Airbus to offer Eurofighter for MMRCA 2.0
Updated: Dassault to offer Rafale too, completing the MMRCA 6

Spanish, German and Italian Eurofighter Typhoon fighters at the NATO Tiger Meet 2018 | Copyright: Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH/Giovanni Colla

StratPost can confirm that European aerospace giant Airbus will offer the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) requirement for 110 new fighter aircraft and respond with information on the aircraft to the IAF’s Request For Information (RFI). The deadline for submission of responses to the RFI is July 06, 2018.

A spokesman for Airbus Defence and Space told StratPost on Tuesday,“For Eurofighter Typhoon, supported by its industrial partners Airbus will respond to the Indian Air Force publicly released RFI. We are convinced that Eurofighter Typhoon’s unrivalled operational capabilities are the ideal answer to the threats that India faces. Airbus with its Eurofighter Typhoon Partner Companies and their Governments stand ready to provide the Government of India and Indian Air Force with an update on the continued success of the Typhoon programme, including the continued investment in the Typhoon capability, operational performance and growing user community.”

The Eurofighter Typhoon was shortlisted after technical trials by the IAF for its tender for 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) in April 2011, along with the French Dassault Rafale. After opening of commercial bids for the two aircraft, the Rafale was selected L1 in January 2012.

However, an order was not placed as negotiations were inconclusive and the tender was withdrawn in 2015. The IAF placed a separate order for 36 Rafale fighters after the withdrawal of the tender.

“Airbus and the Eurofighter Typhoon industrial consortium together with the governments of Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom have previously offered India a unique defence and industrial partnership associated with the Typhoon multi-role/swing-role aircraft. The earlier Eurofighter proposal included a comprehensive “Make in India” offer which included industrialization, transfer of technology and licensed production of the Typhoon,” added the spokesman for Airbus Defence and Space.

There was recent speculation that Eurofighter Typhoon partner-company BAE Systems would lead the campaign in India, this time. But since Airbus led the campaign the last time, which led to the Eurofighter making the shortlist, there may have been no reason to change the campaign lead. That the tender ended up being withdrawn after failed negotiations with the declared L1 vendor, Dassault, could be perceived as further vindication of Airbus’ performance in the earlier MMRCA contest.

It is still not known if Dassault will choose to participate in the new process and offer the Rafale.

Sources in Dassault have confirmed that the French company will also be offering information

The French have been lobbying for a second, follow-on order from the IAF for additional Rafale fighters.

This confirmation by Airbus and Dassault takes the number of confirmed participating aircraft to six, including the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet Block III, the Russian MiG-35, Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 and the Swedish Saab Gripen E. MMRCA 2.0 will be a repeat of the MMRCA contest, with the same aircraft being offered in the competition.

This report was updated to confirm Dassault’s participation in the IAF’s RFI on Wednesday morning.