BIG: India Details Make-In-India Fighter Plans

 

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India’s Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today took questions on a piece of procurement action that’s occupying more mindspace than any other — India’s next Make-in-India fighter lines, adding fresh official detail to a string of programmes that have largely been speculated upon for the past few months. Livefist gives you the low-down:

  1. India’s next fighter production line will be of a single-engine foreign type, confirmed defence minister Manohar Parrikar today, clearing up speculation that this was still in doubt (this was a scenario first reported by Livefist here). This, in essence, narrows the next contest to a possible two-horse race between the Gripen and the F-16. Livefist has detailed both campaigns and pitches earlier. Significantly, the Minister said the process of contract would be initiated this calendar year.
  2. The Minister however also confirmed that India would consider taking up the manufacture of a twin-engine fighter ‘later’. If the Minister was referring to a foreign line, he confirms projections made, for instance, by companies like Boeing about a second Make-in-India fighter production line in India that follows the single-engine line. Dassault’s own pitch for a greater number of Rafale jets (in addition to the 36 already contracted) would conceivably compete for this deal, though the Minister said an expanded number at this time was ‘speculative’.
  3. Speaking today at a Ministry of Defence event, Minister Parrikar noted, importantly, that the Make-in-India fighter would be a deal awarded under the ‘Strategic Partnership’ policy — a scheme that hasn’t been unveiled yet, but that the Minister said would be by the end of January. Vendors and OEMs remain on tenterhooks over how this crucial scheme will play out.
  4. Technology transfer and ownership cost will be guiding principles in the selection of the Make-in-India fighters, the Minister said. This isn’t new or surprising — and is a possible safe play owing to lessons learned from the abortive M-MRCA.
  5. Minister Parrikar reaffirmed that the Indian Navy would not operate the LCA Navy, but would continue to support its development as a tech demonstrator to validate technologies that will be applied to India’s twin engine naval fighter, presumably an intended carrier version of the AMCA. This makes it official that the Indian Navy will float a separate competition for its own future fighter. However, in what comes as the first bit of hope in months for the LCA Mk.2 programme, the Minister said it would be considered in the next decade. The Minister also indicated that full rate production of the LCA Mk.1 (and subsequently the Mk.1A) would be ramped up to 16 a year.

8 thoughts on “BIG: India Details Make-In-India Fighter Plans”

  1. We cannot have technology demonstrator. This is like cooking & not eating.
    We need to build a squadron of LCA Navy fly them, learn and improve.
    Let the LCA follow IAF life cycle of technology upgrades.
    So do hope this happens

    1. Only a murderous navy would make its pilots fly single engine aircraft over the oceans. this was doomed from the start. So i don’t know what you are talking about.

      1. Harrier Jump jet that we have been using so far is a single engined one and unlike the GE one installed in NLCA is not the most reliable.

  2. WHY A SECOND SINGLE ENGINE FIGHTER , WHEN LCA IS BEING INDUCTED IN IAF ?
    INSTEAD WHY NOT TECHNOLOGY COLLABORATIONS FOR AESA RADAR , DIFFERENT KIND OF MISSILES , ENGINE FOR THE LCA PLATFORM
    THE PRESENT GOVT WANTS IAF TO BE A MUSEUM: TWIN ENGINE FIGHTERS : MIG 29, SU 30MKI , RAFALE, FGFA
    SINGLE ENGINE FIGHTER : MIRAGE 2000, LCA MK 1, LCA MK2 (IN FUTURE), MAKE IN INDIA FIGHTER ( DESIGNED AND ENGINEERED OUTSIDE INDIA) ,
    F-16 IS AT THE END OF ITS LIFE CYCLE
    GRIPEN IS VERY SIMILAR TO LCA
    WHAT WILL BE THE BENEFIT TO INDIA ?
    THE PRESENT GOVT HAS A PENCHANT LIKING FOR USA ? WILL THIS BE USED AS A DIPLOMATIC TOOL?

  3. It seems to be utter bad planning. As of now we have HCA : Su-30MKI – 272 numbers which is adequate. MCA – 120 Jaguar, 50 Mirage 2000, 60 MiG 29 36 Rafael – contracted Totalling to 266. So that means that we need another 260-270 LCA. Why not promote the LCA 1A – 120 nos and Mk 2 120 numbers ? What is the need to look at F-16 or Gripen jets ? When will India graduate to world class if we keep on importing ? What message are we sending to the world ? Have we even tried OUR BEST ? The provate sector was kept completly out of Defence and we take decisions based on past flawed experience. What a towering shame and disgrace !!!

  4. Why not the LCA Navy ? The recent CAG report points out huge operationa problems with the Mig 29K on board the A C Vikramaditya and there have been a large number of engine failures necessitating single engine landing and a host or other problems. If Admiran Lanba has learnt to live with it then why not the same benefit of doubt to the LCA Navy ? When will India graduate to world class if we keep on importing ???

  5. Consider this: IAF has at present in its inventory
    1. HCA 272 Su-30 MKI Which is adequate at present with upgrades to Super Sukhoi

    2. MCA – 120 Jaguar, 60 MiG 29, 50 Mirage 2000, 36 Rafael Totaling 266 Which is also adequate at present with upgrades.

    3 That leaves out the LCA for which 83 are ordered for Tejas Mark 1A.
    Now RM wants to build in India 200 F-16s or Gripen-Es in India which could go up to $ 20 Billion.

    Instead the RM could very well order another 157 Tejas Mk 2 for single engine aircraft to make up the numbers and then concentrate on the 5th Gen Aircraft

    We are committed to 127 Pak FA -50 Russian jets and with the Savings from the $20 billion we could go in for at least 100 F-35s so that we have enough time for developing the ACMA.

    The urgency is because the Slitties have unveiled a basic working version of the J-20 and JC-31 – Both Stealth and we are still grappling with the nearly outdated single engine jets.

    Since it will not be manufactured anywhere in the world all of them are keen to dump it on India. And we Indians – born suckers that we are ever ready to buy these junks.

    What a shame and disgrace!!!

    In case of the changed situation of Donald Trump and LM not willing to give us F-35 , we should divert these jets to Russia and but 227 jets of Pak Fa-50s

    Hope you are listening Mr. Parrikar!!!

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