The Air Chief of Staff also said the government is concentrating on acquiring 83 Tejas (Mark 1A) light combat aircraft (LCA), 114 multi-role combat aircraft (MRFA) and having upgraded versions of the LCA in addition to focus on indigenous development of the ambitious medium advanced combat aircraft.
Asked if the IAF was interested in having at least two more squads of Rafale jets, Bhadauria said it is a complex issue and that “various options” are being discussed based on the force’s future requirements.
“The whole issue is under discussion and debate,” said the Air Chief of Staff at a press conference.
On the induction of the first Rafale fleet, he said, “The Rafales integration brings a platform armed with weapons, sensors and technologies that is far ahead and gives us an operational and technological advantage in this area.
“Combined with the enhanced operational capabilities of our current combat fleet, it gives us the ability to fire first and strike deep and hard, even in contested airspace.”
The first batch of five Rafale jets arrived in India on July 29, almost four years after India signed an intergovernmental agreement with France to acquire 36 of the jets at a cost of Rs 59,000 crore.
There has been an opinion among some officers in the military establishment that the IAF should have at least four squadrons of Rafale jets considering their operational aspects. There are 18 planes in a squad.
They believe it will be the “cheapest option” as the R&D cost for all India-specific upgrades has already been covered in the previous agreement.
The Air Chief of Staff also cited budget constraints as one of the factors when making any decision (regarding procurement).
In April last year, the IAF issued an RFI (request for information) or initial tender to acquire 114 aircraft at a cost of around $ 18 billion, which is considered one of the world’s largest military acquisitions in recent years. .
Top contenders for the deal include Lockheed’s F-21, Boeing’s F / A-18, Dassault Aviation’s Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, Russian MiG 35 jetliner, and Saab’s Gripen.
“Whether we go for more Rafale or MRFA, it will be an open competition … The current status is that we have received all the RFIs (for the MRFA program). All these issues are on the table now in terms of participation a final call … There are several issues that must be considered, ”he said.
A preliminary discussion about a possible acquisition of another batch of 36 Rafale jets by India from France is known to have featured during talks between the two sides in the past year, as French officials are making efforts to pressure the government. -Agreement with the government.
So far, ten Rafale aircraft have been delivered to India and five of them have stayed in France to train IAF pilots. A second batch of four to five Rafale jets is likely to arrive in India in November.
According to officials, the Rafale jet would also participate in the Air Force Day parade on October 8.
Bhadauria said the IAF would source 3-4 Rafales every 2-3 months until the supply of the entire fleet of 36 is completed.
The Rafale jets, known for their air superiority and precision strikes, are India’s first major fighter jet acquisition in 23 years after Sukhoi jets were imported from Russia.
The newly incorporated fleet has been conducting forays into the east Ladakh where Indian and Chinese troops have been embroiled in a bitter border dispute for the past five months.
“We have commissioned the recently acquired Rafale, Chinook and Apache aircraft and integrated them into our current concept of operations in record time,” he said. Head of the IAF He said.
“In the next three years we will see the Rafale and LCA MK1 squadrons operating in full force, along with additional Su-30 and Mig 29 aircraft, which are being ordered in addition to the current fleets,” he said.
Bhadauria said that the mid-life operational upgrade of the Mirage-2000, MiG-29 and Jaguar fleet would add to the IAF’s capability in this period, further enhancing not only its operational capability but its overall potential.
“We have a focused modernization program of our existing fleets to integrate and focus on the latest weapons, systems, sensors and technologies,” he said.
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