New Delhi: With the budget done and dusted, the IAF is now finalising two long-pending mega ‘Make in India’ projects worth about Rs 1.5 lakh crore ($22 billion). But while the project for 56 medium transport aircraft by the Tata-Airbus consortium is set to take off this year, the much bigger one for 114 fighter jets will take several years to reach that stage.
Sources said IAF, which will receive the first four Rafale fighters in France in September under the Rs 59,000 crore deal inked for 36 such jets in 2016, is pushing for the RFP (request for proposal) in the 114-fighter project to be issued by late-2019 or early-2020.
“The 114-fighter project is crucial because the 36 Rafales and the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft (only 16 of planned 123 jets inducted till now) will not make up for the fast depleting numbers (IAF is down to just 30 fighter squadrons when 42 are required). There is an urgent need to plan for the future,” said a source.
08/07/19 Rajat Pandit/Times of India
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Sources said IAF, which will receive the first four Rafale fighters in France in September under the Rs 59,000 crore deal inked for 36 such jets in 2016, is pushing for the RFP (request for proposal) in the 114-fighter project to be issued by late-2019 or early-2020.
“The 114-fighter project is crucial because the 36 Rafales and the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft (only 16 of planned 123 jets inducted till now) will not make up for the fast depleting numbers (IAF is down to just 30 fighter squadrons when 42 are required). There is an urgent need to plan for the future,” said a source.
08/07/19 Rajat Pandit/Times of India
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