IAF Chief blames UPA for procurement delays- spells out schedule for boosting fighter squadrons

Raha blamed the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government’s preoccupation with procedure for the IAF’s current aircraft shortfall — it has just 33 fighter squadrons instead of the sanctioned 45. “I think all our procurements have been more or less process driven and not outcome driven. [Now] there is a change of perception and now most of the procurement processes and policies are being amended so that it is (sic) outcome driven.”

“We have planned up to 2027 and if the inductions had been timely, the IAF’s capabilities, certainly in terms of combat aircraft, as of now it is good, but it would have been better.” The IAF has not yet closed the Rafale chapter. With Dassault, the Rafale’s French vendor, believed to be readying a proposal for building 80 more Rafales in India, Raha said: “We would like to have more, but the decision will be taken in the near future based on capabilities and the desirability of having [more] fighter aircraft of this class.”

Second fighter line

The air chief indicated that a new Make in India fighter production line could come up soon, based on “unsolicited offers” from Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Saab for building their fighters in India —the F-16 Block 70, F/A-18 Super Hornet and the Gripen E, respectively. These offers are conditional on the IAF buying and operating the fighter in question.

“This is very much on the table and I’m sure whoever gives the best deal [will win]. All the aircraft are very capable, so it will depend upon who provides the best transfer of technology; and, of course, the price tag. It’s on the table; nothing is decided as yet.”

Said Raha: “This will not be just licensed manufacture. It will be proper transfer of technology. Also, India will become a hub for manufacturing, as well as maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) for other air forces in the region.”

Jaguar

The IAF chief also flashed a green light on modifying and upgrading the Jaguar fleet, the IAF’s key fighter for deep penetration strikes. As Business Standard had reported, the six Jaguar squadrons (120 aircraft) will be rejuvenated with new Honeywell F-125N engines for $3 billion, a modern Airborne Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, indigenous DARIN-3 navigation-attack systems and will carry the smart CBU-105 “sensor fuzed weapons” that India bought from Textron, USA.

Said Raha: “To exploit the Jaguar for the next 15-20 years, we are upgrading the aircraft with better weapons. I think there has been slow progress in the past but I’m sure this is going to pick up steam, and very soon we’ll see progress.”

Raha also said upgrade programmes were progressing well in the three Mirage 2000 squadrons (cost: Rs 12,100 crore); and three MiG-29 squadrons (cost Rs 6,400 crore).

Indo-Russian FGFA

The tortuous negotiations holding up the Indo-Russian Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) have been resolved, Raha confirmed. The two sides are believed to have agreed on a $4-billion “R&D Contract” that could see HAL and Sukhoi co-develop and build up to 250 FGFAs for the IAF.

Said Raha: “[Earlier, the IAF] found gaps in information on transfer of technology; how they (Sukhoi) have achieved these 5th generation technologies, and in visibility of the total cost. So these issues were flagged… and now a lot of clarity has come on these issues. Hopefully things will be decided sooner rather than later on the FGFA.”

Tejas LCA

For the first time, the IAF chief spelt out a detailed commitment and road map for inducting 120 Tejas fighters into the IAF in a decade.

Raha said the first squadron, which will have 20 Tejas with “initial operational certification” (IOC), will have four fighter this year, with HAL boosting production to eight fighters annually from next year. “So in another year and a half’s time, we will have a full squadron of LCA’s – the IOC version.”

Raha revealed the long-delayed “final operational certification” (FOC) of the Tejas was imminent. “I’m sure in another five-six months FOC would be cleared and production will start as soon as [HAL] finishes producing the IOC version. So we expect that the FOC version [of the Tejas] will be operationalised in an IAF fighter squadron in another three years’ time.”

Meanwhile, the Tejas Mark 1A, with improved radar, weapons, electronic warfare capability and maintainability would fly in three-four years. “We should be able to start production of this aircraft by 2020-21; and in another five-seven years [i.e. by 2025-28], we’ll have 80 Tejas Mark 1A fighters,” said Raha.

Indian Navy receives first of new class of Mk IV Landing Craft Utility from GRSE

There’s a saying:

“even the prettiest girl can offer only what she has”

LM can propose everything they want, the intellectual property remains in the hands of US governement and it is, in the end, the US congress that would allow any export of these F-16s, or not… once the production facilities in place, god only knows how much a Rafale made in India would cost, but if you can plan to have F-16s 20% cheaper than their price “made in USA”, why wouldn’t that apply to the Rafale?

We’ll see how everything unfolds soon enough, anyway

Back when Rafale manufacturing by HAL was being examined, it was Dassault that claimed that HAL lacked the level of automation and manufacturing technology that was used on the Rafale assembly line, which meant that more labor hours would be required, which would in turn lead to the Indian built Rafale costing upto 20% more than the French built Rafale. Of course, they suggested that Reliance Aerospace do the job instead, which was patently ludicrous given that Reliance Aerospace hadn’t even assembled a bi-plane or microlight before that, forget having any experience assembling/building combat fighters.

Perhaps the manufacturing technology for the Rafale is a generation ahead of what HAL uses for its Su-30MKI and Tejas assembly lines. Not sure, but Dassault cannot seriously turn around now and show that assembling the Rafale in India will all of a sudden be economically sound.

Regarding the F-16, to a certain degree, things have changed when it comes to sharing technology. Whether or not it is to a degree that gives the Indian manufacturer the rights to go ahead and modify the avionics, or integrate new weapons on their own, we’ll find out I guess, when this MII program goes further ahead. If the US is not able to compete with Saab or Dassault on the ToT front, they will lose, pure and simple.

What does go in Dassault’s favor is the setting up of JV’s like the one with Reliance, to discharge offsets on the basis of the current order. They have the advantage of being the incumbent (sort of) but their prohibitively high price tag is a barrier.

Something is definitively off with the amount of investment for Indian custom rafale. How about the hypothesis of a 3 bands type agreement . Could UAE somewhat be a stakeholder in this indian deal. After all they are potentially looking for buyer of their – 9 ?. Those could make up part of the numbers in relative short time for India. This without stressing too much the logistic and given an M2000 extension / upgrade line is already operating , which could probably switch to the -9 if necessary. Part of the payment could come in form of investment for additional features to rafale for the benefit of both india and UAE and explain the level of investment for current 36 airframes. Would that really be a stretch ?

yes, too much of a stretch. Such a complicated contract structure would never get past India’s bureaucracy.

AW paid subscription article snippet

U.S. Army Not Seeking MBDA Missile For Apaches

The U.S. Army has no interest in arming its Boeing AH-64E Apache gunships with the MBDA dual-mode Brimstone ground attack missile, even as the UK defense ministry pursues integration for its Apache fleet.

MBDA and Boeing recently concluded a series of test launches from an AH-64E at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona. The effort was funded by the UK government, and could boost MBDA’s Brimstone sales campaigns in the U.S. for rotorcraft and fighter jets.

But outgoing U.S. Army Apache Project Manager Col. Jeff Hager said at the Association of the U.S. Army symposium in Washington on Oct. 3 that right now there is no interest in integrating Brimstone with American Apaches. Instead, the Army is fully committed to the JAGM missile, which entered development in July 2015 for initial deployment around 2018.

“For right now, no. Right now, our requirement leans us toward JAGM,” says Hager, speaking after his last media briefing as the Apache program manager. “JAGM answers all of the capability questions we have today. Really, it’s the UK looking at the Brimstone missile for their user needs on their side. The UK did the testing. All we did was support them. They paid for the range. We just provided the components.”

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