29, 1985, the Navy accepted the first of 25 Kfir C.1 fighters from Israel at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia.
Designated as F-21A, 12 of these aircraft were flown by the US Navy’s Fighter Squadron 43 (VF-43), headquartered at NAS Oceana, Virginia. Meanwhile, the US Marine Corps’ Marine Fighter Training Squadron 401 (VMFT-401) at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, flew the 13 aircraft that were leased to it.
The aircraft served the US Navy and the Marines well, as it was used to train against Soviet jets, with an emphasis on the Soviet MiG-23 Flogger.
The Kfir was described by Captain John Manning, whose Fighter Wing 1 comprised VF-43, as a good simulator of the MiG-23 Flogger. It had a high top-end speed and excellent level flight acceleration. The Captain stated that the Kfir could easily defeat an F-14 Tomcat and almost any US aircraft.
The Israeli aircraft were flown by the US Navy until 1988, following which they were replaced in the ACM role by F-16N Fighting Falcons. In contrast, the Kfirs were used by the Marines until 1989, before being replaced by F-5E Tiger II fighters.
What Do We Know About The Kfir?
Israel initially relied on France for cutting-edge military aircraft, such as the Mirage 5. However, after the Six-Day War of 1967, an arms embargo on Israel was imposed by the French government. As a result, the delivery of the 50 Mirage 5J jets, which were already constructed and paid for by Israel, never took place.
Nonetheless, the embargo paved the way for innovation and indigenisation in the Jewish country. Israel subsequently developed its fighter, the Nesher, and subsequently the more sophisticated all-weather, multirole, and Mach 2-capable Kfir fighter jet.
Both aircraft were based on the French Mirage 5, but the Kfir was a more advanced fighter than the Nesher.
The Kfir’s American-made General Electric J79 turbojet engine provided increased performance and speed. The top speed of the Kfir jet was 1,520 miles per hour.
It had a service ceiling of 58,010 feet, a combat range of 477 miles, and a climb rate of around 46,000 feet per minute. Additionally, it was equipped with the Elta EL/M-2001 fire-control radar, which had look-down and shoot-down capabilities.
The Kfir was armed with unguided air-to-ground rockets and two 30mm DEFA 553 guns, each with 140 rounds, developed by Rafael.
The aircraft could also be equipped with a variety of missiles, including the AGM-65 Maverick, the Shafrir air-to-air missile, the AIM-9 Sidewinder, and the Shrike anti-radiation missile. Notably, the Kfir was an impressive bomb truck, carrying more than 6 tons of payload.
The C.1 versions had only one “kill” in Israeli markings and were only in service for a few years. On July 27, 1979, the Israeli Kfirs came into contact with MiG-21 Fishbed-J fighters operated by Syrians while escorting reconnaissance planes over Lebanon. At the time, one of these fighters shot down the MiG using a Shafrir-2 air-to-air missile.
By the early 1980s, newer fighters, such as the C.2 versions equipped with canards, began replacing the Kfir C.1s. However, even their stint in the IAF was to be limited. Despite being intended to serve as Israel’s air superiority platform for many years, the introduction of the American-made F-15 Eagle changed the course of events.
Israel’s first Eagles arrived by 1976, and they soon became the IAF’s chosen platform. Nonetheless, the Kfir planes were still deployed in battle by the Jewish state, particularly in Lebanon.
For instance, when Israel invaded southern Lebanon in 1982 as part of Operation Peace for Galilee, the Kfirs were relied upon to launch strike missiles even though the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon were the IAF’s main fighters.
Following this conflict, all IAF C.2s were converted to the C.7 version, which had improved weight performance and was better suited for the Kfir’s new fighter-bomber duty.
After serving in the IAF for nearly 20 years straight, the Kfirs were removed from active duty in the second half of the 1990s. However, the aircraft remains in service with Sri Lanka, Ecuador, and Colombia.
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