India likely to issue global tender to acquire multirole fighter jets

New Delhi: As India prepares to issue a global tender to acquire new multirole fighter aircraft, Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh on Wednesday underscored the need for rapid capability enhancements to counter emerging security challenges in the evolving geo-strategic landscape.

The Air Force Chief was addressing student officers from the Indian Armed Forces undergoing the 80th staff course at the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington. He also provided a strategic perspective on the IAF, its ongoing capability development initiatives and the importance of unified operations in modern warfare.

The IAF chief's statement comes when a high-level committee headed by defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, in its report to defence minister Rajnath Singh last week, is said to have accepted the need for getting 114 multirole fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force to help it enhance its combat capabilities.

India is now expected to issue a global tender to acquire multirole fighter jets, which will be inducted in 4 to 5 years to boost IAF fighting capability. The new fighter jets, along with indigenous Tejas, will give the IAF strategic strength.

The Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) project is a continuation of an uncompleted acquisition of 126 jets that started in 2007 but was withdrawn in 2015 after Modi's government decided to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets from Dassault Aviation.

The Rafale, Gripen, Eurofighter Typhoon, MiG-35, F-16 and F-15 Strike Eagle, among others, are likely to be part of the global tender. The IAF is likely to hold limited trials for these fighter jets.

Recently, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington, US President Donald Trump recently offered its fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets to India. Russia too has offered their fifth-generation Su-57 to India and has offered to make the aircraft in India. It is to be seen whether the F-35 and the Su-57 will be part of the trials given the new reality in the neighbourhood with China having flown a prototype of a sixth-generation fighter aircraft.

The defence secretary-led Empowered Committee for Capability Enhancement of the Indian Air Force report is significant as its current strength has dropped to 30 squadrons, well below the sanctioned strength of 42 squadrons. Also, two squadrons of MiG-21 are set to be retired this year.

Moreover, existing 5 or 6 squadrons of Jaguars, three squadrons of Mirages and three squadrons of MiG-29s will also get number plated in the middle of the next decade. To make matters worse, India has been hit by delays in the delivery of the Tejas Mark-1A aircraft.

The Air Chief Marshal had earlier said that the force will need to induct 35-40 fighter jets every year to cater to existing gaps in fighter fleet strength and also to replace aircraft that will be phased out in the next couple of years.