Tag: Dassault

Replacing the MiG-21

It’s time for the defense ministry and IAF to question whether there is any aircraft that can replace the MiG-21 on the horizon, keeping in mind existing acquisition programs.

IAF officer fired for bribery

Wing Commander Alok Kumar Thakur was convicted by court martial for allegedly accepting bribes from the representative of French aircraft manufacturer Dassault in a reported sting during the Bangalore Air Show in 2011.

Aircraft at Aero India

Aero India 2013 to be held from February 06 to 10 in Bangalore will include participation by the following aircraft. 1. Pilatus PC-12 NG 2. DRDO-ADA Embraer EMB-145I 3. Embraer Legacy 650 4. Embraer Lineage 1000 5. Army Aviation ALH Dhruv (7) 6.HAL ALH WSI (3) 7. HAL LCH (2) 9. HAL Dornier 228-202(K) 10.…

IAF looks to replace crashed Mirage fighter jets

Although the case for the acquisition of the two single-engine trainers is still at a preliminary stage, the IAF is ‘desirous’ of getting their ‘numbers up from 49 to 51’ again and is planning to make a pitch for the aircraft to the Ministry of Defense.

Why fighter operating costs matter

The IAF evaluation of the six competing aircraft for the MMRCA contest took into account the issue of life-cycle cost, which could be loosely understood to mean cost of ownership over the period of operation of the aircraft. This was because it was felt that the true cost of owning a fleet of aircraft was not reflected in the purchase price alone.

French drive hard bargain on Indian MMRCA: Report

A recent French media report offers insight into the French position in the negotiations with the Indian defense ministry on the MMRCA fighter aircraft purchase by the IAF. Here’s an edited translation of the report and an analysis of what it could mean.

Top Gun Saraswat

DRDO head, Dr. V.K. Saraswat, took a backseat ride in the Swedish Saab’s Gripen C/D aircraft on the sidelines of the Aerospace Forum held at Linköping, Sweden, last week.

India approves 9 maritime patrol aircraft buy

The Defense Acquisitions Council of the Ministry of Defense has accepted the necessity for procuring nine Medium Range Maritime Reconnaissance (MRMR) aircraft for the Indian Navy. The Acceptance of Necessity (AON) this week came after the evaluation of data provided by vendors in response to the Request for Information (RFI) issued almost exactly a year…

44 facts about the MMRCA

StratPost tweeted facts about the Indian Air Force (IAF) tender for 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) and the participating aircraft last week. Here they are on a single page, for easy reference. And please feel free to add any more in the comments. They will be updated on this page.

Rafale wins MMRCA: The Cost

A cost escalation of 50 percent (INR 63,000 crore, in this case) or more, requires approval again from the Ministry of Finance, before the Defense Acquisitions Council (DAC) can proceed with it. With the cost of the tender for India safely ranging from INR 83,000 crore to 1,25,000 crore, the revision of the estimated expenditure on the MMRCA would require the approval of the finance ministry.

Rafale wins MMRCA

The French Dassault fighter aircraft Rafale has been selected to be the Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) of the Indian Air Force (IAF). Dassault beat the four-nation consortium’s Eurofighter on price, with the fighter being identified as L1, or the lowest technically qualified bid. StratPost understands that Dassault has been issued a letter from…

Mirage jets to get new missiles in $1.23 bn deal

French firm MBDA will supply 450 MICA interception and aerial combat missiles as part of the second phase of plans for upgrading the Mirage fleet of the Indian Air Force (IAF). India had last July signed a $2.4 billion deal with French defense firms Thales and Dassault for upgrading the Mirages.