Aerospace Diary

by  Neelam Mathews  -  September 12, 2018, 2:58 PM The AMCA stealthy fifth-generation fighter project aims to provide a replacement for India's Sukhoi SU-30MKI fighters, one of which is seen here with an Australian F/A-18 Hornet. (photo: Royal Australian Air Force) With the number of the Indian Air Force’s fighter squadrons expected to decrease quickly from the present 31 as the current fleet ages, there has been a decisive endeavor to accelerate the recapitalization of the fighter fleet. The majority of the new fighters are to bear the “Make in India” label. By 2032, the Indian Air Force plans to have at least 18 squadrons of Indian-made fighters, said the Deputy Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal R. Nambiar, at a conference held in Delhi this month. Nambiar said that the squadrons of the indigenously built fleet would include the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk1, Mk1A, and Mk2 that, in 10 years, “would be the mainstay of our inventory.” LCA variants would r...

by  Neelam Mathews  - July 31, 2018, 11:52 AM As India’s general elections draw closer this year, the  deal signed in 2016  for 36 Dassault Rafales is getting attention in parliament as opposition political parties brawl over the contract they label as a “scam and graft,” while promising to make it an election issue against the present Narendra Modi government. Charges leveled against the government-to-government deal include lack of transparency on details and a cost that is claimed to be much higher than that negotiated in early 2012. That year, the Rafale emerged as the winner for the Indian Air Force’s 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft program. Negotiations by congress were not taken further due to unresolved issues on the transfer of technology and offsets between Dassault and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. The flyaway costs of the aircraft being supplied by Dassault Aviation now are less than those negotiated six years ago but, “the Mete...

by  Chris Pocock  and Neelam Mathews  - April 15, 2015, 4:45 PM This model of the Rafale in Indian Air Force markings was displayed at the last Aero-India show. (Photo: Neelam Mathews) The new Indian government’s decision ‘in principle’ to  buy 36 Rafale combat aircraft  direct from the Dassault production line in France, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 10, appears to spell the end of the medium multi-role combat aircraft ( MMRCA ) acquisition process. Speaking on Indian television two days later, defense minister Manohar Parrikar acknowledged that the protracted delay in closing the  MMRCA  deal, caused largely by difficulty in agreeing terms and conditions for licensed production of the Rafale in India, had not served India well. Under the  MMRCA  plan, the Indian Air Force ( IAF ) would have received its first squadron of 18 Rafales from France, 12 single- and six twin-seaters. A further 108 woul...

Neelam Mathews April 16, 2015 Following India’s delayed decision on the Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA), a process initiated in 2000, the announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the first day of his trip to France on Apr 13, for an ‘in principle’ clearance for the outright purchase of 36 Rafales in flyaway condition, is being seen as a game changer in the way defense procurement will now be done in India. The buy includes life cycle support and 50% offsets, AerospaceDiary learns While India is expected to exercise its option clause for 18 Rafales in future for outright buys that will take its Rafale squadrons to three, in a recent interview by IBN7 with Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar clearly indicated a desire to produce a single-engine fighter on Make in India basis. According to Parrikar the original deal for 126 is valued at approximately $14.50 billion, which leaves a large amount of money to consider the single-engine fighter. We are guessing it wi...

Posted by:  Neelam Mathews Jan 8, 2012   Even as India is believed to have given a June deadline to Dassault to present its offset plans, LaTribune reports Brazil, yet to decide on its MMRCA, has said Rafale’s maintenance costs are higher compared to its competitors, the Gripen (Saab) and F-18 (Boeing). “This does not mean that the Rafale is out of play,” it notes. (French to English translation of the article in Google of the Tribune  isn’t the world’s best! Apologies) But, here goes- some major points: There are many supporters of the Rafale that say:. "This is the most technologically advanced aircraft……We have many things to learn from cooperation with Dassault Aviation…..But the French offer must be better explained or otherwise improved," said an official to the Tribune. “As for the F/A-18 Hornet (Boeing), another rival for the Rafale, it benefits from euro / dollar rate to be competitive with the French aircraft,” quotes the paper. Like...

AIN DEFENSE PERSPECTIVE  »  DECEMBER 14, 2012 by    NEELAM MATHEWS Negotiations for the sale of 126 Rafale combat aircraft to India have run into obstacles related to offsets and the role of Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL). (Photo: Dassault Aviation) December 14, 2012, 12:40 PM More than 10 months after India chose the French Rafale  to meet its $15 billion medium multi-role combat aircraft ( MMRCA ) requirement , contract negotiations are mired in issues related to offsets, the transfer of technology and the role of Hindustan Aeronautics ( HAL ). The Press Trust of India quoted industry sources as saying that Dassault has requested from the Indian Ministry of Defence the freedom to decide the proportion of work to be done by  HAL , versus private Indian companies. Last February, Dassault signed an MoU with Reliance Industry, India’s largest private-sector company, for collaboration in manufacturing. At a French pa...

Posted by- Neelam Mathews Here's a press release from Dassault  to confirm the selection- Rafale selected to equip the Indian Air Force Saint-Cloud (France), January 31, 2012 - Following the announcement of the final selection of the Rafale in the frame of the MMRCA program, Dassault Aviation and its partners are honored and grateful to the Indian Government and the people of India to be given the opportunity to extend their long-lasting cooperation. Dassault Aviation and its partners reiterate their commitment to meet the operational requirements of the Indian Air Force and underline their pride in contributing to India’s defence for over half a century.