The race in the arms market has just speeded up for the procurement of the next fighter for the Indian air force in what has been called the ‘mother of all deals’ to buy 126 multi-role combat aircraft. This procurement is important not just for the purchase of a new aircraft. It would be a defining point in our techno-economic development if we leverage the opportunity properly.

Our defence modernisation has been stymied for nearly two decades. The direct effect of this has been the rapid drop in the combat force level of the air force from 39 squadrons in 2001 to around 31 now — the number is likely to go down to around 27 in the next few years in spite of the HAL made Su-30 fighters joining the force. This highlights the importance of expeditious decision making. But decision making has become far more complex than ever before. For example, our financial canon of going by the lowest quotation may have to be reconsidered when weighed against geopolitical considerations and the payoffs in boosting our industry through ‘offsets’. And how would we decide on the lowest quotation when comparing significantly different types of aircraft?

The aircraft likely to be in the race cover a wide spectrum of performance, and this would make choices not only difficult, but qualitatively different from past experience. The issue of ‘no single vendor’ could prove difficult. From a much lighter medium multi-role combat aircraft, the 12-tonne Swedish Gripen/Russian MiG-29/Amercian F-16, to European Eurofighter to heavier Russian MiG-35, to American F-18 with a fully loaded weight of 30 tonnes, technology, cost and performance (hence capability) would vary enormously. Weapons planned for each would make a difference; and compatibility with evolving force multipliers could add further complications for comparative evaluation. Considering that within the broader picture, the systems within the platform like the radar and avionics and the matching weapons could actually decide performance and costs, the complexities could only grow.

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