Abingdonboy
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I am ok with paying whatever it needs to get 6 squadrons of a new platform being built in India, but paying an obscene amount for 36 units, is shooting yourself in the foot.
Agreed sir, I am of the same mind- it should be 150+ Rafales or 0.
A final figure of 36 (or even 54 with 18 follow-ons) is a woefully sub optimal solution that fails to adress a single issue but actually ADDS huge problems to the IAF in the long term.
I don't understand the current leadership's game at all, to the public they are only stipulating this 36 figure (with the odd mention of 18 follow on units) but it is clear for all to see that the requirement is so much more than that- the IAF has offically stated they need at least 6 SQNs worth- so why keep up this pretence? Why not just admit they are trying to get the MMRCA through a different route? Are they REALLY that scared of being percieved to be copying UPA policies?
So then how exactly would the IAF attain its 42 SQN sanctioned strength,that the Parliament standing commitee on defence itself has said should be 45 by 2025? Right now the IAF's fighter SQN strength stands at around 28-30, by 2022/3 the IAF will be down to 24/5 or so , 72 Rafales and 100 FGFA are around 10 SQNs worth of fighters, the IAF will have stood down more than that by 2025. And then from 2027- another round of "stand downs" begin as the MiG-29UPGs, Mirage 2000-5 Mk.2s get to the end of their service lives.However although I am not a big supporter of anything more than 72 Rafale and 60-100 FGFA.
When fighters being phased out > fighters being inducted then your force levels will drop and considering the IAF is ALREADY operating well below its SQN strength what is your prescription bro?
A very very odd comment. It almost makes out that the MoD has a seperate requirement in line with MMRCA de-linked from the 36 Rafale deal and this is what I picked up from the CEO of Boeing's statement about making the F-18 in India. He said over the next few years the MoD was looking to select a new fighter to be made in India and it also ties in with that random bit of news (that seemed to disappear) about a "MMRCA 2.0" where the MoD had begun the process of issuing a new RFI for a reboot of the process to meet the orginal requirements.Dassault Aviation is also eyeing a ‘Make in India’ contract to produce 200 twin-engine combat aircraft for the Indian Air Force.
And then this article goes on to say, the point of the 36 was only to address the immediate requirements of the IAF (a point Modi made at the time in Paris) but fails to elaborate what gap these units would bridging and what the long term solution would be (ie more Rafale/MKI/LCA).
Obviously if all goes well with Dassualt this will be the Rafale but is the MoD trying to play games and dangle that carrot for others? Haven't heard anything from the EFT camp, you'd have thought they would be wetting their pants with excitment to re-enter the fray.
@Levina @Parul @PARIKRAMA @Taygibay @anant_s @Skull and Bones @MilSpec @AUSTERLITZ