IAF Insists on Indian Weapons for MRFA, Places Onus on OEMs

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has signaled a major shift in its acquisition strategy for the long-awaited Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) tender.

Deputy Chief Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit has categorically stated that the successful bidder for the 114 fighter jet contract must give utmost importance to the integration of Indian weapons.

Enhancing Domestic Capabilities​

This move highlights the IAF's desire to boost self-reliance in the defense sector. By ensuring that the selected fighter jets are compatible with Indian-made weapons, the IAF aims to reduce its dependence on foreign suppliers and strengthen its domestic armament industry.

The IAF has held extensive discussions with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) competing for the MRFA tender, underlining this critical requirement.

No Restrictions on Weapon Choice​

Sources close to the program indicate that the IAF has been firm on the point that OEMs cannot dictate weapon choices for the procured fighter jets. This insistence on unrestricted weapon selection is crucial for India's strategic flexibility and allows it to tap into its growing defense manufacturing sector.

Source Code Access and Financial Responsibility​

Importantly, the IAF has also stated that if OEMs hesitate to share necessary source codes, the financial cost of integrating Indian weapons will not be borne by India.

This places the responsibility squarely on the bidding companies to collaborate and demonstrate the necessary transparency for seamless integration.

A Factor in the Upcoming RFP​

The Request for Proposal (RFP) to international OEMs is expected to be issued soon, and the IAF's emphasis on domestic weapons integration will undoubtedly be a decisive factor in the tender.

OEMs that exhibit a commitment to collaborate and integrate Indian weaponry will likely hold a significant competitive edge.

Implications and Considerations​

The IAF's strong stance on weapons integration aligns with the Indian government's 'Make in India' initiative, promoting self-sufficiency in defense production.

However, the demand for source code access could prove a point of contention with some OEMs, potentially impacting technology transfer agreements.

The final outcome of the MRFA tender will not only shape the IAF's future capabilities but also shed light on the evolving dynamics between India and global defense manufacturers.

 

[Anant]

HAL production capacity will increase from 24 to 32 once agreement with GE for local production of GE F404 starts in India , This will conclude all Mk1A to be delivered by 2032. ( possibility )

The HAL production facilities will be upgraded by the MOD in years to come to ramp up the production of Mk1A .

MRFA should be put on hold there is no need for RFI , stretch it considering progress rate in TEDBF , so that Airforce can order for Airforce variant of TEDBF ( it will be advanced than Rafale F4 as it will incorporate technology from AMCA ) , order 36 Rafale F4 for stopgap measure in 2025..

Not happening. Firstly, there are no plans for local production of the F404. Secondly, even if GE could supply 100 F404s a year, there are a lot of suppliers who can only provide so many components.

Best case scenario for all 18 Mk 1As to be delivered is 2035-36, though a more likely estimate might be 2038-40.

Oh, and the IAF has rejected the ORCA proposal, preferring to focus on the Tejas Mk 1A, Tejas Mk 2, and AMCA programs. MRFA is a necessity not from the technology perspective but from the perspective of maintaining squadron numbers.

 

[Ashutosh]

Again, wrong facts. Last year Dassault made 13 jets. This year, by March, they had already gone up to 2 per month as per their CEO. The guidance for this year is to reach 3 per year. That’s 36 per year. And the CEO has said that they can easily jump to 4 per month or 48 per year.

As for mk2, it’s not coming before 2040 at least. So no point talking about it.

C'mon man don't tell me u actually believe 36 Rafales per year.......no matter how much naive u are. At this rate, even China and US would be scared of DASSAULT AVIATION.

Secondly, I don't what the h*ck makes u think Tejas mk2 would be inducted by 2040. People here are saying it's first flight would be done by 2025 -26 at any rate it would be inducted by 2032.....much faster than ur Rafale.

 

[PARTHAJIT JANA]

Again, wrong facts. Last year Dassault made 13 jets. This year, by March, they had already gone up to 2 per month as per their CEO. The guidance for this year is to reach 3 per year. That’s 36 per year. And the CEO has said that they can easily jump to 4 per month or 48 per year.

As for mk2, it’s not coming before 2040 at least. So no point talking about it.

Mk2 would be flying next year end or early 2025. Ada chief said that

 

[Akshat]

Till today, MRFA has not crossed even RFI stage . The tortoise speed with which government is moving, it can go well beyond 5 years to sign a contract. It is still under debate whether IAF should go for a limited 2-3 squadrons,or full compliment of 108 fighters. Selection of fighters - Rafales or a new type of fighters - is still far away.If the contract is made with Dassault, the company is pre occupied with many existing orders . Establishment of a new assembly line in India appears to be far fetched. I have predicted 8 years for first delivery of MRFA in best case scenario . It may go well beyond this . Tejas Mark-2 prototype is scheduled to fly in two years. Induction of these fighters in early 2030 s is highly likely as most of the technologies expected to go into Tejas Mark-2 are available. First iteration of AMCA will arrive within a decade. India can choose to integrate more advanced sensors ,fusion and other technologies in next iteration of AMCA Mark-2.

Tejas took 19 years for first flight. And then 17 for FOC. Mk2 is taking at least 21, assuming flight happens in 2026 with no more delays. So induction before 2040 is simply impossible.

As for MEFA, delivery is possible within 3 years after orders are placed (assuming Rafale wins) and Made in India planes within 5 years.

 

[Akshat]

Mk2 would be flying next year end or early 2025. Ada chief said that

HAL chief also said it will fly in 2022. So their word means nothing.

And even if it does fly in 2026, that’s still nothing. It would have been 21 years in making compared to 19 for Tejas. So it is not getting inducted before 2040 under any circumstances.

 

[Akshat]

C'mon man don't tell me u actually believe 36 Rafales per year.......no matter how much naive u are. At this rate, even China and US would be scared of DASSAULT AVIATION.

Secondly, I don't what the h*ck makes u think Tejas mk2 would be inducted by 2040. People here are saying it's first flight would be done by 2025 -26 at any rate it would be inducted by 2032.....much faster than ur Rafale.

What do you mean come on? They are already at 24. Your ability to refuse official facts and bring up non sense imagination really astonishes me.

Please don’t put your words in my mouth. I never said it will be inducted by 2040. I said it won’t get inducted at least till 2040. History doesn’t lie. As for Rafale, it can be inducted within 36 months after placing the order. And not my Rafale. IAF and IN’s first choice and the cheapest plane capable of fulfilling their needs. Official data.

 

[Ashutosh]

What do you mean come on? They are already at 24. Your ability to refuse official facts and bring up non sense imagination really astonishes me.

Please don’t put your words in my mouth. I never said it will be inducted by 2040. I said it won’t get inducted at least till 2040. History doesn’t lie. As for Rafale, it can be inducted within 36 months after placing the order. And not my Rafale. IAF and IN’s first choice and the cheapest plane capable of fulfilling their needs. Official data.

What official data !?
Just a year before Dassault was 2 plane less then their actual capacity of 15/ year and now u r saying that they had already made 24 aircrafts
........not just that, there has been no info released about the delivery of the aircrafts atleast from the last 3 months.

Amd history doesn't lie..... problem is where the h*ll is the history in the first place!?

one LCA project and that is history!? Wow!! 4 decades - and that's what u call history!?
Pls stop judging atleast from the LCA project anything but that.

 

[Akshat]

What official data !?
Just a year before Dassault was 2 plane less then their actual capacity of 15/ year and now u r saying that they had already made 24 aircrafts
........not just that, there has been no info released about the delivery of the aircrafts atleast from the last 3 months.

Amd history doesn't lie..... problem is where the h*ll is the history in the first place!?

one LCA project and that is history!? Wow!! 4 decades - and that's what u call history!?
Pls stop judging atleast from the LCA project anything but that.

Read my comments. As I said, don’t put words in my mouth. A year back they were 1 per month. Now they are 2 per month as of March. This has been confirmed by their own CEO in earnings call who, unlike our HAL chief, hasn’t been proven a liar so far. Even at 13, they had a 90% utilization rate which is way higher than our HAL’s 25% and is well within industrial acceptance levels.

Why not judge from LCA history? LCA mk2 is following nearly the same trajectory. So there is no reason to believe that induction time can be cut shorter in any manner at all. There is history and it is repeating in mk2. There is a pattern.

 

[GMR]

It's like shopping for baby clothes even if the future bride & groom are studying in kindergarten..

 

[Frank]

Order 300 mk2 and say bye bye to MRFA phoren maal...

I know many chandigarh lobhy will get angry

 

[Ashutosh]

Read my comments. As I said, don’t put words in my mouth. A year back they were 1 per month. Now they are 2 per month as of March. This has been confirmed by their own CEO in earnings call who, unlike our HAL chief, hasn’t been proven a liar so far. Even at 13, they had a 90% utilization rate which is way higher than our HAL’s 25% and is well within industrial acceptance levels.

Why not judge from LCA history? LCA mk2 is following nearly the same trajectory. So there is no reason to believe that induction time can be cut shorter in any manner at all. There is history and it is repeating in mk2. There is a pattern.

First of all I haven't heard of anything about 2 Rafales per month..... kindly provide link .... secondly, just as I said no need to pull out conclusions........ Dassault have been making jets from ages while LCA was our first project.....there isn't even a comparison.
LCA mk2 can easily join service in 6 -8 years . While Dassault still won't have completed their backlog.

 

[Avada kedavra]

Yss and that is again going to delay this tender for another 10 to 15 years.
IAF leadership no different than corrupt inefficient govt employees.

 

[Puneet]

MRFA should be finalized this year so that even if HAL delays the Tejas and AMCA, national security will not be impacted and squadron strength will be maintained. It will give breathing time to the indigenous effort.

 

[Akshat]

First of all I haven't heard of anything about 2 Rafales per month..... kindly provide link .... secondly, just as I said no need to pull out conclusions........ Dassault have been making jets from ages while LCA was our first project.....there isn't even a comparison.
LCA mk2 can easily join service in 6 -8 years . While Dassault still won't have completed their backlog.

So you haven’t heard about it and it is their fault? Go and search about his year and earnings call.

And no way. No mk2 till at least 2040 (assuming HaL and ADA are in charge). By then Dassault would be flying 6th gen jets and would have finished all backlog and even Indian orders.

 

[sanket]

Not quite! France being a part of NATO uses a NATO compliant STANAG 4626 standard for avionics architecture. As such, its compatible to be outfitted with just about any allied weapon system that confirms to the standard. Essentially Rafale in French service can be outfitted to carry older AGM-88 HARM or ALARM. More recently with Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile Extended Range (AARGM-ER) entering production, they can carry them as well.

AGM-88 or ALARM is Not an French Missile , Eurofighter was Runner-up but it was Multinational Fighter jet may b Reason while Rafale is Single Nation ,what u mention is US Missile.

 

[BILLY GILL]

Order 300 mk2 and say bye bye to MRFA phoren maal...

I know many chandigarh lobhy will get angry

Indian armed forces are competent and know what they require. Don't worry, no lobby chandigarh or chanderi matters. Don't worry Mk2 will also be brought, let it first fly. Have patience

 

[Pink Panther]

selling platform for One Time But Milking the Money throught the Life span of Fighter jet.Real profit lies in selling weapons for entire Life span of Fighter jet .Rafale Lacks Ant-radiation Missile Rudram is perfect weapon to b integrate on it .Not only Indigenous ,Brahmos-NG is Indo-Russian . it too can b Integrated on MRFA winner .But Third party weapon Integration too in WVR Pyton -5 which is deadliest it should also b integrated . One of most Terrible upgrade was Mirage-2000 Today it is falling behind the Time . it Lack even 80 kM plus BVR Missile .Lack of AESA Radar too.

Why mention only Rafale, MRFA winner will be decided based on any OEM that allows integration of Indian Missiles and offer help on AMCA and mainly immediate availability of jet, Rafale has extensive Backlog, it will take take 10-15 years to get the first Rafale even if we order next month after the election, also this company you mentioned didn’t even allow integration of AESA or their own Missile Meteor in their own product Mirage.

 

[Ashutosh]

So you haven’t heard about it and it is their fault? Go and search about his year and earnings call.

And no way. No mk2 till at least 2040 (assuming HaL and ADA are in charge). By then Dassault would be flying 6th gen jets and would have finished all backlog and even Indian orders.

No thats why I asked you about the link right!? Pls give the link.

Well it's ok .....u can keep going on with ur mindset and theory

 

[Pink Panther]

It’s a live tender. And with the massive delay in Tejas mk2 due to ineptitude of ADA and HAL, it becomes all the more urgent,

Dassault won’t allow integration of Indian missiles or offer access to Source code, also waiting for another 15 or more years to get the first Rafale won’t be practical for India due to extensive Backlog, we will be inducting Tejas MK2 and even AMCA before even we get our first Rafale, so MRFA doesn’t make any sense at all unless we buy some foreign aircraft that is available in 3-5 years, it is best cancelling MRFA.

 

[ABHIJIT APSINGIKAR]

AGM-88 or ALARM is Not an French Missile , Eurofighter was Runner-up but it was Multinational Fighter jet may b Reason while Rafale is Single Nation ,what u mention is US Missile.

That's the thing. They don't need to be French. They just need to conform with allied NATO standard and it will work on plug and play basis. AGM-88 and AARGM-ER are both US, but ALARM missile is produced by MBDA, which is a European multinational consortium with significant French involvement. Anyway since 2007 MBDA has partnered with us on AARGM program.

LFK / MBDA and ATK sign advanced anti-radiation guided missile programme MOU | Press Release | MBDA

MBDA Deutschland and Alliant Techsystems have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the German Ministry of Defense on the AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile.

www.mbda-systems.com