Bangalore: Four of the six contenders — Boeing's F/A-18F Super Hornet and Lockheed Martin's F-16 Fighting Falcon, Russia's RSK MiG Corporation's MiG-35 and Sweden's SAAB Gripen — who are chasing the lucrative $ 9 billion multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) deal are flying in Bangalore, showing off their capabilities at Aero India 2007 airshow.

But the Ministry of Defence curiously is yet to issue the mandatory request for proposal (RFP) to manufacturers of the six fighter aircraft.

The RFP will only seek to know from the aircraft manufacturers aspects such as the technology that they offer, the transfer of this technology to India, what percentage of the production will be offloaded to India, supply of spares, maintenance, and the business end of the deal.

The RFP will not entail any commitment from India and could be changed at a later date. It is the first of at least a score of steps before the selected aircraft is chosen and enters the Indian Air Force's squadron service, at least six to 10 years later.

The RFP should have gone out at least 18 months ago, considering that it is a natural follow up to the Ministry's 2004 request for information (RFI) and pertains to a purchase that was cleared by the Centre in 2003. The delay has perplexed the IAF, who are looking for 126 (six squadrons) of these multi or swing role aircraft that will help replenish the fleet's falling force levels, which is closer to 30 rather than the Government approved 39.5 squadrons.

The MRCA, which will replace the IAF's workhorse the MiG-21s, is an interregnum measure forced on the country because the indigenously produced Light Combat Aircraft is yet to see squadron service.

The RFI had been sent in November 2004 to three manufacturers — MiG Corporation for their MiG-29M/M2, SAAB for their Gripen and Dassault for their Mirage 2005-5 Mk2.

While the first two, along with Lockheed Martin replied to it, Dassault chose not to. Dassault's decision was based on the fact that it would not be economically viable to keep the Mirage 2000 production lines open, unless the Centre was able to formally indicate that the French aircraft would indeed be chosen.

Something that the Government could not do since Defence procurement necessitates going through a global tendering process.

With the unavailability of the Mirage 2000 the IAF decided to broaden the scope of the aircraft that could be considered, zeroing in on six, the F-16 Fighting Falcon, F/A-18F Super Hornet, France's Dassault Aviation's Rafale and Eurofighter GmbH's Eurofighter Typhoon, Gripen and the MiG-29/35.

Sources told The Hindu that most excuses toted as possible reasons for the delay in issuing the RFP — like the Defence Procurement Policy, the nature of offsets to be offered to Indian industry in lieu of the contract, finalisation of an agreement with the Russians to develop a fifth generation fighter, the working out of lifecycle costs and legal complication — have all been sorted out.

The IAF had "months ago replied in detail" to the "hundreds of queries" raised by bureaucrats from the Finance, Legal and Defence ministries. Speculation is also rife as to why heavies like the Eurofighter Typhoon, Rafale, MiG-35 and the F/A-18F Super Hornet, all of whom have maximum take off weights of over 23,500 kg, and are powered by twin engines, have been clubbed with "lighter aircraft" like the Gripen, which is in the 15 tonne class or the 16 tonne F-16, both powered by single engines.

But heavier aircraft are more expensive to buy and maintain and, the IAF could well opt for more Su-30MKIs, an aircraft of this class, which is already being produced in India.

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