India fast tracks Rafale purchase
Neelam Mathews April 14, 2015 India’s new government has put its sluggish defense procurement on track by ordering two squadrons for 36 Dassault Rafales. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the order during his recent visit to France. The buy includes life cycle support and 50% offsets. The 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) has been lying in cold storage over the liability clause on the Rafales produced by Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) that Dassault was to be held responsible for. By buying the aircraft in flyaway condition, this will no longer be an issue. For the fighter squadron-starved Indian Air Force (IAF) looking to replace its obsolete MiG-21s and MiG-27s, the announcement has come as a lifeline. While official figures state the squadron strength at 34, Shephard has learnt it is less than 28. The original contract for the 126 included 18 in flyway condition and the rest were to be produced in India under transfer of product...