New Delhi, May 1 (IANS) India’s decision to shortlist two European combat planes for a $10.4 billion tender for 126 multi-role jet fighters was dictated by its air force’s technical evaluation of the six contenders and geopolitics played a minor role in it, say officials and experts about the decision that left two US aerospace majors out of the race despite aggressive marketing and buoyant Indo-US relations.
‘We have gone entirely by the rule book. The defence procurement procedure dictates the MMRCA tender process,’ a senior defence ministry official told IANS on condition of anonymity, referring to the race for the medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) contract.
India had April 27 asked European consortium EADS Cassidian and French Dassault to continue in the race for 126 MMRCA contract, while conveying to US firms Boeing and Lockheed Martin, Russia’s United Aircraft Corp and Sweden’s SAAB that their planes had not made the cut.
Keen Indian military aviation watchers Air Commodore Jasjit Singh and Air Vice Marshal Kapil Kak too concurred with the ministry official, but pointed out that the down select was not a rejection of the other planes but an indication of what suited the IAF’s future operational plans best and at the right cost.
‘The IAF has only stated that the two European combat planes met most of the 643 parameters for selection of the MMRCA and are the most profitable. It has not rejected the other aircraft,’ said KaK, a former IAF pilot.
‘The IAF recommends on the basis of its assessment and evaluation of what it needs and the government takes a call on it. The broader strategic considerations will come in much later at the political leadership level,’ Kak told IANS.
‘The firms always knew that non-compliance will eliminate them from the contest,’ said Jasjit Singh, a decorated IAF officer and director of the IAF think tank Centre for Air Power Studies.
He also drew attention to Defence Minister A.K. Antony’s refrain on the tender process being transparent till the end.
An IAF officer in the know of the evaluation process said none of the six aircraft had fulfilled all 643 parameters, but the European (Germany, Spain, Britain and Italy) consortium’s Eurofighter Typhoon and French Rafale had done well on more parameters than others.
The trials were held in Bangalore, high altitude Leh and Jodhpur desert and at a location of the firm’s choice for their weapons. The contract will be awarded before March 2012.
Though IAF chief Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik is on record that the CISMOA communications interoperability agreement mandatory under US laws for transfer of high-end technology to India was irrelevant, the non-signing of the pact would mean restrictions on the planes’ operational capability.
‘The government will not accept any limitation (due to CISMOA) on the technology transfer. The US did take the DRDO off the entity list that restricted transfer of dual use technology by American firms. But that meant nothing because DRDO needs nothing from the Americans at present,’ Jasjit Singh said.
‘From 2005 to 2008, the Americans went on their limb to help India end nuclear apartheid by signing the civilian nuclear deal despite the discriminatory Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. But that doesn’t mean India should do a quid pro quo. We are going to use the fighter jet now selected for another 40 to 50 years,’ Kak said.
India is also wary of US arms supply to Pakistan, particularly the F-16s. ‘We are not their ally, but Pakistan is. There can be no compulsions in bilateral relations,’ Kak added.
In recent years, India has awarded some major defence deals to both the ‘new friend’ US and ‘trusted partner’ Russia to keep them happy but now it is the turn of the Europeans to reap the benefits.
The US won the $2.1 billion contract for P8I naval patrol aircraft and the C-130J transporter for special operations. It is also likely to sign the $5.8 billion contract for 10 C-17 heavylifters. Russia walked away with a $30-billion deal for 250 fifth generation fighters and 50 medium transport aircraft.
‘In such a scenario, India may not like to put all its eggs in one or two baskets. It would like to spread the wealth around,’ another serving IAF officer said.
(N.C. Bipindra can be contacted at nc.bipindra@ians.in)
