1/72 Indian Airforce MMRCA Finalists

Gallery Article by Paresh Nair on Feb 27 2012

 

 

The Indian Air Force is the air-arm of the Armed Forces of India and has the primary responsibility of conducting aerial warfare, defending the Indian airspace, conducting strategic strikes inside enemy territory and providing aerial cover to ground troops. It is the fourth largest air force in the world, with a strength of more than 2000 aircraft, including more than 900 combat aircraft and 305 helicopters and presently operates a total of 34 squadrons.

The Indian Air Force Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) Competition, also known as the MRCA tender, is an ongoing competition to supply 126 multi-role combat aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF). The MRCA tender was floated with the idea of filling the gap between its future Light Combat Aircraft and its in-service Su-30MKIs air superiority fighter.

The IAF was keen on buying the Mirage 2000-5, after it was impressed by the Mirage 2000's capabilities during the Kargil War. However, due to the upcoming manufacture of the Dassault Rafale and lack of orders, the Mirage production lines were to be closed down. The Indian Government decided to go in for a multi-vendor tendering process. Requests for Information (RFI) were issued in 2004. The RFIs were initially sent to four vendors: Dassault (Mirage 2000-5 Mk.2), Lockheed Martin (F-16C/D), Mikoyan (MiG-29OVT), and Saab (JAS 39 Gripen). Due to the tendering process and delay in issuing the RFIs, Dassault decided to remove the Mirage 2000-5 from the bidding process and enter the Rafale in its place. The MiG-35 was entered in place of the prototype MiG-29OVT. Eurofighter Typhoon also expressed interest in entering the bidding, and the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet also joined the tendering.

It was reported on 27 April 2011 that only Eurofighter Typhoon and Dassault Rafale made the cut to the shortlist. The official announcement of lowest bidder is expected by 4th week of January 2012. So I decided to make a What-if of the IAF MMRCA Finalists.

 

Click on images below to see larger images

Dassault Rafale
The Dassault Rafale is a French twin-engine delta-wing agile multi-role fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation.The Rafale has the advantage of being logistically and operationally similar to the Mirage 2000, which the IAF already operates and used with great success during the Kargil War. This would require fewer changes in the existing infrastructure of the IAF, which in turn will reduce cost. Moreover, being 100% French also provided Dassault a distinct edge over its competitors on the issue of technology transfer. The French government has cleared full technology transfer of the Rafale to India, including that of the RBE2-AA AESA radar which will be integrated into the Rafale and also the transfer of software source codes, which will allow Indian scientists to re-program a radar or any sensitive equipment if needed. Without the software source codes, the IAF would have to specify mission parameters to foreign manufacturers to enable configuration of their radar, seriously compromising security in the process.

Eurofighter Typhoon
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine multi-role canard-delta air superiority fighter aircraft, designed and built by a consortium of European aerospace manufacturers through Eurofighter GmbH. Eurofighter is offering the Tranche-3 Typhoon for the Indian requirement, equipped with the CAESAR AESA radar. EADS has invited India to become a partner of the Eurofighter Typhoon program if the Typhoon wins the contract, and will be given technological and development participation in future tranches of the Typhoon. In January 2010, EADS offered to include thrust vectoring nozzles (TVNs) with the Typhoon's EJ200 engines for India.

Paresh Nair

Click on images below to see larger images

 

      

Photos and text © by Paresh Nair