Even as Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar maintained India has enough fighter jets in its force and would decide on French Rafale bid for Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) only after the report from the cost negotiations Committee (CMC), Air Chief Arup Raha expressed concern over shortage of fighters with them and said Indian Air Force needs MMRCA.
He said at the ongoing plane carnival at Yelahanka airbase on Thursday as many legacy aircraft has been grounded and needs urgent replacement.
He said, “IAF needs MMRCAs and I am not saying it has to be Rafale”. Air Chief Arup Raha, however, ruled out buying of more Russian SU-30s in place of French Rafale jets saying the two aircraft complement each other but do not replace the other. Amid doubts creeping in that talks with Rafale would break down, Raha said that his force has no Plan B and was working on only Plan A.
He said that everyone is aware of the drawdown of the combat squadrons of the IAF and stressed that every air force faces obsolescence in its cycle of operations.
“It is not new or specific to Indian Air Force,” he added.
Asked about the Rafale fighter jet, he said he would prefer to call it MMRCA. “Rafale has been selected as l1 (lowest bidder). It is a replacement. It is important that we have the MMRCA and we need to have it in the quickest possible time because drawdown is true,” Raha said.
He said MMRCA could fill up the gap in the Air Force, adding that if the deal is inked today, the first squadron will only come in three years and subsequent ones in 5-6 years.
He said the Contract Negotiating Committee is working out the issues in the deal and hoped it would be inked. Rafale was shortlisted in 2012 by the Ministry of Defence but a final contract is yet to be signed.
As per the RFP (request for proposal) issued in 2007, the first 18 jets are to be imported and the rest 108 manufactured under licence by Hindustan Aeronautics ltd (HAl).