MRFA : A $20 Billion joke?

Challenges of Indian Air Force

Ailing defence procurement Model

MRFA – going on for years

Speaking in an interview to SP Aviation, the CAS told that “: IAF plans to induct six squadrons of MRFA in a phased manner. IAF is studying the responses to the RFI issued in April 2018 and the Air Staff Qualitative Requirements for the current proposal are being finalised prior to seeking Government approval. The case will be progressed as per Defence Acquisition Procedure – 2020”

More than four years have passed and still Indian Air Force is not able to fix Qualitative Requirements for its massive requirement of 6 squadrons or 116 fighter jets. The contenders for the MRFA contract are: Lockheed Martin’s F-21, Boeing’s Super Hornet F/A-18 E/F and F-15EX, Dassault’s Rafale, Saab’s Gripen JAS-39 E/F, Russian MiG-35 and SU-35, and Eurofighter Typhoon. Just look at the fighter jets participating in MRFA. We have single engine and double engine fighters, medium weight & heavy weight fighters, all weight and class of fighters are competing for 20 billion-dollar MRFA contract. With HAL already mastered the LCA and working on upcoming LCA Mark2, its quite obvious that India does not have a twin engine medium or heavy weight fighter that can be built indigenously for now. AMCA will fill this gap but in a decade timeline. In interim – the Indian air force need fighters like Rafale which has already been tailored as per Indian air force requirement.

Made in India Rafale
The Rafales will cost lower now since the one-time payment for India-specific enhancements has already been made. Plus, the IAF seems keen on more of the same kind of aircraft that it now has. Paris has been a strategic partner of India’s military and military-industrial complex for decades. DRAL Maintenance Repair & Overhaul, a Joint Venture between Dassault Aviation, and Anil Ambani’s Reliance Group with 49% of share for Dassault Aviation and 51% for Reliance Infrastructure has already been setup and functional from 2023. This facility will provide service, maintenance and overhaul for all Indian air force’s, Rafale fighter jets. Additionally, this plant will be capable of assembling, 2 units of Rafales per month, taking the total count to 24 Rafales per year. With this rate Indian Air Force can get 6 squadrons of Rafales in less than 5 years. Further this MRO turned assembly line can also be used to full fill then present order of 176 Rafales with Dassault Aviation globally. This MRO facility in India, will be help Dassault aviation to maintain global supply chain, in south Asia region. If France is given this billion-dollar contract, we can even negotiate for the propulsion technology for Barracuda class nuclear attack submarine. Indian Navy at present don’t have even a single nuclear attack submarine but has two aircraft carriers. Nuclear attack submarines are required to be part of the aircraft carrier support group. Not to mention HAL, DRDO & Safran has various deals for the manufacturing and development for helicopter and jet engines. From all perspective, be it geo-political, transfer of technology, economic viability and faster rate of production, French Dassault Rafale should be the most obvious choice for Indian Air Force for MRFA program. I am not sure, why its so difficult for the policy makers of our country and armed forces to understand this.

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