IAF May Seek 24 Aircraft Annual Production in 114-Jet MRFA Tender, But It Has Financial Implications for Vendor and MoD

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is setting an ambitious pace for its Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) program, aiming to procure 114 advanced fighter jets with a significantly higher production rate than initially anticipated.

Sources indicate that the IAF is pushing for the production of 24 aircraft per year, a substantial increase from the previously considered rate of 10-14 units annually. This accelerated timeline, while aimed at rapidly bolstering India's defence capabilities, is expected to increase costs for winning vendor and Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The MRFA program, a critical component of the IAF's modernization efforts, seeks to address operational demands and strengthen defenses across multiple fronts. By accelerating production to 24 jets annually, the IAF aims to quickly integrate these advanced aircraft into its fleet, enhancing its combat readiness.

However, this increased production rate comes with significant financial implications. To meet this demanding target, the winning vendor will need to establish a robust local production infrastructure, potentially requiring larger facilities, additional tooling, and a larger workforce.

These factors will translate into increased capital investment for the MoD. Furthermore, the need for technology transfer, workforce training, and supply chain scaling will add to the overall program cost.

The proposed production target also presents operational and logistical challenges. Foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) will need to demonstrate the capacity to ramp up production to meet the IAF's requirements. This may prove challenging given India's current infrastructure and the need for seamless integration of the supply chain.

Maintaining stringent quality standards under an accelerated production timeline is crucial. Close coordination between the OEM and its Indian partners will be essential to ensure that quality is not compromised in the pursuit of rapid production.

Finally, the increased production rate could introduce additional regulatory hurdles, requiring close collaboration between Indian authorities and foreign partners to ensure compliance with defence manufacturing standards.

While the IAF's push for a higher production rate underscores the urgency of its modernization efforts, it also highlights the need for careful planning and execution to manage the associated costs and logistical challenges. The MRFA program remains a key focus for India's defence sector, and its outcome will significantly shape the IAF's capabilities in the coming decades.

 

[Akshat]

The best solution right now is to with any means, bring entire Mig 35 production facility to India and modify entire components of it with whatever indian components we have like GaN based Radar, avionics, Display, bombs, missiles etc.

The reason, I am saying this because Mig is on verg of getting shut down. It is really cheap. In the cost of one Rafael, we can built 3 Mig 35.

And why would we want a plane which no one else in the world wants? Not even Russia?

 

[Anurag]

Open tender means everyone is welcome to participate, with some obvious conditions. First IAF will conduct the trials and then only negotiations will happen.

As for backlogs, numbers show that France actually has significant surplus production. Their own CEO has mentioned this.

Backlog almost every fighter has backlog apart from Gripen and F-15!!

Conducting trials for every jet will be time consuming process and it will take much longer time to evaluate every particular aircraft!!

Which numbers you are talking about that shows they have significant surplus production???
They are not even to achieve the target set by them of 24 aircraft per year!!

 

[Anurag]

Nope only rafale is the only one that has tones of backlog and they even suggesting that there are rising material cost too if I remember correctly 🙃😹

Well every fighter jet is going to be costly no doubt but personally I am prefer Rafale as it is already in IAF inventory and it is best in it's own class!!

well let's wait what are the conditions set by the MoD and IAF

 

[मित्र]

No other options 🙃😹 just go for su57 or su75 so we can deal a Indianize version of al51 engine 😺

Su-75 is only on papers right now. We can choose Su-57 and I can see lot of chances for it.

 

[Anurag]

Any one wants to win MRFA on parameters will have to start production Line in Bharat with complete Eco-system MRO facilities , Autonomy in weapon Integration / Sensors /system Integration wheter it is Indigenous or Third party , and i lraedy said One who manufactures yearly 24 Jets would b winner & Export too from same plants But Now 5th Gen too would allowed dont Think Dassault can able to fullfill its order backlog from its plant in France if thy eant to win have to start production in Bharat with MRFA needs plus fullfilling order back log at the moments they have production rate of Just 13

Well these conditions are already known by the each OEM it's not going to be tough task but setting production line of 24 jet per year surely something that will make it tough for everyone!! Well completing the project for India is going to be tough job exporting to others will be secondary and apart from Rafale no fighter has such huge backlog that will be seen manufacturing in the future!!

 

[Surfer]

Yes, they have backlogs which shows how good the plane is. But they still have huge surplus production and they are open for more orders, as their own CEO has mentioned,

Do they produce Rafale any where else other than in France, it's a known fact that Dassault only makes 12/year,
doubling to 24/year is their aspiration but hasn't materialized yet and they themself said that it is not going to happen at-least till 2027, they currently have a backlog of 240 orders and still climbing. According to their aspirtions even to make 240, it takes 10 years, then add our 150 it will take a total of 16 years, according to the current production rate 240/12 = 20 Years, even to start a production cycle in India it will take 3 years and to produce all 150 jets it will take 12 years.

 

[Akshat]

Backlog almost every fighter has backlog apart from Gripen and F-15!!

Conducting trials for every jet will be time consuming process and it will take much longer time to evaluate every particular aircraft!!

Which numbers you are talking about that shows they have significant surplus production???
They are not even to achieve the target set by them of 24 aircraft per year!!

Mig 35 has no backlog either bro. F21 also, since the jet is non existent. F18 also will shut down production line soon enough.

They will test only new entrants or new features of old contestants.

They have already achieved the target of 24 bro. Last year the target was 15 and they made 13. This year the target is 20. From March onwards, they have been making 2 jets per month, or 24 per year. So that rate has now been breached. They planned on making 3 per month by the end of 2024 but that has now been pushed to 2025, though they have reached that level at the component level. They need to make about 22 planes per year. So they have a surplus at 24 and huge surplus at 36. Even if they get a new order right now they will have some 3 years to go to 36.

 

[Manish Jha]

And why would we want a plane which no one else in the world wants? Not even Russia?

What is our biggest worry right now, the depleting strength. Like you said, no one wants it right now but it is very good plan at cheap cost. We can mold mig corp on our on terms. With this cheap rate we will get Mig 35 and it will bring the numbers.. We all know numbers does matter as well.

 

[Fr@nk]

MRFA needs to be canceled...

1) Even if sign MRFA yesterday, the delivery will start from 2029/30 at best. Rafale delivered 36 jet in 4 years so it would take 10/12 years to deliver 114 Rafale. So delivery will be completed in 2040/42

Tejas Mk2 first flight in 2027. Production will start 2032. Assuming 20 per year it will take 10/15 years. So delivery will complete in 2042/45.

2) Price of 36 Rafale was 10 billion $. 114 jets will cost 30+ billion $.

Instead we can buy 300+ TEJAS mk2 in that price...
If we choose Tejas mk2 and we get 200 more jets
If we chose Rafale we get nothing...

Reminder rafale did not integrate meteor to tajas
Rafale demanded huge fees to integrate Uttam in Rafake M
We almost gave 16 billion to France in both deals but did not get anything in return...

300 Tejas mk2 >>>>>>>>>>114 Rafal

 

[What the heck]

Their backlog of Rafale is about 210 planes. They have gone to 24 jets per year, and will go to 36 per year from next year. And the deliveries have to be done by 2033-2034. So significant spare capacity. As for price, it has been the L1 in both the competitions so far, and it is cheaper than even Su30 mki (made in India though). So it is quite cheap in fact.

Folks this is from Dassault website for you to know how many jets Dassault is making

Order intakes, deliveries and backlog in number of new aircraft as of December 31, 2023 - Press kits

Order intakes, deliveries and backlog in number of new aircraft as of December 31, 2023 (unaudited figures) © Dassault Aviation

www.dassault-aviation.com

Total Backlog
223 + 12 recently placed Iraqi order that is bartered for oil.

 

[Vf Feb]

With clause of production in India - 24 aircraft per year ..its a non starter.. .MRFa is dead now.. open tender.. more confusion, more testing no decision, no selection...
g2g deal is for quick conversion, here IAF and indian govt can reject any open tender aircraft

 

[Akshat]

What is our biggest worry right now, the depleting strength. Like you said, no one wants it right now but it is very good plan at cheap cost. We can mold mig corp on our on terms. With this cheap rate we will get Mig 35 and it will bring the numbers.. We all know numbers does matter as well.

Umm…no. We don’t just have to fill the numbers but also fill them with decent planes. No one wants Mig35 because it is not a good plane. It failed MMRCA, remember? Even Russia isn’t inducting it.

And it’s not like Russia gives ToT on products that have no customers. Remember Ka226? They are not ready to go from 32% ToT to 35% despite no orders. So it doesn’t meet our requirements bro.

 

[What the heck]

And why would we want a plane which no one else in the world wants? Not even Russia?

Same story as Rafale, Dassault started making Rafale's in 2001, which nobody wanted till 2016 when India placed the first order.

 

[Anant]

What is our biggest worry right now, the depleting strength. Like you said, no one wants it right now but it is very good plan at cheap cost. We can mold mig corp on our on terms. With this cheap rate we will get Mig 35 and it will bring the numbers.. We all know numbers does matter as well.

The MiG-35 is an obsolescent aircraft that is little more than a rebranded MiG-29 with the serial numbers filed off. Quantity is important, but so is quality.

 

[Akshat]

Same story as Rafale, Dassault started making Rafale's in 2001, which nobody wanted till 2016 when India placed the first order.

The airforce version was ready only in 2006 and they got export order in 2015 itself from Egypt. So please don’t spread lies here. We Indians don’t like lies.

 

[Akshat]

Folks this is from Dassault website for you to know how many jets Dassault is making

Order intakes, deliveries and backlog in number of new aircraft as of December 31, 2023 - Press kits

Order intakes, deliveries and backlog in number of new aircraft as of December 31, 2023 (unaudited figures) © Dassault Aviation

www.dassault-aviation.com

Total Backlog
223 + 12 recently placed Iraqi order that is bartered for oil.

That is from 2023. Why did you miss their management commentary from March 2024 buddy? Didn’t suit your narrative?

 

[Cookie monster]

Can anyone tell me why INDIAN NAVY tends to execute its demands and procure equipment in a timely manner whereas INDIAN AIR FORCE struggles?

 

[What the heck]

That is from 2023. Why did you miss their management commentary from March 2024 buddy? Didn’t suit your narrative?

in 2023 they made 13, and in 2024 only 12, 2025 and 2026 they are anticipating to make only 10/year.

 

[Sandeep]

I have an idea let's stall this for another 5 years so that we have to spend even more per unit in a panic when even our broke neighbour is fielding 5-7 stealth squadrons

Fake stealth fighters. Our 20 old Sukhoi can see their fighter using our IRST

 

[Pad UwU]

Su-75 is only on papers right now. We can choose Su-57 and I can see lot of chances for it.

Because it needs partnership that's why it's still on paper.... Like AMCA it's still in our dreams plus in paper or cardboard.... No one sees it flying nore it's prototype 😹.... Until it shows real working aircraft many are still stuck in reverie

 

[basil1891]

Hi, folks, interesting discussion. Some thoughts here.
There is a case when picking F-18E/F can be a good choice - if only US agree to relocate assembly line after 2027 and 100% license F414 engine (so one less uncertainty about Tejas mk2 future). Probably with some limitations to protect GE interests (like for internal market only for some period, etc). The plane itself is fairly cheap, proven platform, and production backlog is no issue.
Another interesting option to consider - become major partner in KF-21, which may require total reformatting of the AMCA project (unlikely I guess, despite all benefits for IAF)

All that is assuming the gov is actually looking for options to accelerate the upgrade of IAF, and not just imitating competition to add pressure on one already known/picked up supplier 😉

 

[Surendra Barsode]

We are wasting time and money on MRFA. It will be a big blunder!!! Instead spend those money on drones, missile defense and offensive capacity as Tejas and AMCA gets ready, It is NOT that IAF entirely some outdated air force!!! IAF can easily hold on till 2035 at least.

 

[tipoo2]

I have an idea let's stall this for another 5 years so that we have to spend even more per unit in a panic when even our broke neighbour is fielding 5-7 stealth squadrons

 

[tipoo2]

I think the situation is in favor of Su57...Doubt USA will supply India with F414 engine (ToT) and MQ9 drone...

Let's see if the next batch is actually the Su-57M with the AL51. They were saying the last batch in 2024 was supposed to be that, but it was clearly delivered in the old model with AL41 with engines not developed for IR stealth.

 

[Anurag]

Mig 35 has no backlog either bro. F21 also, since the jet is non existent. F18 also will shut down production line soon enough.

They will test only new entrants or new features of old contestants.

They have already achieved the target of 24 bro. Last year the target was 15 and they made 13. This year the target is 20. From March onwards, they have been making 2 jets per month, or 24 per year. So that rate has now been breached. They planned on making 3 per month by the end of 2024 but that has now been pushed to 2025, though they have reached that level at the component level. They need to make about 22 planes per year. So they have a surplus at 24 and huge surplus at 36. Even if they get a new order right now they will have some 3 years to go to 36.

About Mig 35 I didn't consider Russian planes if they are going to even offer Su-57 I am not considering it for now!!! Ahh F-21 aka F-16 you should know it Taiwan is waiting for the delivery and it is going to take time!!!

So tell me which planes you are referring is same from the last ones apart from Russian and f-16 that doesn't need to evaluate!!

Dassault target was to reach 24 aircraft and they got 13... Leave it according to you if they are targeting 15 from 12 already and still they are just managing to add just 1 more in the order of more than 180 aircraft and you are saying they are doing surplus production just wow man!!
I don't know how rate has been breached, 2 aircraft per month they planned but still upto Aug they are able to make only 7 how things are calculated here don't know!!

You are directly jumping on conclusion even Dassault are not sure if you give them these timelines!!