Air Force MRCA Deal - Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Emerge Front Runners

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After exhaustive trials of six fighter jets, reports indicate that the Indian Air Force (IAF) has made its choice clear to the Government on the fighter jets needed. Frontrunners for the force are French fighter Dassault Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon built by the European consortium.

Bernhard Gerwert, Chief, EADS, is quoted to have said "If you are taking into account the portfolio of EADS we can bring the bridge between civil aviation and military aviation." The Americans and Russians have lost out. Boeing's F18 no longer a frontrunner and Sweden's Gripen too falling off the Indian radar. Despite MiG 35s big thunder, its engine failing to impress while the F-16, according to the IAF has no future.

Another reason favoring Rafale and Eurofighter is political. Thomas Matussek, German Ambassador, "We regard India as a strategic security partner and this is why we do not insist on an end user monitoring agreement period." So when the mother of all defence deals is signed for the 126 Multi-Role Combat Aircraft chances are good that either Rafale or the Eurofighter will fly away with the Rs 42,000 crore deal.

Air Force Conducts Field Trials
Flight evaluation of the fighters started in August 2009 at Bangalore. The F/A-18E/F and F-16IN completed their field trials by mid-September 2009. The Rafale began trails in late September 2009. As of late October 2009, the IAF has completed the trials of F/A-18, F-16, Rafale, and MiG-35. According to Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik, all the aircraft tested so far "are going neck and neck". On 23 January 2010, India's ambassador to Italy stated that the Eurofighter Typhoon was in the lead.

The Gripen was the last of the aircraft to be evaluated by the IAF. On the 22 March, two Gripens left Bangalore, one to Jaisalmer and the other to Leh, Ladakh. At Jaisalmer AFS, a Gripen would undertake the hot weather trials and also a dummy run and bomb drop at the Pokhran Firing Range. The other Gripen headed towards Leh, would perform high altitude tests involving landing, refueling and restarting engines.

Prior to the Gripen, 4 out of the 5 aircraft had issues restarting their engines during trials conducted in Leh. Updated bids have been requested by the MOD on 28 April 2010, according to an MOD official. Meanwhile GRIPEN NG DEMO aircraft has passed its high altitude tests in Leh and also other hot weather tests. Now the process of down selecting will begin. European fighters have become 25% cheaper. CEO of Eurofighter consortorium says that he now has more than 50% chance in the competition.