In May, the loss of a Rafale of the Indian Air Force [IAF] During the Sindoor operation, launched by India to destroy camps of terrorist groups located in Pakistan two weeks after the attack on Pahagalm [Cachemire indien]aroused a campaign of denigration against the hunter-bombardier of Dassault Aviation, orchestrated not only by Islamabad but also by Beijing.
Experience feedback [RETEX] From Operation Sindoor clarified the circumstances in which this burst was shot, while it was playing in Indian airspace. Thus, according to an investigation by the Reuters agency, the IAF had erroneous information on the effective range of the Chinese air-air missile type BVR [beyond visual range / au-delà de la portée visuelle] PL-15 used by the Pakistani air force. In addition, she would have had knowledge of the imperfect situation.
For its part, the aerospace strategic studies center [CESA] air force & space [AAE] underlined the restrictive rules of commitment imposed on the IAF by political power, the latter having excluded any strike against the Pakistani air defenses.
“If the strategy adopted has reached the desired effects [9 camps terroristes détruits]the announcements from the Pakistani armed forces concerning the air losses of the IAF testify to the additional risks incurred in the framework thus fixed, that is to say without having previously assured the acquisition of air superiority, “he concluded.
However, more than three months after the Sindoor operation, the IAF is still forced to deny rumors, like the one who recently claimed that it was interested in the hunter-bombardier KF-21 Boramae, developed by Korea Aerospace Industries [KAI]. This device “does not appear […] On the restricted list of platforms evaluated ”for the Multi Role Fighter Aircraft program [MRFA]assured one of its managers on August 4.
As a reminder, the MRFA must allow the IAF to obtain 114 new combat aircraft, with industrial and technological transfers to the key, in accordance with the “Make in India” policy. In addition to the Rafale, of which India acquired 36 copies in 2016, the F-21 of Lockheed-Martin [un déclinaison du F-16 Viper, ndlr]the JAS-39 Gripen E/F, the F-5EX Eagle II of Boeing, the typhoon of the Eurofighter consortium as well as two Russian planes, namely MIG-35 and SU-35, are in the running. And, at the beginning of this year, it was a question of launching a call for tenders to decide between them.
Only, given that it struggles to align the 42 hunting squadrons provided for in its operational contract and that this situation will not go by arranging with the scheduled withdrawal of its MIG-21 “Bison” and its Jaguar, the Indian air force wants to accelerate the movement.
In April, the Indian Portal “Bharat Shakti”, a defense affairs specialist, had argued that the IAF wanted to “acquire 40 additional burst combat aircraft from France, as part of a G2G agreement”, as part of an “accelerated MRFA + agreement”.
However, according to the Times of India, it is indeed this scenario which has been favored since the Sindoor operation … And this after the announcement of the partnership between Dassault Aviation and Tata Advanced System to produce Fuselages of Rafale in India, the confirmation of the command of 26 Rafale Marine for the Indian Navy and the choice of the Indian Ministry of Defense in favor of Safran for the future 5th generation AMCA fight [Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft].
“The IAF will submit the MRFA file to the initial acceptance of necessity [AoN]the first stage of the long supply process, to the Defense Acquisition Council [DAC] In a month or two, ”says Times of India, which relies on confidences made by sources close to the file.
“The government will make a decision when the MRFA file will be submitted to the DAC. But yes, the IAF has an urgent need for an additional burst to stem the reduction in the number of its hunting squadrons, “said one of these sources.
After the removal of the MIG-21 “Bison”, next month, the IAF will only have 29 combat squadrons. Or a “lower historical level”, notes the Indian daily life.
In any case, for the IAF, it is “much more judicious, from an economic and logistical point of view, to acquire additional bursts through an intergovernmental agreement, as part of the MRFA program,” said another source. This way of proceeding will be much faster than launching an “open” tender, completed another.
Especially since the infrastructure necessary for the implementation of these devices already exist, the bases of Ambara and Hasimara each having the capacities to accommodate at least an additional Rafale squadron [soit 36 avions au total]. In addition, synergies will be possible with the Indian Navy and its 26 Rafale M.
In any case, the CEO of Dassault Aviation, Éric Trappier, recently suggested that he expected a new Rafale order by India.
“I think it suits a lot of people to believe that the Rafale is not efficient. Me, I see that the sanction is simple: the Indians continue to buy me planes and that is what they say to their colleagues. […] My problem is not to reassure the general public. My problem is to serve my customers. […] And you will see it, there are orders that will continue to fall, “he said on July 22.
Furthermore, and while the Indian government has dismissed the F-35A of Lockheed Martin against a backdrop of commercial scramble with the United States, the IAF plans to acquire SU-57th from Russia. This subject will be discussed during the visit that Russian president, Vladimir Putin, in New Delhi, will be made in next September. According to the Indian Defense Research Wing specialized site [IDRW]ongoing discussions relate to a co-production of 50 to 60 su-57e, as part of a partnership with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited [HAL].