Mumbai, June 19
The delegation of the Indian Air Force, led by Air Chief Marshal Fali Major, at the Paris Air Show is on the priority list of all international manufacturers of fighter aircraft since India is in the market for 126 fighter aircraft.
The order for the 126 fighter aircraft is among the largest Indian orders floated in recent times and has been delayed for several years. Defence minister A. K. Antony has said the tender document is on the final stages of preparation and the request for proposals (RFP) will be finalised early July.
All major contenders for the Indian order are participating in the show.
The IAF has to buy new fighter aircraft in a hurry since its fleet is ageing. It has had to reduce its sanctioned strength from 45 squadrons to 29 in recent times. The Indian order is expected to be worth $ 11 billion.
According to sources, a section of the Indian defence establishment is keen on splitting the contract among two major manufacturers while increasing the order to 200 aircraft. India was to purchase the aircraft way back in 2001, but successive governments have been dragging their feet in finalising the aircraft which will be the mainstay of Indian air defence for the next decade.
The IAF is pressing the defence ministry to expedite the purchase, especially after the US agreed to permit the sale of 36 new F-16C/Ds to Pakistan. These aircraft, equipped with beyond-visual-range (BVR) missiles, will complement the 32 F-16s at present operating from a batch of 40 supplied earlier by the US.
Among the contenders for the Indian order include the F-16, MiG-35, French Mirage 2000-5, the Swedish JAS-39 Gripen, Boeing’s F/A-18 Hornet and the four-nation Eurofighter Typhoon. Dassault’s Rafale is also a major contender.
New players in the market, like Israel, are also in the race to sell fighter aircraft to India. Israel is offering its F-16 variant, the F-16I Soufa bundled with the sophisticated Elbit’s avionics and weapons systems. Other items in the package include a Rafael UHF/VHF radio and an HF radio, Elta satellite communications and an IAI integrated tactical video data link.
All contenders are offering supporting equipment like avionics, missile systems, engines, etc.
