Rafale one of options, it will be easy to absorb: IAF Chief on MRFA programme

Rafale fighter jets are among the options that the Indian Air Force is looking at to bolster its air power, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh said on Friday.

His comments at a press conference came as the government is eyeing to finalise the broad contours of a mega procurement programme to induct 114 multi-role fighter aircraft.

In April 2019, the IAF issued an RFI (Request for Information), or initial tender, to acquire 114 Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) at a cost of around USD 18 billion.

It was billed as one of the world's biggest military procurement programmes in recent years.

Rafale manufacturer Dassault Aviation is learnt to be a front-runner for the multi-role fighter aircraft contract.

The other contenders include Lockheed Martin's F-21, Boeing's F/A-18 and the Eurofighter Typhoon.

The move to procure the jets has come at a time when the number of the Indian Air Force's fighter squadrons have gone down to 31 from officially sanctioned strength of 42.

Over 12 years back, the defence ministry had completed ground work for procurement of a fleet of Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA).

However, the project didn't go through.

''This is one of the options that is available with us because we had already done our own homework in terms of the earlier MMRCA contract. In that we have found Rafale to be the best aircraft suited for us amongst those candidates,'' the Air Chief Marshal said.

''Now, whether it is Rafale or something else, it really doesn't matter, but yes, Rafale is easy to absorb,'' he said.

''So whichever design house is ready to come up with the proposal to Make in India, to give us technology, give us more freedom, I think that design house should be chosen,'' he added.

The Chief of Air Staff was responding to a question on whether the IAF was looking at procuring Rafale jets.

To a question on whether Russia's SU-57 jet is also being considered for the MRFA programme, the IAF Chief did not give a direct reply.

''As far as SU-57 is concerned, I just want to say that we have to weigh all the options, and we in the defence ministry and in the Indian Air Force have a very set process of induction of any system, and that process will be followed,'' he said.

Sukhoi Su-57 is a stealth multirole fighter aircraft developed by Russia.

Asked about the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme, the Air Chief Marshal said it is expected to fly in 2028.

India has been working on the ambitious AMCA project to develop the medium weight deep penetration fighter jet with advanced stealth features to bolster its air power capability.

''As I understand, it is going to fly in this decade, in 2028, somewhere that is the first flight planned and by 2035, it is supposed to be inducted and operationalised in the Indian Air Force as of now,'' he said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)