IAF May Propose Limiting MRFA Tender to Pre-Qualified OEMs to Expedite Procurement of 110 Advanced Fighter Jets

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is reportedly planning to recommend a significant change to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) regarding the Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) tender.

This proposed change involves streamlining the Request for Proposal (RFP) by limiting it to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) that already comply with the IAF's stringent operational and technical requirements.

This move is aimed at accelerating the acquisition of 110 advanced fighter jets, a crucial program designed to bolster the IAF's dwindling combat fleet. The MRFA tender, launched as a successor to the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) program, seeks to procure 110 multi-role fighters under the Buy Global – Make in India initiative. The MMRCA program, initially intended to acquire 126 fighter jets, was ultimately scaled back and resulted in the purchase of 36 Dassault Rafale jets.

The IAF's decision to prioritize pre-qualified OEMs is driven by the need to avoid potential delays associated with evaluating platforms that may not meet the required operational and technical standards.

The IAF's authorized strength of 42 combat squadrons has been steadily declining and currently stands at approximately 31 squadrons. This decline is further compounded by the phasing out of older aircraft like the MiG-21.

While indigenous platforms such as the Tejas Mk1A and the forthcoming Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) are part of the IAF's modernization plans, they cannot fully address the immediate need to maintain operational readiness. The MRFA tender is therefore considered vital to ensuring that the IAF retains a credible deterrent capability against potential adversaries.

This strategic shift in the MRFA tender reflects the IAF's commitment to modernizing its fleet efficiently and effectively in the face of evolving geopolitical challenges.

 

[abhinav srivastava]

Stop MRFA circus. Procure 36 more Rafales similar no of SU57 and Expedite tejas mk2. Procure F414 engines from GE for development, testing and for 2 to 3 years of production requirement.

 

[sanket]

But when will it kick start 2025 already started

 

[Somnath Sinhababu]

Please, not this drama again...are you going to do an F-35 deal with the USA? Trump is here now, he is a pure businessman. If India gets 3 squadrons of F-35s, it is more than enough. Then totally focus on AMCA and other indigenous programs. Work on the war front. I am damn sure the Indian government still hasn't asked the USA for F-35s. There is no reason that the USA will not give India F-35s. Unfortunately, the biggest blunder was done by the IAF by not giving an extra Rafale order after 36 Rafales.

 

[bonito]

"Yet" to recommend. 2027 entire Mig 21 squadron will retire. The first fighter from MRFA we will get by 2030 if we make the order today. Too late. I beleive we will get into a dire situation that we may IAF will recommend even gliders to offset the delay.

 

[bonito]

Stop MRFA circus. Procure 36 more Rafales similar no of SU57 and Expedite tejas mk2. Procure F414 engines from GE for development, testing and for 2 to 3 years of production requirement.

First prototype of Mk2 will happen by 2029 only. Then actual fighter, runway test, development trails, certification, user trials, production and then first hand over is not happening in another 8-10 yrs

 

[Abhishek Kumar]

Buy Su-57 with new AL-41 engine.

 

[INDIAN]

Don't know what circus is going on with MRFA. I am hearing this from our childhood. Seems like India as a country doesn't take its defence preparedness seriously. For the government, it's a wasteful expenditure. Even Pakistan is doing much better than India in defence. We may soon get some surprise attack from Pakistan itself. That's why we get humiliated by China always, just like we got surprised in Ladakh and negotiated on Chinese terms. But our government brazens it out. We love freebies, so our politicians are distributing them to win elections.

 

[SURESH RAO]

With whose permission the MMRCA program was cancelled. We cannot cancel the original deal and make new costlier deals. The situation during 2014-2018 was Opportunistic Play. Many dreams were there and nothing materialized. In the MMRCA program the entire 126 fighter jets were to be procured for $10 billion. Some greedy fellow cancelled it.

Even the additional 3 Scorpene was to be procured with the same cost as the original 6 Scorpene. Again one greedy fellow cancelled this. And now the additional 3 Scorpene deals are planned to be procured at a much much higher cost.

 

[Sandeep]

That's why we get humiliated by China always, just like we got surprised in Ladakh and negotiated on Chinese terms.

The Chinese got a massive smack in the face when they lost over 45 troops and they got forced to turn back to their own side of the border without losing any land. So how did we get humiliated? 😂

 

[Jan Rodricks]

The biggest difference between these jets will be the weapons. In this, the US has a substantial lead especially in ground attack.

One of the more advanced and interesting is the new Raytheon Stormbreaker, a 100 kg/100km range glide bomb with AI-fused radar/IR/laser terminal guidance. Because of the bomb's small size, a large jet like an F-15 can carry 28 Stormbreakers (F-35 carries 8 internally and 8 externally). Over half SDB II's weight is a blast-fragmentation shaped-charge warhead effective against pretty much anything on the battlefield.... troops, moving vehicles including MBTs, buildings, even surface warships. Cost is about $200,000.

A second is the upcoming BAE Systems QUICKSINK, an anti-ship glide munition conversion kit for a 2000 lb. iron bomb. The bomb is guided to strike below the target ship's waterline (thus, "QUICKSINK"). Cost unknown, but JDAM-type weapons are notably cheap.

Of course, jets from US allies like Korea and France can be certified to carry most any American weapons. India would need to cover the integration costs.

 

[Sandeep]

With whose permission the MMRCA program was cancelled. We cannot cancel the original deal and make new costlier deals. The situation during 2014-2018 was Opportunistic Play. Many dreams were there and nothing materialized. In the MMRCA program the entire 126 fighter jets were to be procured for $10 billion. Some greedy fellow cancelled it.

Even the additional 3 Scorpene was to be procured with the same cost as the original 6 Scorpene. Again one greedy fellow cancelled this. And now the additional 3 Scorpene deals are planned to be procured at a much much higher cost.

Absolutely false.

Dassault didn’t want to make a deal with HAL because it didn’t want to accept liability for anything they make. Also there was technology transfer and price disagreements as they didn’t want to.

Also the 3 scorpene submarines are getting made under the original deal as a follow up order but obviously the price will be adjusted to inflation. Also we made a deal based on technology that’s over a decade long so obviously we will need to upgrade the technology to improve it’s capabilities

 

[Sandeep]

This deal isn’t going to happen because by the time we will ever receive a jet from dassault themselves it will take 3-5 years. Even longer if we made a deal to manufacture it locally.

By that time we would have started to receive the Tejas MK2 prototypes and it would be undergoing its tests from this year. Also more Tejas MK1A jets will start arriving as we receive the engines and production picks up pace.

 

[Anupom]

Please, not this drama again...are you going to do an F-35 deal with the USA? Trump is here now, he is a pure businessman. If India gets 3 squadrons of F-35s, it is more than enough. Then totally focus on AMCA and other indigenous programs. Work on the war front. I am damn sure the Indian government still hasn't asked the USA for F-35s. There is no reason that the USA will not give India F-35s. Unfortunately, the biggest blunder was done by the IAF by not giving an extra Rafale order after 36 Rafales.

F-35 maintenance & operating cost is too much! We should go for Russian Su-57.

 

[Jan Rodricks]

Standardize on F-15EX. Buy no other non-stealth jets. Do whatever is required to get F-35A, even if that means scrapping S-400. Keep whatever part of Tejas is necessary to maintain an aviation culture. The Indian Air Force is in a shocking state. Seeing China flying 5.5 gen technology demonstrators, while India flails around with Tejas, should rightly scare every Indian into calling for immediate action.

Recognize and reverse, to the extent possible, the titanic error of saddling India to the USSR. All India got out of that mistake was massive KGB bribery, fourth-rate weaponry, and anti-Western myths.

 

[Jan Rodricks]

This deal isn’t going to happen because by the time we will ever receive a jet from dassault themselves it will take 3-5 years. Even longer if we made a deal to manufacture it locally.

By that time we would have started to receive the Tejas MK2 prototypes and it would be undergoing its tests from this year. Also more Tejas MK1A jets will start arriving as we receive the engines and production picks up pace.

There is no engine shortage delaying the Tejas program. GE has delivered 75 or more F404s. Tejas airframes number only about 40 so far.

 

[White T POISON]

We need the su-57 sadly enough.

 

[Jan Rodricks]

F-35 maintenance & operating cost is too much! We should go for Russian Su-57.

The falsehood of high F-35 life-cycle costs is due almost entirely to its very long lifespan (until 2088 in USAF service). That's at least 25 years longer than any 4th gen competitor (without including survivability on wartime). F-35 saves money by having high fidelity simulators that reduce training costs. F-35's AI is far more survivable in wartime, lowering attrition and thus requiring fewer replacements.

Russia doesn't have the capacity to build or support a modern air force for itself, much less India. Su-57 is just more updated Soviet era airframes (should've been called Su-39).

 

[Arin Kumar]

F 18 would be a better option. As it also uses the same engine GE F414 as we are using for Tejas Mk2.
But they must allow us to install our own Radar (Uttam Radar) and our own transmitter/ receiver systems - so that we can use our wheapons like SaaW, Rudram, Brahmos on them.

 

[Akshat]

Stop MRFA circus. Procure 36 more Rafales similar no of SU57 and Expedite tejas mk2. Procure F414 engines from GE for development, testing and for 2 to 3 years of production requirement.

IAF rejected Su57 already. And Mk2 won't be coming till 2040.

 

[Akshat]

"Yet" to recommend. 2027 entire Mig 21 squadron will retire. The first fighter from MRFA we will get by 2030 if we make the order today. Too late. I beleive we will get into a dire situation that we may IAF will recommend even gliders to offset the delay.

Well if we make the order today, we will get the first plane before 23 Jan 2028.

 

[Sandeep]

There is no engine shortage delaying the Tejas program. GE has delivered 75 or more F404s. Tejas airframes number only about 40 so far.

Well, yes and no. 75 F404s have been delivered, true. The IAF has a total of 35 Tejas jets in service, accounting for 35 engines. A further 19 have been used in the prototypes and test aircraft, and one has been lost in last year's crash. That accounts for 55 engines.

Now, given the long test phase, it is fairly likely a few engines were worn out during testing, and what remains have been taken on as spares for in-service jets. Therefore, the only viable option would be to use those older engines in test aircraft (the so-called Category B engines), which HAL doesn't want to do.

Still, given HAL's history of not being able to stick to schedules, I suppose it would help if they actually announced just how many airframes are at the point where you can integrate the engine, complete the jet, and send it for testing.

 

[Akshat]

Buy Su-57 with new AL-41 engine.

AL51 engine is not available. And Su57 is such a junk that Russia itself cancelled 70% orders. So why would we buy it?

 

[Akshat]

That's why we get humiliated by China always, just like we got surprised in Ladakh and negotiated on Chinese terms.

Negotiated on Chinese terms? 🤣🤣🤣India threw them out and they are forced to accept Indian terms bro. Complete de-escalation, as demanded by India. Followed by Status quo ante. Of course, they have agreed on paper for now and implementation is an ongoing process.

 

[Jan Rodricks]

We need the su-57 sadly enough.

Won't happen. Russia is a spent tech force. They can't build jets for themselves. Sukhoi can't supply customer support, flight training, engineering derivatives, or and spare parts. MOD canceled all new type programs with Russia since the Su-30MKI ca.2000, including FGFA, MTA, Superjet, Kamov.

The simple truth is this: the only source of working aircraft technology superior to China's comes from the Western democracies.