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The IAF has not decided anything. It is the government that makes the decisions.
Nope.
The government may change after next election.
Not relevant. IAF creates ASR. And they are the ones who shortlist after tech evaluations. And then bureaucrats pick L1. So the politicians are not involved in the process at all. All they can do is sign in the beginning to initiate a program and then sign in the end to conclude it.
You appear to live in a fantasy world where you think there is some rational thinking in India, instead of the whim of the day. Basically IAF and the government are running around like headless chickens and have been doing so for the last ten years.
That would mean the last thing that would be picked would be Gripen E, because if the govt decides, they will make a political decision, which will favour the US or Russia. Also, the govt will naturally support a domestic program like LCA Mk2 since the people working on it are voters.
IAF made the decision to go for Mk2 instead of importing Gripen/F-16.
https://www.drdo.gov.in/drdo/pub/npc/2018/march/din-15march2018.pdf
In submissions made to the committee, Secretary, Defence Research and Development and Chairman, DRDO, S. Christopher mentioned a request of INR 800 crore for work on the LCA Mk2, also, saying the Indian Air Force (IAF) had committed itself to 201 LCA Mk2, in addition to the 123 LCA Mk1/1A or order or being contemplated at the moment.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence cited his remarks in a report released on Tuesday, in which he was quoted as saying, “We have LCA Programme which is coming under grants-in-aid which requires funding. As of now, we have got the orders for about 123 aircraft and also Air Force is committed to take another 201 aircraft which means, Mark-II to be designed and developed, we are in the half way through. There are some expenditures involved. We request another Rs.800 Crore under grants-in-aid. If it could be provided we will be happy.”
Just recently, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said that she would not be “ditching” the Tejas project, as it is entirely home-grown.
So the decision to pick Mk2 over Gripen/F-16 was taken long ago, which is why the tender was opened to twin engine jets. The IAF is not going to waste its time with another single engine jet.