The most substantial challenge in the formulation of the RFP for 110 fighter aircraft is the incorporation of the industrial cooperation program under Chapter 07 of the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP), something that has never actually been implemented in any form before.
Even after two decades since the acquisition case, the Very Short Range Air Defence (VSHORAD) search has seen a system absent from trials and failing trials, being passed as technically compliant and ending up as, apparently, the cheapest. Also problematic is the difficulty its purchase could pose by provoking U.S. sanctions under their CAATSA.
Airbus VP Ashish Saraf explains why they’re offering two helicopters for the same Indian Navy program, how new performance parameters could change the result & the challenges of strategic partnerships.
Boeing is the third international manufacturer to have announced a partnership with Indian companies for the production of fighter aircraft in India.
In a move certain to dial up the tempo in their bid to build F-16 fighters for the Indian Air Force, Lockheed Martin has appointed Dr. Vivek Lall to the position of Vice President, Strategy and Business Development.
Two of the contenders; Mitsubishi/Kawasaki of Japan and Navantia of Spain have failed to submit the requested information for their Soryu and S-80 submarines to the Indian Navy.
The RFIs issued by the Indian Navy for submarines and helicopters have created a model for the implementation of Make in India in defence, which will become the standard for future programs.
