IAF MRFA Tender NOT Cancelled: April Fools' Prank Exposed

Be wary of recent reports claiming the Indian Air Force (IAF) cancelled the MRFA (Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft) tender for 114 jets in favor of the locally-developed TEDBF (Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter). This news was revealed to be an April Fool's Day prank.

The false information originated from a YouTube channel that made unsubstantiated claims on X (formerly Twitter) about the IAF scrapping the MRFA program – a multi-billion dollar deal to procure 114 fighter jets. The channel misleadingly suggested the IAF would focus solely on the TEDBF, a naval fighter currently in development.

It's vital to emphasize that the MRFA tender is still very much active. The IAF is in the process of evaluating proposals from various global aerospace companies for the 114 fighter jets. Designed specifically for the Indian Navy, the TEDBF is not a competing aircraft in the MRFA program.

With so much information readily available online, it's essential to maintain a critical eye toward what you read or see, particularly around April 1st.

 

[Pink Panther]

Which fighter is best under MRFA!?
Rafales - if today it is selected then - 2 years of negotiation - and then 3 years for first Rafale( India produced) with a rate of mere 6-8 aircraft/year.
U can't get Rafales directly thanks to a decade long backlog.

Leaving Rafales all Western platforms will have US interference

Su 35 and Mig 35s are out of the question already.

just to setup infra for making Rafale in India, it will take 3 extra years and then localization of raw materials. just forget about it, according to MRFA first 2 squadrons are imported off the shelf, for this we have to wait for 10-15 years itself, considering the backlog and Ukraine war and probable French participation and possibility of loosing 100’s of Rafale’s, another viable option would be, may be with the existing infra HAL can build 3-4 squadrons of new Super Sukhoi’s from the scratch instead of upgrading old ones as we already localized engine and raw materials for MKI’s, it would be the fastest twin engine jet option.

 

[Ashutosh]

MK2 is MWF, when TEDBF is made, why can’t ORCA be made, it could even be equipped with Twin Kaveri down the line after installing twin GE F414 initially.

I think we are on the same page.......
I also support ORCA induction and Heavy number of LCA mk2.

 

[Ashutosh]

just to setup infra for making Rafale in India, it will take 3 extra years and then localization of raw materials. just forget about it, according to MRFA first 2 squadrons are imported off the shelf, for this we have to wait for 10-15 years itself, considering the backlog and Ukraine war and probable French participation and possibility of loosing 100’s of Rafale’s, another viable option would be, may be with the existing infra HAL can build 3-4 squadrons of new Super Sukhoi’s from the scratch instead of upgrading old ones as we already localized engine and raw materials for MKI’s, it would be the fastest twin engine jet option.

We r on the same page bro.....MRFA is dead , IAF requirements shall be met with indigenous fighter.

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

Vro crashes!?
Until an aircraft is an aircraft is active service, its production line should be active - 11 of our Su30s crashed and we have already placed order fir replacement with Su 30 only ofcourse.

Ur simply assuming F16 won't be crashed, faulty aircraft won't be replaced, upgrade would be given to 40 year old airframe and things like that.....

But in reality - planes crash, get replaced and especially about upgrades; toooooo old F16s won't be upgraded.

Not just that, India rejected F21 so everyone else will do the same!?

Either u r misunderstanding Lockheed's statement that F21 is for India only or ur thinking poor countries beyond 2030 would be able to afford fifth generation fighters.

F21 - the name is India specific

Tomorrow they can propose the same or better aircraft under the name tag if maybe F23..... Or something like that.

Replacement order for crashes is not always the case. Multiple factors need to be considered. If F22 had crashed, they could not be replaced. I gave you reason for that already.

For our Su30, replacement was possible because HAL had domestic production line still there, it almost never went idle. And parts from russia were also available. Its production line had not been dismantled yet, or been put into service for another aircraft. Russia is still producing Sukhois.

As I gave the example of F22, its production line has switched to F35 production. There is a video on youtube detailing this.

Take pakistan for eg. It had a total of 85 F16, but currently 75 are in service. Some were lost in crashes and some got too old. They never ordered replacement. Lots of factors go into ordering replacement.

 

[Pink Panther]

We r on the same page bro.....MRFA is dead , IAF requirements shall be met with indigenous fighter.

provided IAF stops demanding for additional changes and HAL making them fast.

 

[Tanishq Bafila]

I have not heard any IAF person, retd or otherwise, HAL person, retd or otherwise, talk about this. I know that there was a plan for ORCA earlier but IAF rejected it. Do you have a source, I would like to see,

ORCA is just an imagination for all of us , brother... But I feel that IAF will join Navy because TEDBF will be the most advanced jet in our inventory after AMCA Mk1 , and not to forget all AMCA technology will go into TEDBF...

We can't make AMCA in huge numbers due to its price but ORCA / TEDBF will fit perfectly... That's the reason I personally want IAF to buy 54 more Rafales & end this MRFA circus and procure 100+ ORCA... It will not only increase the fighter squadrons but also save billions of dollars going out of country..

And also MRFA deal is almost 3-4 years from here and then add 3 years for setting up factory & production by 2030 only then we will start getting RAFALE ...

 

[Ashutosh]

Replacement order for crashes is not always the case. Multiple factors need to be considered. If F22 had crashed, they could not be replaced. I gave you reason for that already.

For our Su30, replacement was possible because HAL had domestic production line still there, it almost never went idle. And parts from russia were also available. Its production line had not been dismantled yet, or been put into service for another aircraft. Russia is still producing Sukhois.

As I gave the example of F22, its production line has switched to F35 production. There is a video on youtube detailing this.

Take pakistan for eg. It had a total of 85 F16, but currently 75 are in service. Some were lost in crashes and some got too old. They never ordered replacement. Lots of factors go into ordering replacement.

Bro weren't we specifically talking about F16s here!?

Why are u bringing fighters whose assembly lines were closed!?
Or Pakistan who going ahead won't get any significant western equipment thanks to their home terrorism!?

F16s are rather the most produced fighters here.

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

Bro weren't we specifically talking about F16s here!?

Why are u bringing fighters whose assembly lines were closed!?
Or Pakistan who going ahead won't get any significant western equipment thanks to their home terrorism!?

F16s are rather the most produced fighters here.

the reason why I mentioned other fighters was because you started it. You mentioned F-15 as well along with F-16, then you also mentioned our Su-30MKI. And you made a general point of needing to replace exisiting aircraft if they crash, when you pointed out about our Su30 orders to replace crashed aircrafts.

If you look at europe, Countries are replacing F-16 with F-35 jets. So no replacement going on there. In fact denmark is selling older F-16 to argentina. Similarly other european countries are donating old F-16 to ukraine and replacing them with F-35.

Pakistan is replacing its F-35 with Chinese jets. Are these examples enough to make my point?

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

ORCA is just an imagination for all of us , brother... But I feel that IAF will join Navy because TEDBF will be the most advanced jet in our inventory after AMCA Mk1 , and not to forget all AMCA technology will go into TEDBF...

We can't make AMCA in huge numbers due to its price but ORCA / TEDBF will fit perfectly... That's the reason I personally want IAF to buy 54 more Rafales & end this MRFA circus and procure 100+ ORCA... It will not only increase the fighter squadrons but also save billions of dollars going out of country..

And also MRFA deal is almost 3-4 years from here and then add 3 years for setting up factory & production by 2030 only then we will start getting RAFALE ...

I agree with you. That is why I also want MRFA to be junked. We are already buy 2 dozen rafale marines. Those along with 36 already here, should be enough to match our immediate need. The money we save from MRFA, if we spend on AMCA, Tejas Mk2 and TEDBF, we can get 2 times the number of jets, along with domestic missiles etc.

Timelines are also similar because if MRFA is signed today, it will take at least 5 years for domestic production to start, and it will take at least 10 years to deliver all aircraft. Rafales have a huge backlog, and if we sign order today, we will be at back of the line. Even with a domestic production line, amny parts will be imported, and there will be delays for those parts because many countreis placed orders before us.

France has been producing rafales for 20 years, and it still has not reached 15 jets a year of production.

 

[Ashutosh]

the reason why I mentioned other fighters was because you started it. You mentioned F-15 as well along with F-16, then you also mentioned our Su-30MKI. And you made a general point of needing to replace exisiting aircraft if they crash, when you pointed out about our Su30 orders to replace crashed aircrafts.

If you look at europe, Countries are replacing F-16 with F-35 jets. So no replacement going on there. In fact denmark is selling older F-16 to argentina. Similarly other european countries are donating old F-16 to ukraine and replacing them with F-35.

Pakistan is replacing its F-35 with Chinese jets. Are these examples enough to make my point?

Su 30 mki - active production
F22 - closed production

And importantly I specifically said poor countries......dunno which European country is poor

As for Pakistan, bro they are simply denied of basics of a modern jet.......
Even our Tejas would shot down a Pakistani F16.

 

[Pad UwU]

SaaB Dont Even have its own Engine for 5th Gen Jet.

Even though they don't have their own clean sheet design engine.... They have a license to manufacture gef414 bruh... Same goes to Korea and Japan that's why they can develop jet fighter nowadays

 

[Anant]

Bro AMCA mk2 - 200+ no.s !?

America se amir ho gai ham log!?
F22 ne 200 cross nhi kiya, F35 ne 500 cross nhi kiya....

Kharidne to thik thik, maintenance karne ki aukat hai hamari, Su 30 ke additional orders nhi diye all because maintenance bhari pad rha tha, even though price is cheap.

Not just that , AMCA's intended role is air superiority while Su 30 even though made as an air superiority fighter is used by IAF as multirole fighter......

Thus the only replacement of Su 30 is either LCA mk2 or ORCA.

I barely see any signs of AMCA crossing 200 mark.

Um, the US has planned for just over 2,500 F-35s in total to be procured. They presently have some 445 or so in service, with another 400 or so on order or in post-approval stage.

Now, the Su-30MKI will NOT be replaced with the LCA Mk 2. The replacement will be some variant of AMCA only, with a downsizing. That is, 272 Su-30s may be replaced by 180 or 200 AMCAs, with the remaining numbers going elsewhere to other fighter types.

 

[Anant]

What makes u say that given that US has already planned F15 and F16's active production line for atleast 2060s......

In 2040s noone would be developing 4th gen. but when it comes to production they would be still produced at high numbers, necessarily higher than 5th gen.

As I said Su 30 might be replaced by ORCA ......or LCA mk2 would be the obvious choice.

The F-15 production line will end sometime in the mid-2030s unless major orders are received, with the type serving till the early 2060s or so at least. As for F-16s, the US doesn't procure them anymore, and the full production is for export. The F-16 is planned to be phased out of US service by 2060 or so.

 

[Pad UwU]

If MRFA is still in the game hopefully get the best like f15ex or f16 blk 70/72 viper... The others like typhoon tranche 4 should be our trump card to force them us as it's 4th member in consortium if we order 114 units with a minimum of 70~80% technology transfer and become it's manufacturing hub in Asia. On the rafale f3 issues is same goes to typhoon, but sadly it might force us to be stalled a bit of decade long delay because of the backlog while if Dassault manage to takeover it's local partner here😹😹😹.... Same with Saab's Gripen e/f but many so called experts in internet says it's almost the same with Tejas mk2 but mk2 is still have no prototype