India's Fighter Jet Dilemma: Does AMCA Signal the End of the MRFA?

The Indian government's recent green light for the ambitious Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program has sparked renewed debate about the long-delayed Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) tender.

This tender aims to procure 114 fighter jets from foreign manufacturers. Despite mounting pressure to abandon the MRFA in favor of indigenous production, sources close to the program suggest that scrapping the tender remains unlikely.

The MRFA: A Protracted Process​

The MRFA tender, designed to bolster India's dwindling fighter squadrons, has drawn interest from global aerospace giants. Each offers advanced aircraft to fulfill the Indian Air Force's (IAF) needs.

Yet, the tender's progress has been frustratingly slow. It remains stalled at the pre-Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) stage, leaving the IAF with a troubling shortage of fighter jets while domestic options like the AMCA and Tejas MkII remain under development.

The IAF strongly backs the MRFA's plan for 114 jets to be built in India with technology transfers. But the lack of a finalized deal signals a potentially lengthy journey to completion.

Alternative Paths: Government-to-Government Deals​

Amid this bureaucratic tangle, India's government isn't ruling out alternatives, specifically government-to-government (G2G) purchases.

This route could see India acquiring fighters directly from a favored manufacturer, like Dassault Aviation and its Rafale aircraft.

A G2G deal could significantly speed up procurement, providing the IAF with much-needed reinforcements.

AMCA: The Future vs. The Urgent Need​

The AMCA represents India's bold technological leap towards defence self-sufficiency. However, the IAF's urgent operational requirements must also be met. Calls to cancel the MRFA and focus entirely on domestic production ignore this immediate crisis.

A G2G deal needs careful analysis. India must balance cost, the fighter's capabilities compared to other MRFA contenders, and how it dovetails with India's long-term defence goals. The choice must prioritize combat effectiveness, dependable support, and affordability.

Conclusion​

The AMCA's approval highlights India's determination to build its own cutting-edge defence technology. Yet, the MRFA tender's uncertainty and the IAF's dwindling combat power create a complex dilemma.

The Indian government must navigate a delicate path, balancing future aspirations with the immediate necessity to bolster its air power. The final decision will have far-reaching implications for the IAF's capabilities and India's defence industry.

 

[Sudha]

MRFA will not be lacally fanufactered, it will be screw driving by importing all the parts

Re tard mk2 is not MWF

Price of 400 mk2 will be 70 million at best. Due to mass manufacturing can be lowered rl 60 million..

WOW! 400 mk2 will be 70 million @ best. You are saying real planes right & not models?

 

[Saptarshi Ray]

Forget about indigenous aircrafts, immediately place orders for of the shelf fighter jets which ever is available, must be 4+ generation, at least fill the requirements of 42 squadrons ASAP with indigenous as well as foreign jets. The Chinese have fired a fresh warning claiming Arunachal Pradesh as its own territories. They're going to come anytime, must be prepared to meet them head on. Meanwhile you all can debate MRFA, AMCA, TED.., AK1, AK2 and what not for decades.

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

Needs of MRFA:

• pvt. company must and shall arise as an alternative to HAL, MRFA is a way to get pvt. sector involved in such manufacturing.
  Sol.n: either gov. manages to arrange a pvt. sector to manufacture Tejas mk2 or Pvt Sector must take the lead..... Ooopppsss !!ye kya puch liya Maine!?
• to sustain effective no. of squadrons : It will take LCA mk2 2-3 years to become a mature platform, Rafales would be ready to fight platform.

In any case, MRFA is still a need.
AMCA mk1 is not the answer of MRFA. AMCA must be inducted in limited numbers. 7 sq. are more than enough.

LCA mk2 can replace MRFA if it is fast- tracked...Ooopppsss!! Yeh kya puch lia Maine

If MRFA _fails _to conclude before 2026, then it must and shall be cancelled, and pvt sector shall be heavily outsourced for part manufacturing of LCA mk2

If MRFA is given approval today it will take minimum 5 years for production line to setup in India and to start making aircraft. And the number of aircraft manufacturedd per year will be <10. If we invest that money to ramp up production of tejas mk 2 and improve development of TEDBF and AMCA, we can get much better research. The money saved is immense. Remember, out of any money spent on defence industry in India, 30-40% comes back to govt as tax revenue.

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

Do you seriously believe that HAL, an organization that has proven utterly incapable of producing more than 4-5 aircraft a year, can manufacture over 500 jets in 15 years? Even more so when some 300 or so are of types that still do not exist. You really need a reality check, don't you?

The problem with domestic defence industry until now has been that the govts have been hesitant to invest. But in past 5 years a lot of work has been done. HAL has adopted modern production methods and new factories and production lines have been set up. Same is the case with the shipbuilders.

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

What exactly is there to debate? Unless HAL can somehow magically start producing 40 or so aircraft a year, MRFA is needed to ensure the IAF doesn't fall below a critically low strength and doesn't have a MiG-21 saga part 2.

If we were to give approval to MRFA today (which is not happening, i believe 1 year is needed to go through all steps) time needded for domestic production line to setup and start manufacturing will be >5 years. If we spent the same amount of money on Tejas Mk2 and TEDBF, we can produce much greater number of aircraft and give orders for much more indigenous missiles radars etc. Otherwise all of that will be imported. And remember that any amount spent on orders for indigenous equipment, govt gets back 30-40 percent back as tax revenue.

 

[NSR]

No need for MRFA at all

No need if France/Dassault/Safran refuse to pick up a competent Indian company instead of about to go to jail Anil Ambani and build 90 Rafale F4s and 26 Rafale-Ms in India with a private company.

90 Rafales would cost almost $15 to 18 billions and it is not chump change to be succinct.

India will benefit if it invests that money in its own fighter programs.

 

[Ashutosh]

If MRFA is given approval today it will take minimum 5 years for production line to setup in India and to start making aircraft. And the number of aircraft manufacturedd per year will be <10. If we invest that money to ramp up production of tejas mk 2 and improve development of TEDBF and AMCA, we can get much better research. The money saved is immense. Remember, out of any money spent on defence industry in India, 30-40% comes back to govt as tax revenue.

MRFA is a ready to combat jet. Production rate would be atleast 10 /year. Can Ind afford to wait for an indigenous fighter to mature for 5 years ?

 

[Baka007]

So many latent bots suddenly active pitching for MRFA 😅
MRFA = more screw driving 🪛

 

[Sandeep]

India isn't going to spend over $20 billion on the MRFA at all even if some are made in India. We need to keep focusing on our own indigenous Tejas MK1A, MK2 and AMCA jets because until we start making our own jets we will always stay trapped in an endless cycle of expensive imports which includes its weapons imports for 30-40 years. This leaves us little money that we need to invest in our own indigenous jet program which will work out to be cheaper in the long term as any materials we use to develop them will be sourced indigenously and this benefits our own economy as well.

Currently we have a clear conventional military advantage against Pakistan and against China we have our nuclear weapons shield so at best all they can do is skirmish against our troops and we have a advantage in defending against them. We have moved a lot of our major weapons and equipment to the LAC so this will strengthen our forces further and we have increased the amount of infrastructure we are building from roads, bases, bunkers, communication and command centres and we are working with the ITBP by communicating any threats, concerns or aid required. So there is no major actionable threat that India faces that it can't handle as our forces defeated every Chinese attacks despite being surprised.

People need to realise that modern air forces don't need as many jets as they previously required as we have increased the number of multi role jets we have whereas previous fighters were developed for one task like being a ground attacker or air superiority fighter. Also India has been increasing the number of SAM defence systems we have which give a 24/7 defence capability over that area which a jet can't do so installing the S400, MR-SAM, Akash and future QRSAM and Akash NG.

 

[Instant Karma]

Rafales are to be produced in India under MRFA🤦.

U think u r smarter than decision makers of the world's strongest force!?

They are looking forward for F15 service till 2060.

USA does not have options as their stealth fighters planes have failed.

 

[Instant Karma]

What if AMCA is delayed further? It is difficult to trust Indian public sector.... Because of tarikh pe tarikh.

HAL has good track record.

 

[Frank]

WOW! 400 mk2 will be 70 million @ best. You are saying real planes right & not models?

Mass manufacturing re tard..

F35 is under 100 million...

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

MRFA is a ready to combat jet. Production rate would be atleast 10 /year. Can Ind afford to wait for an indigenous fighter to mature for 5 years ?

MRFA is a ready combat jet, but its factory in India does not exist. The supply chain for the factory does not exist. The lead times for stuff like fighter jet parts is 2-3 years. It means after you give order, it takes 3 years to create it and deliver. Setting up supply chain in India will take at least 5 years.

 

[Ashutosh]

USA does not have options as their stealth fighters planes have failed.

USA is the only country possessing 5 th gen planes. The only thing they are bad is operational cost...but still they stand at top.

 

[Ashutosh]

MRFA is a ready combat jet, but its factory in India does not exist. The supply chain for the factory does not exist. The lead times for stuff like fighter jet parts is 2-3 years. It means after you give order, it takes 3 years to create it and deliver. Setting up supply chain in India will take at least 5 years.

So are u sure LCA mk2 would be production ready !? Even if it would be, would be at it's max. potential!? In 5 years, u have a max. potential MRFA, so what's more favourable keeping China in mind!?

 

[ABHIJIT APSINGIKAR]

Ur indigenous LCA after 23 years of flight is not 65% indigenous while a Screwdriving product Su30mki will soon have almost 80% indigenised....what is more indigenous!?

Ur indigenous LCA is not even 60+ indigenous and then u have MRFA for whom it's a must to be atleast 50% indigenous 👏👏

Naam pe Jaa mat ...kaam pe jaa....
LCA AF mk2 was named MWF first but it was still lighter acc. to our IAF.

The world considers Gripen E as an MRFA, but for IAF it's an LCA...Gripen E ( not to be confused with Gripen C) and Tejas mk2 is of the same class. They are medium weight fighters .

Abe konsa Nasha kar liya!?
F15 ki unit cost 80 million hai , LCA mk1a ki unit cost 63 million hai aur tujhe 400 MWF 70 million me mil jayega!?

Abe nashedi, kya Sungh liya tine

Leave him be. Ignore him, for he is an immature imbecile who has absolutely no idea of industrial manufacturing and assembly line operations and knows only to complain and bemoan when someone points out his foolishness.

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

So are u sure LCA mk2 would be production ready !? Even if it would be, would be at it's max. potential!? In 5 years, u have a max. potential MRFA, so what's more favourable keeping China in mind!?

what I am saying is that by the time India rafale factory starts churning out rafale as less than 10 per year, if we invest the same amount of money on setting up LCA mk2 planes, we can get much more numbers per year by same time, after all they are much cheaper. And best of all we dont have to import expensive foreign missiles, radars etc for those 114 rafales. We can buy indigenous versions. MRFA is going to cost over 10 billion dollars. Imagine if that much money is invested in Indian factories, Indian radars and Indian missiles.

Increasing scale of production is just numbers game. You spend more money to set up more factories and larger production line. Whether you do that for rafale or Tejas mk2 or tedbf or amca, is upto you.

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

if you assume HAL can manufacture 9 Tejas Mk 2s a year by 2035-36 (again, overly optimistic)

you are assuming that HAL will not ramp up fighter jet production till 2035? I believe that by that time India will be producing over 20 jets a year.

 

[Ashutosh]

what I am saying is that by the time India rafale factory starts churning out rafale as less than 10 per year, if we invest the same amount of money on setting up LCA mk2 planes, we can get much more numbers per year by same time, after all they are much cheaper. And best of all we dont have to import expensive foreign missiles, radars etc for those 114 rafales. We can buy indigenous versions. MRFA is going to cost over 10 billion dollars. Imagine if that much money is invested in Indian factories, Indian radars and Indian missiles.

Increasing scale of production is just numbers game. You spend more money to set up more factories and larger production line. Whether you do that for rafale or Tejas mk2 or tedbf or amca, is upto you.

I think u forgot that MRFA would be atleast 50% indigenous, that means it will also give us the knowledge how especially for the pvt. sector. Again, how are u getting this idea of >10 rollouts/ year!?
Important points following on:
What's more important is these things:

• Don't lose the capability against China and get in more miserable state.
• Get an alternative of HAL
• Increasing Pvt. Sector participation.

Idea of supporting indigenous program at the expense of compromising security, worst idea.

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

Bharat should go for 36/54 Rafales through G to G deal and scrap MRFA. With sanction of Tejas Mark-2 and AMCA, MRFA is almost dead for good .

the order for Rafale Marine as a G2G is enough. No need for more rafales after that. We should invest MRFA money in local production of tejas Mk1A, Mk 2, TEDBF, AMCA. Imagine what 10 billion dollar investment will do for Indian aviation and missile ecosystem. If you buy so many expensive rafales, you will have to buy lot of expensive french and british missiles, radar, etc as well because they will not integrate indian systems.