Indian Air Force to fly Dassault Rafale after a $10.4 billion deal

Dassault Rafale emerged winner

Finally India concluded its shortlisting procedure for the acquisition of 126 Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) for an international defense deal, largest single order floated by India. The French with their Dassault Rafale have been chosen over Eurofighter Typhoon backed by Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain.

 Each and every aircraft had points in its favor and against it. It is useless to discuss their performance or capabilities because each one of them is amazing in its own terms. No wonder IAF took so much time in choosing the aircraft closest to their requirement, testing the machines to their limits in desert conditions, high altitudes and  many other different conditions, situations and scenarios. Also analyzing the economy of total requirements, offset costs, life-cycle and other prospects.

For people new to news, whole story in short :

India floated an international tender for procurement of 126 MRCAs, stated as the biggest India deal worth a whopping $10billion. Aircrafts were to fill the increasing void in the Indian Air Force due to its depleting squadrons and the phasing out of ageing aircrafts like the MiG 21 and already retired MiG 23s. IAF is functioning far below its sanctioned strength of 39 squadrons, with give the nature of situation in the sub-continent urgency to fill the gap felt and hence the mammoth deal. Also, high rates of crashes and a delayed LCA Tejas contributed to the factors.

A brief of participating countries and companies with their aircraft and there fate in the deal.



Dassault Rafale, France

Dassault Rafale in single and twin seater configuration

Dassault has been in India for long, currently with Mirage 2000 it’s already having IAF as a client. Rafale emerged as we can say first among equals. Initial French bid of Mirage 2000-5 was replaced by Rafale since closure of Mirage production lines. Though French bid of Rafale also had a bumpy ride but with it suiting to IAF’s needs, French lobbying and some lucrative offers helped Dassault to get ahead of others in the race. Also, already impressed by Mirage’s show in Kargil war, full technology transfers and not been supplied to any other neighboring country also favored to Rafale’s case. Availability of naval version of the Rafale (Rafale M) provided an edge to the bid over others.



Eurofighter Typhoon, Europe

Eurofighter Typhoon 

Typhoon made to it to the final two of the aircrafts selected, backed by Britain, Spain, Germany and Italy. Similar to Rafale in specs with some of the components been offered to be developed in India. Lost out to Rafale, with Dassault bidding a lower bid than that of its rivals. Also offered were thrust vectoring and invitation to India to participate in the Eurofighter Typhoon Program. Although British PM stating that he will ask India to 'reconsider' the decision. IAF currently does not operate any aircraft from Europe other than the French, so its induction would have meant for a whole new structure to be established and would have slowed the induction of Typhoon and IAF with it's depleted strength in a tensed region could not afford it.

Saab Gripen NG, Sweden

Saab Gripen 

Saab Gripen was the smallest of all the aircrafts in terms of airframe and only single engine aircraft other than F-16 Super Viper. Saab even announced a R&D center in India to develop hardware for aircraft and other needs in India only. It is state of the art and very agile capable of more than Mach 2. Initially offered Gripen did not impressed IAF much, it was after this that improved version of Gripen, Gripen NG was offered to India with improvements in overall features. But it was ousted with the other aircrafts above, reason as stated by some was it's reliance on US supplied parts mainly including its powerhouse the GE F414 engine.

Lockheed F-16 Super Viper & Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, US

Lockheed F-16

Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet

Despite heavy lobbying and pressure from the US, the both aircrafts from Boeing and Lockheed didn’t made to the last two. F-16's were first introduced in 1978 and since has been mainstay of USAF and many other air forces around globe. US supplying F-16's to Pakistan, issues of transfer of technologies and further future scenario in case of US sanctions leading to unreliable supplies worked against the two aircraft. Though F-16 offered to India was proposed to be most advanced F-16 made and option to provide F-35 Lightning as a future replacement. Though it's been said that it has no relation to the deal, US Ambassador to India Timothy Roemer resigned.


Mikoyan MiG-35 - Russia

Mikoyan MiG-35 final version was
 unveiled in Aero India 2007

Developed from MiG-29 by Mikoyan which India already operates, also MiG-29K the naval version of MiG-29 aircraft is due to be delivered with INS Vikaramaditya formerly Admiral Ghorshkov. Initially MiG-35 existed as a demonstrator only and the final version for production was introduced to the world first time in Aero India 07. Constant renegotiations on other deals, already India sourcing much of its military hardware from Russia contributed to the causes of not been selected in the deal despite lobbying. India also is already still in process of acquire it's full order of Sukhoi 30MKI. India is already developing 5th generation fighter jointly with Russia which is expected to be inducted around 2015 in the Indian Air Force.

Though the official documents have not been yet signed and can take many months or even a year to finally confirm the deal. But for now after many failed attempts to sell Rafale, the French are on the final stage of the deal and they are alone. If finalized, then India has kept an open option of buying ~70 more aircraft, the probability of which is very high and with the current economic condition of Indian Rupee this deal could well cross $20 billion mark.

Dassault are delighted, Sarkozy is also happy and may use this to his advantage in the coming French elections, after all he has a proven track record of clinching deals, at least in India’s case. To be noted that when he toured India in 2010 he took deals worth $20 billion with him considering that it was more than even what Obama took with him in return for the nuclear deal. Although the president is not enjoying popularity among French people, this deal could prove to be a breather for him. Also it can be argued that due to the elections around the corner the French president was desperate to seal the deal, beneficial for not only Dassault (who before this failed to sell Rafale due to some or other reason) but also for others involved in the Rafale program like Thales, Safran and the French defense industry, not to mention the president himself.

Lately the US Ambassador to India, Timothy Roemer resigned and British  PM David Cameron said that he would ask India to 'reconsider' its decision on Rafale in favor of Eurofighter Typhoon, guess someone is already started facing heat on failing to grab the deal. With the  given economic conditions of the west and especially Europe with its weakening Euro and slumping economy, further tremors are expected to be felt by whoever was associated with an unsuccessful bid.
This further confirms the fact despite of denials that politics do affect everything whether it is a defense deal or a nuclear deal.