India Seeks $ 15 Billion Fighter Jets in World՚s Largest Deal

India is looking to buy more than 100 new fighter jets. Deal is expected to cost upwards of ₹ 100,000 cr. or about 15 billion dollars which will be world՚s largest for fighter jets.

India Seeks $ 15 Billion Fighter Jets in World՚s Largest Deal

Which Jets Would be Bought?

  • Multiple parameters would be used by Air Force to evaluate various fighter jets.
  • Manufacturers like SAAB of Sweden, Lockheed Martin & Boeing of US, Dassault of France, MiG of Russia & European consortium Eurofighter are expected to compete.

Made in India: Details of the Deal

  • Around 75% of aircraft will be single-seat ones. IAF intends to use aircraft as day & night -capable, all-weather, multi-role combat aircraft.
  • 15% of aircraft will be bought in flyaway state, & rest will have to be made locally.
  • 85% will have to be made in India by Strategic Partner⟋Indian Production Agency.
  • 1st aircraft must be delivered within 3 years of signing contract. The request for information is open until July.
  • New process to acquire jets effectively replaces still-born Medium Multi-role Combat aircraft (MMRCA) deal which Air Force ultimately scrapped when govt. entered into direct deal w⟋France to acquire 36 Rafale jets.

Latest Technologies

  • Air Force is not willing to compromise on technology or capability that it wants to acquire.
  • New jets should come equipped w⟋state of the art avionics, ideally “fly in excess of 10 hour w⟋Air to Air Refuelling (AAR) , & be able to operate from high-altitude air-fields such as Leh” .
  • Radar should ideally have capability to carry out simultaneous Air-to-Air & Air-to-Surface operation.
  • India is interested in cutting-edge Gallium Nitride (GaN) based technology being used in electronically scanned phased array radar of fighter.

Examrace Team at Jul 17, 2018