India's Fighter Jet Dilemma: Does AMCA Signal the End of the MRFA?

The Indian government's recent green light for the ambitious Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program has sparked renewed debate about the long-delayed Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) tender.

This tender aims to procure 114 fighter jets from foreign manufacturers. Despite mounting pressure to abandon the MRFA in favor of indigenous production, sources close to the program suggest that scrapping the tender remains unlikely.

The MRFA: A Protracted Process​

The MRFA tender, designed to bolster India's dwindling fighter squadrons, has drawn interest from global aerospace giants. Each offers advanced aircraft to fulfill the Indian Air Force's (IAF) needs.

Yet, the tender's progress has been frustratingly slow. It remains stalled at the pre-Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) stage, leaving the IAF with a troubling shortage of fighter jets while domestic options like the AMCA and Tejas MkII remain under development.

The IAF strongly backs the MRFA's plan for 114 jets to be built in India with technology transfers. But the lack of a finalized deal signals a potentially lengthy journey to completion.

Alternative Paths: Government-to-Government Deals​

Amid this bureaucratic tangle, India's government isn't ruling out alternatives, specifically government-to-government (G2G) purchases.

This route could see India acquiring fighters directly from a favored manufacturer, like Dassault Aviation and its Rafale aircraft.

A G2G deal could significantly speed up procurement, providing the IAF with much-needed reinforcements.

AMCA: The Future vs. The Urgent Need​

The AMCA represents India's bold technological leap towards defence self-sufficiency. However, the IAF's urgent operational requirements must also be met. Calls to cancel the MRFA and focus entirely on domestic production ignore this immediate crisis.

A G2G deal needs careful analysis. India must balance cost, the fighter's capabilities compared to other MRFA contenders, and how it dovetails with India's long-term defence goals. The choice must prioritize combat effectiveness, dependable support, and affordability.

Conclusion​

The AMCA's approval highlights India's determination to build its own cutting-edge defence technology. Yet, the MRFA tender's uncertainty and the IAF's dwindling combat power create a complex dilemma.

The Indian government must navigate a delicate path, balancing future aspirations with the immediate necessity to bolster its air power. The final decision will have far-reaching implications for the IAF's capabilities and India's defence industry.

 

[Pad UwU]

Here we go again too many debate and delays😹😹😹

 

[Ashutosh]

Mass manufacturing re tard..

F35 is under 100 million...

F35 unit cost 80 something, and acc. to u 400 for just 70👏👏👏🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Abe barvi fail itna bura koi kaise hag sakta hai!?

 

[ABHIJIT APSINGIKAR]

Mass manufacturing re tard..

F35 is under 100 million...

Yo genius, only F35A is under 100 million, with both B and C models priced well north of 100 million. That is after they have produced well over 1000 units of aircraft and had not even started full-series production. Its full-series production was only approved just a week back in March 2024.

 

[Anant]

you are assuming that HAL will not ramp up fighter jet production till 2035? I believe that by that time India will be producing over 20 jets a year.

I am not too sure about that. Ramping up production is a possibility, but unless you can ramp up the entire supply chain, from airframe manufacturing to avionics subsystem manufacturing to control systems to the engine, etc., you really can't ramp production up. We have already seen just what it takes for an aircraft type to see production in large numbers: Chinese manufacturing vs the F-35 just reaching full-scale production now vs Dassault struggling to get past a dozen or so aircraft a year. Taking into consideration the wide variety of sub-components we are making and the experience of HAL in keeping a production line, I would wager we will be very similar to Dassault in that spectrum.

 

[Anant]

I hate Hal... Everyone knows...

Production can be given to Adani or LT or TATA

60:40 ratio(L1:L2)

By 2028,
80 jets per year production possible (20 HAL+30 L1+ 30 L2)

Even 60 per year is enough

Tata Lt Adani.. All They do is screw driving anyway..

80 aircraft a year? At that point, you are being moronic enough that it doesn't even make sense to attempt to have a discussion with you.

As for the rest of your point, just how many hundred aircraft are you planning to order from each of those three vendors to justify them to set up a line capable of 30 aircraft a year (or 20 for HAL)?

 

[ABHIJIT APSINGIKAR]

F35 unit cost 80 something, and acc. to u 400 for just 70👏👏👏🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Abe barvi fail itna bura koi kaise hag sakta hai!?

Oh no, you may hurt his feelings, It seems our genius is the produce of IIT, and thus is entitled to be worshipped. What is the status of us commoners before the lordship.

 

[Anant]

I have already explained the production timeline in previous reply

Now come to MRFA

Even if India sign MRFA this year (which is not possible)

The delivery of Rafale will start from 2029 at best given large orders of Rafale

Assuming 10 Rafale per year from DRAL(again at best case) it Wil take at least 11 years(2040) to complete order...

Why waste so much money(around 25-30 billion)?? If we order Tejas mk2 instead and start production from 2030 then by 2040 we will have 400 Tejas mk2 if we give private sector production tender to Adani or TATA or LT...

20 mk2 jets per year by hal and rest by private production

Involve two private companies.
60:40 ratio between L1 and L2

80 jets per yaer(20 HAL+30 L1 +30L2)

Very much possible if M0di uses his brain..

Also we will get 400 Tejas mk2 at the price of MRFA.

1. You most certainly did not mention any timelines. Just saying that X number of aircraft is enough is nonsensical without context.

2. As for your "80 aircraft a year" nonsense, refer my reply to your other comment where you have made this same idea in this article. In the off-chance you are unable to find it, just how many hundred aircraft will you be ordering from each of those three vendors?

 

[ABHIJIT APSINGIKAR]

I hate Hal... Everyone knows...

Production can be given to Adani or LT or TATA

60:40 ratio(L1:L2)

By 2028,
80 jets per year production possible (20 HAL+30 L1+ 30 L2)

Even 60 per year is enough

Tata Lt Adani.. All They do is screw driving anyway..

Oh ya, produce 100 aircraft per year when the engine supplier can most optimally supply 20 engines annually. Guess that's a whole new concept of capacity planning and Operations Research being taught in IIT nowadays.

 

[Pad UwU]

Lol ! debate ?? Only the author thinks so. For anyone with common sense, it is cleat that even today AMCA is no more than a fantasy. MRFA is absolutely necessary if India is serious about its security!

Yes up until now AMCA is nowhere near to be found always overhyping it's coming 😹😹😹

 

[Pad UwU]

Bharat should go for 36/54 Rafales through G to G deal and scrap MRFA. With sanction of Tejas Mark-2 and AMCA, MRFA is almost dead for good .

Didn't you read the last article
Getting new batch of rafales would end up us waiting decade or more kakakakak 😹😹😹
yeah rafale is quite good aircraft but dang it's expensive for it's current generation of 4.5 than f15ex and f35

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

I am not too sure about that. Ramping up production is a possibility, but unless you can ramp up the entire supply chain, from airframe manufacturing to avionics subsystem manufacturing to control systems to the engine, etc., you really can't ramp production up. We have already seen just what it takes for an aircraft type to see production in large numbers: Chinese manufacturing vs the F-35 just reaching full-scale production now vs Dassault struggling to get past a dozen or so aircraft a year. Taking into consideration the wide variety of sub-components we are making and the experience of HAL in keeping a production line, I would wager we will be very similar to Dassault in that spectrum.

in order to ramp up supply chain you need orders. And orders wont be placed unless their is this MRFA monkey on IAF's back. MRFA is delayed for so long due to high price, and because it remains a possibility, IAF has not committed to higher orders for tejas Mk2, TEDBF etc, and their development is delayed.

You talked about dassault struggling to manufacture 15 rafales a year in france, now imagine how bad the situation will be when they have to build a supply chain from scratch for local maufacture in India. HAL is best option. Just give orders, HAL will in turn give orders to its suppliers then. Unless MRFA is not scrapped and buried, it will not happen. The order for rafale marine for navy is enough for dassault to set up production in india, since they need a 2nd production line anyways, if not then we will get those rafales 15 years later. After this rafale marine order, I believe India will will be almost 2nd largest operator, and the only one other than france that can hope to build it.

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

I think u forgot that MRFA would be atleast 50% indigenous, that means it will also give us the knowledge how especially for the pvt. sector. Again, how are u getting this idea of >10 rollouts/ year!?
Important points following on:
What's more important is these things:

• Don't lose the capability against China and get in more miserable state.
• Get an alternative of HAL
• Increasing Pvt. Sector participation.

Idea of supporting indigenous program at the expense of compromising security, worst idea.

MRFA will be as indigenous as the Su-30 is indigenous. We have to pay obscene license fees and still have to import tons from russia for that. The reason why I am getting this idea of >10 rollouts is because, We currently have the capacity to build more than 10 per year, if you combine tejas mk1, and Su-30, since they both are locally built. And after 10 billion dollar invest ment, in 5 years time we can double it definitely.

 

[Pad UwU]

USA does not have options as their stealth fighters planes have failed.

Even the f35 has thousand bugs it use serves it's purpose of surprising it's enemies... Especially because of it's passive and active stealth feature added with its electronic warfare system.... Most it's obvious problem is it's limited weapon it can carry it it's belly...

Fact is our CGI AMCA can't surpass it even in trailer video

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

So are u sure LCA mk2 would be production ready !? Even if it would be, would be at it's max. potential!? In 5 years, u have a max. potential MRFA, so what's more favourable keeping China in mind!?

it would take us at least 17-18 years from today to get all 114 MRFA aircraft. And we wont get first 1 till at least 5-6 years from now. It wont help vs china any more than indigenous fighters.

 

[Pad UwU]

USA is the only country possessing 5 th gen planes. The only thing they are bad is operational cost...but still they stand at top.

The other nations like China and Russia is already in league of 5gen aircraft technology.... Only difference is Russias su57 is built as a pseudo 5gen that still needs some refinement like serrated/flat engine nozzle, more advance RAM coating, sensor fusion and super computer, upgraded engine with super cruise at mach 2, s shape air duct inlet and a more advance AESA radar than their weird so called AESA radar using

 

[Ashutosh]

it would take us at least 17-18 years from today to get all 114 MRFA aircraft. And we wont get first 1 till at least 5-6 years from now. It wont help vs china any more than indigenous fighters.

Bro the problem is u r taking an optimistic timeline of LCA mk2 but not of MRFA. Alright let me give u an optimistic timeline of MRFA. This year only IAF moves the AoN, negotiations takes a year and we move forward to production of let's say just 10 MRFA / year but the line isn't established so we get imported 2 sq. of winners. That's it now!? Right!? Lala land sounds so cool

 

[Ashutosh]

MRFA will be as indigenous as the Su-30 is indigenous. We have to pay obscene license fees and still have to import tons from russia for that. The reason why I am getting this idea of >10 rollouts is because, We currently have the capacity to build more than 10 per year, if you combine tejas mk1, and Su-30, since they both are locally built. And after 10 billion dollar invest ment, in 5 years time we can double it definitely.

Are we not importing tons for LCA!? Ur desi fighter is less indigenous than Su 30. I would rather say Su 30 mki is our fighter just like how JF17 is PAC fighter ( if u acknowledge the conditions of Mki deal)

Capacity.....Pak too once dreamt about a capacity of building Project Azm....test is history.

 

[Pink Panther]

1. What exactly is there to debate? Unless HAL can somehow magically start producing 40 or so aircraft a year, MRFA is needed to ensure the IAF doesn't fall below a critically low strength and doesn't have a MiG-21 saga part 2.
2. It is not easily appreciated, but having a very small number of squadrons also means you tend to lose trained pilots very quickly. After all, fewer squadrons means lesser training and more pilots who aren't assigned to an active squadron.
3. "Production of Tejas Mk II and AMCA is still a year away": Say what now? Did I sleep for a decade or so suddenly? How exactly does that statement make anything close to the remotest semblance of sense? Mark my words: The Tejas Mk II is atleast half a decade away from Limited Series Production (let alone full production), and AMCA is atleast a decade away from that milestone. All of that assumes, of course, that the parties involved in development, testing, and manufacturing won't bring about any more delays, which, let's be honest, is a hopelessly optimistic assumption that will almost certainly prove to be unfounded.

True, also, Macron’s statement of deployment of NATO personnel in Ukraine has ruined everything, every single day day passes by Macron becomes TOAD of World, “ frogs get into trouble by their mouth, Frogs in a pond croak incessantly soon after rains, thus loudly announcing their presence (to snakes) and inviting their own destiny (by getting consumed by snakes).“, it is going to affect the sale of Rafale.

Best option would be to get a cheapest 4th gen jet and make 150-200 of them instead of just 114, this is the only way squadron strength decline will stablize.

 

[shivkumar sinha]

Didn't you read the last article
Getting new batch of rafales would end up us waiting decade or more kakakakak 😹😹😹
yeah rafale is quite good aircraft but dang it's expensive for it's current generation of 4.5 than f15ex and f35

I think repeat order will exclude €1.8 billions for ISE and infrastructure,training cost that is already developed for two squadrons each at ambala and Hashimara .

 

[Apocalypse gupta]

Are we not importing tons for LCA!? Ur desi fighter is less indigenous than Su 30. I would rather say Su 30 mki is our fighter just like how JF17 is PAC fighter ( if u acknowledge the conditions of Mki deal)

Capacity.....Pak too once dreamt about a capacity of building Project Azm....test is history.

indigeous content of LCA Mk1A is more than 60% and will go to 70% after radars, etc are ready for mass production. Sukhoi is not indigenous at all. Most parts are imported, the design is russian. Reason why JF17 is considered pakis even though most parts are chinese or russian because it is designed by pakistan.