Page 10 - The Indian EYE 012023

OPINION JANUARY 20, 2023 | The Indian Eye 10

The Race for the Indian Naval

Fighter Contract

Even as India’s arms imports from France registered a massive jump in 2010–20, and irrespective of
India’s interim naval fighter choice, the India–US defense and strategic partnership has been signifi-

cantly strengthened in recent times. India was designated as a Major Defense Partner in 2016

S. SAMUEL C. RAJIV gle-engine Tejas Light Combat Air- aircraft. Boeing notes that the P8I Courtesy: IDSA
craft (LCA) was found unsuitable is operated by three out of the four
ovember 2022 saw the visit for aircraft carrier operations. The Quad countries (US, Australia and Force (IAF), the contract for which
of the French Defense Min- Ministry of Defense (MoD) issued India). Two out of the four Quad was signed in 2016. While the first
Nister Sebastien Lecornu as a Request for Information (RFI) for countries also operate the F/18 air- aircraft was received in October
well as the US Secretary of the Navy MRCBFs procurement in January craft (US and Australia). 2019, all 36 were inducted by De-
Carlos Del Toro to India. Lecornu 2017 for 57 fighters, which was subse- Boeing further reiterates that cember 2022. Apart from France
was in New Delhi for the Fourth In- quently reduced to 26 fighters to be the same family of engines powers and India, Egypt, Qatar and Greece
dia–France Defense Dialogue, where procured via the government-to-gov- the F/18 and the LCA Tejas. While also operate the cutting-edge
both countries decided to enhance ernment (G2G) route. These include the General Electric (GE) F-414 French fighter aircraft while the
military industrial cooperation with a eight twin-seater trainer variants and powers the F/18, the US$ 716 mil- UAE signed a deal to acquire 80 Ra-
focus on Make in India (MII). Apart 18 single-seater variants. lion contract to supply 99 GE F-404 fales in December 2021 and Indone-
from their interactions in New Delhi, engines to power the LCA Mk-I A sia signed a deal in February 2022 to
Lecornu and Del Toro also visited Ko- Aircrafts in Contention fighter aircraft was signed in Au- acquire 42 Rafales.
chi, the headquarters of the Southern gust 2021. The MoD had earlier The MRCBF options are slated
Naval Command, where the indig- Both the aircrafts in contention, in February 2021 placed an order to be an interim solution, before the
enously constructed aircraft carrier, the Rafale and the Super Hornet, with Hindustan Aeronautics Limit- Twin-Engined Deck Based Fighter
INS Vikrant, is also based. The visits did demonstration ski-jumps at the ed (HAL) for 83 LCA MK-1A jets (TEDBF) project comes to fruition.
of the French and the American del- Shore-Based Test Facility (SBTF) at worth Rs 48,000 crore. The project was approved in 2020,
egations brought into focus their par- INS Hansa, Goa in January and June Boeing further reiterates that with the Preliminary Design Review
allel efforts to secure the contract for 2022 respectively. Boeing insists that over 800 Super Hornets and its vari- (PDR) expected to be completed by
equipping India’s indigenous aircraft the Super Hornet is fully compli- ants have been delivered worldwide mid-2023. The aircraft will be pow-
carrier with a fighter wing. ant with the requirements of India’s and the massive scale will enable com- ered by the GE F414 engines—the
The Indian Navy’s sole opera- aircraft carriers, INS Vikramaditya petitive incorporation of newly devel- same engines that power the F/18s,
tional aircraft carrier, INS Vikrama- and INS Vikrant and notes that the oped technology. The US aerospace and is expected to be inducted by
ditya, currently operates Mig-29K two-seater F/18 can also be used major’s ‘By India-For India’ sustain- 2031–32.
fighters. The choice of the Multi-Role for land-based missions as well as a ment programme is also expected to Both Dassault and Boeing are
Carrier Borne Fighter (MRCBF) trainer aircraft. ensure a higher availability of air- also competing for the multi-role
programme to equip the INS Vikrant The US aerospace major also craft for operational deployment.2 fighter aircraft (MRFA) programme
is between the twin-engined US Boe- highlights the fact that the aircraft As for the other competitor, of the IAF, RFI for which was issued
ing F/18 E/F Super Hornet and the is inter-operable with the Indian Rafale Marine, India has procured in 2018.
French Rafale Marine (M). The sin- Navy’s Boeing P-81 reconnaissance 36 Rafale aircraft for the Indian Air Continued at next page... >>

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