It is some 10 months since April 2018 when the IAF issued an RFI to procure 110 (actually 114) fighters of which 18 would be procured flyaway and the balance built in India by a strategic partner/Indian production agency (SP/IPA). Three quarters of these would be single-seaters and the rest twin-seat aircraft. International companies who have reportedly responded to the RFI are Boeing (F-18 Super Hornet), Lockheed Martin (F-16), Saab (Gripen), Dassault Aviation (Rafale), the European Consortium (Typhoon) and Mikoyan (MiG-35). It is learnt that the Su-35 has also entered the fray, being offered by Sukhoi from its Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant. 

Air headquarters have assuredly sought additional information before moving to the next step (issue of the RFP by the MoD) but two of the contenders have been recently quoted by the media. Ola Rignell, CMD Saab India has said that “except the first 18 aircraft, we intend to manufacture everything in India. Saab will look to build an ecosystem of defence manufacturing inside the country”.  Rignell highlighted the multi-role capability of the Gripen E which is ‘the most advanced multirole fighter designed to meet demanding operational requirements of Air Forces today’.

Dr Vivek Lall, Vice President of Strategy and Business Development Lockheed Martin has stated that “We see current demand outside of India of more than 200 aircraft. The value of those initial acquisition programs would likely exceed $20 billion”.

Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet is being promoted as being the “most advanced aircraft of its kind in operation today with a robust roadmap laid out to ensure that the F/A-18 Super Hornet is capable of dealing with future threats”.  The Super Hornet is being offered not only for the Indian Air Force but is a contender to meet the Indian Navy’s requirement for 57 carrier borne, multirole fighters.  This is the case too with Dassault’s Rafale, the Indian Air Force getting the F.3R Standard and the ‘M’ offered to the Indian Navy.

Dassault Rafale M