India May Pick Fighter Contest Winner Soon

source defense.gouv fr

Jul 27, 2011 By Jay Menon aerospace daily and defense report

NEW DELHI — India is likely to announce the winner of its $11 billion competition to furnish its air force with 126 combat jets in the next five to six weeks.

“The next step is to call vendors and open up the commercial bids. Of the two manufacturers left in the fray for the Medium-Multirole Combat Aircraft [MMRCA], we will [determine the lowest bidder] in the next five to six weeks,” Indian Air Force (IAF) chief P.V. Naik said July 26. As per India’s defense procurement procedures, the lowest bidder wins the deal.

The Eurofighter Typhoon is competing with the French Dassault Rafale in the race to supply the MMRCA to the IAF. The IAF has already “completed the benchmarking” of the two aircraft, which were downselected in April of this year from among six contenders.

Naik says the IAF has completed benchmarking, while the Technical Offset Evaluation Committee is due to submit its report to the defense ministry. The ministry has to accept that benchmarking, after which the cost negotiations committee will open the commercial bids.

“I have been very upbeat about it. I hope it comes through,” says Naik, who is due to retire at the end of this month.

Naik says the IAF does not have a favorite between the two competing aircraft. “The contract will go to the lowest offer when the commercial bids are opened.”

The tender was issued in August 2007, and after several grueling flight and weapons trials, the IAF in April eliminated from the competition Boeing’s F/A-18, Lockheed Martin’s F-16, Russia’s MiG-35 and the Swedish Gripen.

The tender also has an option to increase the order by another 63 aircraft for a total of 189 at the cost negotiated for the 126 jets in the initial order. The first 18 of the 126 jets will be bought in flyaway condition, and the remaining 108 will be manufactured by Bengaluru-based Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. under a technology transfer agreement.