UNDER AIR CHIEF ACM DHANOA IAF IN MOST VIBRANT PHASE
By
Colonel Awadhesh Kumar, Special Forces
It seems India has terminated the purchase by Make In India of a single-engine fighter aircraft. Is it really so? After a stringent selection process, IAF chose the French Rafael as its Medium Combat Aircraft and planned for six squadrons with a hope that another nine to twelve squadrons in this category will be added up by our own AMCA.
For variety of reasons Saint Antony and his Masters could never take the required decision and thus put the Country’s air defence in a dire situation. Then came a new team comprising Narendra Modi and Manohar Parikkar. They took a very wise decision in the existing geopolitical situation, keeping in mind our own financial position. Two squadrons of Rafael that is 36x aircrafts were outright purchased on the basis of direct govt to govt deal. The first of the lot should start arriving in 2019 and the last by 2021.
This has given the time to the French, if they want to continue and further multiply their business with us, to establish a manufacturing line in India through the offset Clause. Meanwhile to ward off the renewed approaches of Uncle Sam, desperate to foist on us their outdated F 16 and also to take care of vicious internal ramblings of our own naive politicians of all varieties to foist the out bidded European Fighter, IAF has once again issued a RFI for 108 single engine fighters.
Now these 100 odd aircrafts will be a Make in India purchase but through a broader competition. With this the Modi government hopes to avoid backlash at geo strategic, diplomatic and political level once a final fighter decision is reached. This calculated move ensures that the next decision on this project will have to be taken only towards last quarter of year 2019. By that time a new Government, hopefully again under Narendra Modi will be firmly in saddle. This time delay of nearly a year will generally not affect the time frame of arrival of these 100 odd fighters. IAF for now, has the task of finalizing a Request for Information for release to foreign manufacturers of both single- and double-engine multirole fighter platforms. Next the MoD have to reissue the old tender – based on platform specifications, operational requirements, desired transfer of technology, and other specifics to foreign OEMs.
Once the new Government is firmly in saddle then the Garba Dance will be as under:
• Immediate placement of orders for additional 108 Rafael fighters as Make in India. All should be available by 2030
• Firm orders for 240 x TEJAS MK2. All should be available by 2030.plus additional as per export orders received.
• Orders on USA Firm for Make in India of 720+ engines for 240 x Tejas Mk2.
• Firming up of dates for first flight of PV 1 of AMCA
• Selection and ordering of 360 engines by Make in India for 6x AMCA squadrons. Balance 6xsquadrons with Kaveri engines
• First Squadron of AMCA to join IAF by 2028 and then one every year
• Orders on HAL for another 54 sukhois ie 3xsquadrons. To join by 2024
• FGFA deal as replacement of Sukhoi MKI with at least 3x squadrons by 2030
• Firm date for PV1 of SHREYAS the next LCA
• Firm dates for PV 1 for our own HCA
• 6x specialized Hercules for SF roles from USA
• USA to be requested for up to 9x C17 from reserves
• Speeding up C295 entry as replacement of AN32s and Avros
• Speeding up indigenous AWACS, AWES and Re fuellers
The goal of having 45 squadron IAF was of the past. The new Mantra calls for 65 Squadron Fighters Force for comfortable management of a simultaneous two front War. Though doomsday darlings talk of an IAF down to 23 Squadron,their maths does not add up even after retirement of all MIG21 and MIG27. Left over Squadrons will be 15xSukhois + 3xMirage +3xMIG29+6xJaguars ie 27 squadron. To this will be added 2xRafaels+ 6xTejas Mk1A/ Mk1. By 2030 as per the Garba Plan another 12xTejas+ 6xRafael + 3xSukhoi + 3xFGFA + 3xAMCA that is another 27 squadron. Hence we will be looking at a grand total of 62 Squadrons and balance 03 by 2031.Then the next cycle of retirement and replacement will be well matched.
The MMRCA selection process was following its logical conclusion but then politics kicked in badly along with geostrategic considerations. Americans began pressurizing and wanted to foist their obsolete F-16. Loosing Competition against the Russian was acceptable to them but not the French. Then probably the French also became a bit too greedy and wanted some more moolah ( talking about inferior tech level of HAL by Dassault was simply crap ).
Currently our Raksha Mantri is on the job of cleaning the the tangled web in Defence Ministry weapons-buying procedures and outputs. The process that begins with the drafting of a Request for Proposals (RFP) to industry and concludes with final clearance by the Finance Ministry is being streamlined. So that costs for advanced defense technologies do not escalate and the available funding remains adequate and nothing is denied to the Armed Forces.
After a long wait now our own TEJAS will be entering the IAF squadron service in bulk and just like what ISRO has shaken up the commercial satellite market, so will HAL do to the fighter market. The journey which began with HF24 Marut will finally take off with hypersonic speed.
