The long pending process to acquire 114 Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) appears to be gathering some momentum, with the Indian Air Force (IAF) expected to make public the final proposal in the about three to four months to address strategic capability deficiency.

The IAF, waiting for biggest ever acquisition in military aviation history, had issued an RFI in April 2019 to acquire the MRFAs that is likely to cost approximately $15 billion. Deputy Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari said at the ongoing Aero India 2023 in Bengaluru that “For the future, keeping a lot of things into account especially how much ‘Make in India’ can happen, capability it can bring to Air Force and how fast we can get induction to happen. So in my estimate in three to four months, we should be ready to move forward with our final proposal”.

The proposal has to be cleared by Defence Acquisition Council before Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) is issued to roll out the process of acquisition of the 4.5 generation MRFA. The government is insisting on transfer of technology under the Make-in-India initiative from the qualifier given that the mega project has to conform to Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020 which would supplement Aatmanirbharta in fighter aircraft manufacturing capability, IAF chief Air Marshal VR Chaudhari had stated last year.

Seven companies had responded to the RFI the IAF floated for 114 MRFA. Among them are, Dasault from France, Boeing and Lockheed Martin of the United States of America and Sweden’s SAAB, and Russian United Aircraft Corporation. The foreign aserospace companies will have to find an Indian partner to manufacture the MRFA in India, after the bids are open. Among them, Russia and Dassault have IAF fighter air platform legacy.

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