New Delhi: The Indian Air Force’s plan of acquiring 114 Multirole Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) under ‘Buy Global and Make in India’ will be a big push for the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative. According to a media agency report, Indian Air Force is planning to acquire 114 fighter jets – 18 would be imported from the foreign vendor chosen for the project and the balance 96 would be built in India by the chosen vendor’s Indian partner.
“Recently, the Indian Air Force held meetings with the foreign vendors and asked them about the way they would carry out the Make in India project,” government sources told the media agency. According to the sources, as per the plan, after the initial 18 aircraft are imported, the next 36 aircraft would be manufactured within the country and the payments would be made partially in foreign currency and Indian currency. The last 60 aircraft would be the main responsibility of the Indian partner and the government would make payments only in Indian currency.
The payment in Indian currency would help the vendors to achieve the over 60 per cent ‘Make-in-India’ content in the project, the sources said. Global aircraft manufacturers including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Saab, MiG, Irkut Corporation and Dassault Aviation are expected to participate in the tender. The acquisition of 114 fighter jets is important for IAF to maintain its superiority over the neighbouring rivals Pakistan and China.
During the Ladakh crisis which started in 2020, the 36 Rafale aircraft procured under emergency orders helped immensely in maintaining an edge over the Chinese but the numbers are not enough and more such capability would be required by IAF. Though IAF has placed orders for 83 of the LCA Mk 1A aircraft, it still requires a higher number of capable aircraft.
The fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft project is moving ahead at a satisfactory pace but it will take a lot of time to be able to be inducted in an operational role. The IAF is highly satisfied with the operational availability of the Rafale fighter jets and wants similar capability in its future aircraft. Looking for a cost-effective solution for its fighter jet requirement, IAF wants a plane that is low on operational cost and gives more capability to the service, the sources said.
