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 The
IAF has indeed stuck to its promise of completing
the trials on time, and submitting the report
even before the deadline it had initially set
for itself. The exhaustive report has more than
600 parametres for each aircraft, and the report,
in two sets, covers the performance of each contender,
and how many of the 600-plus points the aircraft
individually met during the trials.
Combat radars like AESA (Active Electronically
Scanned Array) and FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared
Radars), beyond-the-visual-range, all-weather
precision engagement capability, engine power,
and various parameters to ensure mission success
and pilot survival are among the considerations.
For the first time, life cycle costs in maintaining
the aircraft for their estimated life of 40 years
or 6000 flying hours, is also on the platter.
Significantly, as the acquisition of the MRCAs
could take a few years, IAF is ordering another
42 SU MKI aircraft from Russia to add to its existing
list of 230 of these formidable air dominance
fighters, half of which are already operational
with its combat squadrons. More than 100 of these
are under production with components made both
in Russia and India.
 At
the same time, IAF has completed the trials of
utility helicopters and begun trials of combat
helicopters. Boeing’s Apache Longbow AH 64D
from the US and Mi 28 from Russia are in the fray.
In the utility category, Eurocopter Fennec 555
and Russia’s Kamov 226 are the two contenders.
The combat helicopter requirement specified tandem
configuration, and of the three contenders initially,
Augusta Westland is reported to have withdrawn
its Mangusta.
Trials for the Heavy lift helicopters, also from
the US and Russia, are due to begin within the
next few weeks. Boeing is offering its twin-rotor
Ch 47F Chinook and Russia, a reconfigured, newer
version of its Mi 26 which IAF has been operating
since the mid-1980s.
As for the SU 30 MKIs, it may be noted that
their purchase is a follow-on order, and now with
HAL, which is making the aircraft in India under
licence and Transfer of Technology (ToT) from
Rososboronexport. Under the Indian laws, the acquisition
process is much easier in this case than acquiring
a new system through commercial bids, for which
global tenders or Request for Proposals (RfPs)
have to be issued. Field Evaluation Trials have
also to be carried out.
 IAF’s
request for 42 more Sukhois has already been accepted
and cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council
(DAC). It is now awaiting commercial negotiations,
and then, the formal approval by the government’s
Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), headed by
the Prime Minister.
IAF is short of combat and transport aircraft,
combat and transport helicopters, utility helicopters,
as well as various supporting systems and precision
missiles. There is a need not only to replace
the old Soviet vintage aircraft and systems but
also to augment its strength with new, futuristic
technologies.
To speed up the acquisition in some areas at
least, IAF is following the government-to-government
route, as in the case of Russian aircraft, and
now even the US C 17 Globemaster-III strategic
airlifters. A request had been made to the Indian
government in this regard in 2009 summer, and
by now, the US government has accepted the Indian
MoD’s Letter of Request (LoR) while IAF completed
the validation trials in June 2010.
Discussions are on between the two governments
now on what onboard equipment IAF wants, including
spares, engines, training and support for the
estimtated 40-year life of the 10 C 17s IAF wants,
and then finally the price. Based on that, the
US government will issue a Letter of Acceptance
(LoA) under its Foreign Military  Sales
(FMS) programme. There will be 3.8 per cent FMS
administrative fee.
IAF had ordered 80 Mi 17 IV helicopters from
Russia last year, and their first lot is also
expected by year-end, possibly in November.
The Chief of Air Staff of the Indian Air Force,
Air Chief Marshal P V Naik, is keen for the modernization
process to be over as soon as possible. IAF has
been losing combat aircraft particularly due to
the end of their Total Technical Life (TTL) over
the last few years, and although the acquisition
of SU 30 MKIs is helping make up, IAF needs to
renew its inventory ASAP.
His views at the National Seminar on Aerospace
Technologies
(N-SAT) held by India Strategic
in October 2009 should reflect the IAF thinking.
He said:
"Aerospace operations have increasingly
become the instrument of choice in conflict situations,
as can be seen from the events of the past few
years. They provide Reach, Speed of Response,
Precision and a great deal of Flexibility options
to our national leadership and it is therefore
inevitable that there are ever-increasing expectations
from aerospace power.
 "I
think you will all agree, that Military Aviation,
more than any other activity, is highly dependent
on technology. Superiority in the realm of aerospace
is dictated by the employment of superior Technology
coupled with Intelligent Tactics. There is simply
no alternative to these two aspects."
There are though step-by-step plans to transform
the IAF by 2022, by which time it should have
some 45 combat squadrons of SU 30 MKIs, MRCAs,
FGFA (Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft), and
LCAs (India’s indigenous Light Combat Aircraft).
 Eventually,
IAF could have some 300-plus SU 30 MKIs, an equal
number of MRCAs – indigenously produced –
and some 200 FGFAs besides 150 to 200 LCAs. IAF
has already ordered two squadrons of LCAs with
GE 404 engines, and five more squadrons will be
acquired with uprated engines, either Eurojet
200 or GE 414. These two engines are in a competition
now.
It may be noted that IAF’s MRCA tender is
for 126 aircraft with an option for another 63.
But in all likelihood, this figure should touch
300.
As for the transport aircraft, IAF’s IL
76 and An 32 are under upgradation, and although
the two have completed 25 and 26 years respectively,
they have given good backup to IAF’s combat
edge by supporting and supplying men and materials.
IAF is now looking at 10 or more C 17s, possibly
more Lockheed Martin C130J Super Hercules, and
even the Alenia Aernautica C 27J Spartan, for
which an RFI has been issued. (The first of the
six  C
130Js is due for delivery early 2011).
India and Russia already have an agreement to
jointly produce a medium Multirole Transport Aircraft
(MTA).
As for the FGFA, a formal agreement between New
Delhi and Moscow is likely to be signed this year
although cooperative measures have already been
set in motion. IAF expects the two-seat version
to be delivered by 2016 or 2017.
The Russian Air Force has already developed its
single seat version for trials.
IAF is also looking for AWACs and mid-air refuelers,
both of which use the old IL 76 airframes. The
IL 76 is out or production and unavailable –
China had bought 40 of its best available airframes
– and IAF’s new AWACs should be on other
airframes. The current AWACs on order are the
Israeli Phalcons.
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