India Looks for Alternative to France’s Rafale Fighter Jet

[Rahil khan]

Someone should have told the IAF about Budget constraints from the start

F/A18 super hornet was the second best Aircraft in terms of Strike missions and would have cost 40% less than what the Rafale is costing us

What about Typhoons ? If i can recall, only Typhoon was shortlisted along with Rafale after complete evaluations of MMRCA deal...!

 

[Archie]

What about Typhoons ? If i can recall, only Typhoon was shortlisted along with Rafale after complete evaluations of MMRCA deal...!

That's becoz MOD failed to mention budget constraints to IAF
Had they mentioned the budget limits then the Rafale and F/A18 would have been shortlisted and F/A18 would have been declared the eventual winner

 

[xyxmt]

15 sal se Rafael Rafael kerti main appey Rafael hoey

 

[Nilgiri]

I hate to say it guys, but we should have just went with Mig -35 probably since we already operate Mig-29 UPG.

Would have saved money, time and all this stupid unending negotiating....and we would have a platform that does the job (A2G delivery with solid evasion/low flying design + swing role capability for A2A when needed).

We are used to dealing with the Russians for large induction aircraft and we could have got a good local manufacture deal + weapons package + probably full engine materials tech + full supply chain setting up for rotatables/spares/servicing for Mig 29/35 + Zhuk AESA.

The money and time saved should have gone to pushing the Tejas early induction effort. FGFA and AMCA would also have received major fillips probably and everything would have become more streamlined, coordinated and with clear objectives.

UPA for some reason let IAF go into some stupid money is no object competition when some stringent pragmatic considerations should have been taken into account especially when the Economy started to slow down seriously.

I love the Rafale, dont get me wrong.....but we are not a serious middle income nation yet even to dilly dally with expensive margins and hoping the French will somehow offer both cutthroat prices and massive liability terms.

Countries like France and Germany and others in Euro Zone are good for providing particular technologies and cooperation where needed and strategic....mass defence system imports we must be wary of cost escalation given the stage Indian industry is in and the premiums such countries want due to the recession and post-recession period. Modi seems to understand this somewhat with Make in India, though we will have to wait and see how it materialises.

Just my 2 cents.

I still am holding hope that Modi and team will resolve this somehow. It will be a grand failure if we get 36 Rafales only. I would prefer 0 at that point.

 

[Lonely Hermit]

Didn't India chose Rafale over EF because of price?

Both EF and Rafale will bankrupt the Indian exchequer, it would be better if IAF goes for Air force version of mig 29k.

 

[Bang Galore]

Didn't India chose Rafale over EF because of price?

Originally but they then found that what was being asked made it questionable whether it was the lowest bidder. Among the reasons why the original deal was cancelled & the government sought a government to government deal.

 

[Omega007]

A fleet of following should be there by 2025.
Rafales 126
MKIs 280
Su35s 120
PAKFA 80
MIG29UPG 69
MK2 150
MK3 75
M2000 50

Why Su 35 when the IAF will be inducting the Super MKIs in may be half a decade,which will have superior capabilities than that of the Su 35s??

 

[dray]

Didn't India chose Rafale over EF because of price?

Yes, but then the French wanted to push some new additional features with new price tag, essentially killing the original tender, and also dragged their feet on ToT in spite of that being a primary condition of the original tender, the price includes the price of ToT.

 

[shree835]

If this statement is true then i guess iaf is trying to play Its cards right ..the way I see It ...modi government is in no mood to bring in more rafales due to high cost instead they are insisting on buying tejas ...on the other hand iaf kept on insisting for rafales but in the mean time they have sensed paf's interest in su35s (although even its just a 10% probability of paf getting it or even everything is based upon rumors) now they are saying OK you don't want to let us buy rafales ...buy us some similar capability aircarfts ...that is where mig35 or su35 option comes in ....because other than these iaf has already tested almost all the aircraft's in that category out there ...they won't be turning back to eft because again same cost factor....so here is a great chance that iaf can get their hands on to mig35 or su35 thus eliminating even the minorest of probability that paf might get the latter ....if true it would be a great strategic move on part of iaf and paf once again will have to live with f16s

Su-35S(Stealth) is coming to India that is the fact ...you will start getting news from 2016... But In the same time India should go for MiG35 and develop them as SU30MKI... combo of SU30MKI and MiG35 will be lethal....In the same time we will get Technology that will help us to develop our own aviation industry.

India can never buy anything without bargaining.

This is very common with us...even I do bargain like anything and always asking for discounts as BESHARAM. ..

Someone should have told the IAF about Budget constraints from the start

F/A18 super hornet was the second best Aircraft in terms of Strike missions and would have cost 40% less than what the Rafale is costing us

Very true...But it comes with String and terms and condition...That was the major reason for not to go with F/A 18 Super Hornet.

What about Typhoons ? If i can recall, only Typhoon was shortlisted along with Rafale after complete evaluations of MMRCA deal...!

Here Issue always we have to deal with 4 country.

 

[GR!FF!N]

Didn't India chose Rafale over EF because of price?

Chosen due to Life Cycle cost.

 

[fatman17]

India will consider alternatives to France’s Rafale combat aircraft, the head of the country’s air force said on Thursday.

Arul Raha voiced hope that the contract for the supply of 36 fighters will be signed by the end of 2015, but added that this amount was not enough and that the country should consider other options.


“The Indian Air Force needs at least 108 fighters to serve the basis for six full squadrons. It can be Rafale or any other plane with similar characteristics,” Raha said.

He stressed that the Air Force did not insist on the acquisition of the Rafale planes.

“After the multi-billion dollar tender for the supply of 126 medium-range multirole combat aircraft was scrapped, we hoped to get new offers, which can also be implemented with the participation of the domestic aviation industry as part of the ‘Made in India’” program, he added.

In mid-February it became known that India had refused to buy the 126 Rafale planes after the final price exceeded by almost half the initial price tag of $10 billion.

MMRCA — one of the world’s biggest tenders for the supply of military aircraft – had in mind the purchase of 126 Rafale aircraft for the Indian Air Force. France’s Dessault Company won the tender in in January 2012.

why India was so gung-ho about the Rafale.

 

[black-hawk_101]

India will consider alternatives to France’s Rafale combat aircraft, the head of the country’s air force said on Thursday.

Arul Raha voiced hope that the contract for the supply of 36 fighters will be signed by the end of 2015, but added that this amount was not enough and that the country should consider other options.


“The Indian Air Force needs at least 108 fighters to serve the basis for six full squadrons. It can be Rafale or any other plane with similar characteristics,” Raha said.

He stressed that the Air Force did not insist on the acquisition of the Rafale planes.

“After the multi-billion dollar tender for the supply of 126 medium-range multirole combat aircraft was scrapped, we hoped to get new offers, which can also be implemented with the participation of the domestic aviation industry as part of the ‘Made in India’” program, he added.

In mid-February it became known that India had refused to buy the 126 Rafale planes after the final price exceeded by almost half the initial price tag of $10 billion.

MMRCA — one of the world’s biggest tenders for the supply of military aircraft – had in mind the purchase of 126 Rafale aircraft for the Indian Air Force. France’s Dessault Company won the tender in in January 2012.

I think 60 Rafael and 60 EF-2000

 

[Great Sachin]

add 60 SU 35

 

[samlove]

why India was so gung-ho about the Rafale.

actually it was dassault who started all this ,first they said no to partner with HAL for production , then they started stalling about TOT, then price increase , as it was all mentioned in RFI before but they wanted concession on every thing so tht why , also modi ordered 36 to give some relief to dassault but they are getting stuburn as got order from other countries ,also as there is also some offset clause for direct purchase which also dassault have problem ,as they want more aircraft to be ordered to complete offset clause also so to me i dont think we will be getting more rafale for now also the price of rafale is more than pakfa so its better to get tht , but for pakfa ,it all depend on russia for now as we will see in december as modi visiting russia.

I think 60 Rafael and 60 EF-2000

i dont think they will order more rafale as money will saved for pakfa as price is same , which will depend on modi dec visit ,so lets see

 

[GURU DUTT]

India will consider alternatives to France’s Rafale combat aircraft, the head of the country’s air force said on Thursday.

Arul Raha voiced hope that the contract for the supply of 36 fighters will be signed by the end of 2015, but added that this amount was not enough and that the country should consider other options.


“The Indian Air Force needs at least 108 fighters to serve the basis for six full squadrons. It can be Rafale or any other plane with similar characteristics,” Raha said.

He stressed that the Air Force did not insist on the acquisition of the Rafale planes.

“After the multi-billion dollar tender for the supply of 126 medium-range multirole combat aircraft was scrapped, we hoped to get new offers, which can also be implemented with the participation of the domestic aviation industry as part of the ‘Made in India’” program, he added.

In mid-February it became known that India had refused to buy the 126 Rafale planes after the final price exceeded by almost half the initial price tag of $10 billion.

MMRCA — one of the world’s biggest tenders for the supply of military aircraft – had in mind the purchase of 126 Rafale aircraft for the Indian Air Force. France’s Dessault Company won the tender in in January 2012.

does that means IAF and MOD at last have decided to buy 108 Su-35S instead of rafales