The great competition for the next Indian fighter begins: eight candidates, Gripen in an excellent position
The Saab Gripen is one of the eight contenders for the IAF's probable 114 Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA). The Swedish company Saab, a leader in the defense technology sector, has announced that it has partnered with local manufacturers for the rapid indigenousization of the platform. A 20 billion dollar race .
If selected, it will also deliver the first Gripen E/F fighter, with significant indigenous content, within three years of ordering . A very short time for a very complex modern fighter.
The company is also open to explore manufacturing opportunities of the cutting-edge fighter in India to serve local and global markets, along with comprehensive technology transfer.
The company is capable of starting large-scale production in India, which will include everything: not just the airframe, but also the systems and software. They propose rapid Indigenization supported by a range of private partners. A technological transfer very welcome in New Delhi.
The MRFA proposal
The requirement for the 114 MRFAs of the Indian Air Force (IAF) was formally announced in April 2018 with a request for information (RFI). The Indian Navy also needed new fighter jets.
Eight aircraft responded to the request for information. These include the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, the Boeing F-15EX Eagle II, the Lockheed Martin F-21 (a variant of the F-16V with 14 specific customizations for India), the Dassault Rafale , the Eurofighter Typhoon, the Saab JAS-39 Gripen E/F, the Mikoyan MiG-35 and the Sukhoi Su-35.
Later, as per the Indian government policy, it was decided that all the jets would follow the “Make in India” policy and be manufactured in the Indian production line.
The contract was expected to be worth around $20 billion. Technology transfer in collaboration with local partners was supposed to complete the deal. However, almost six years after responding to the request for information, the procurement or request for proposal (RFP) has still not been sent.
According to the latest news released by the Indian media, the Modi government fully supports the Indian Air Force's (IAF) plans to purchase 114 Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) and is aware of the depletion of fighter squadrons.
Saab JAS 39E/F Gripen
The Saab JAS 39 E/F Gripen is a supersonic single-engine light multirole fighter produced by the Swedish aerospace and defense company Saab AB.
The Gripen has a delta wing and canard configuration, a relaxed stability design, and fly-by-wire flight controls. The first flight took place in 1988 and the first production aircraft was delivered in 1993.
The first variant entered service with the Swedish Air Force in 1996. The latest variant, the Gripen JAS 39E/F, entered service with the Swedish and Brazilian Air Forces in 2019.
The JAS 39E is the single-seat production version developed from the Gripen NG programme, while the JAS 39F is the two-seat version. The JAS 39 E/F has a larger fuselage, more powerful engine, increased weapons load capacity and a new cockpit, avionics architecture, electronic warfare system and other improvements. As of 2023, more than 300 variants of the Gripen have been built.
An aircraft carrier-based version of the Gripen E has been proposed, while an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) variant of the Gripen E has been proposed. The Gripen EA is the electronic warfare (EW) or electronic attack variant of the Gripen F.
The current aircraft was purchased approximately 67% from Swedish or European suppliers and 33% from the United States. The engine, fuel and hydraulics come from suppliers outside Sweden.
On the other hand, avionics, software, mission computers, systems integration, data and sensor fusion, and virtually all other elements are domestically produced. These include radar and electronic warfare systems and weapons systems.
Sweden has offered to integrate Indian systems and weapons onto the platform. Some operators have adopted the less expensive GE F414G engine compared to the Eurojet EJ200. The version offered to India can have a more powerful EJ-200 engine or the GE depending on customer requests.
The Saab Gripen had been a competitor for the previous MMRCA deal. But after almost 15 years, the technologies offered by the Gripen E are the latest. Artificial intelligence is incorporated for faster and better operational decision making, and network capabilities have been significantly improved.
A plus is that all operators have access to the Gripen's source code and technical documentation, allowing for the independent integration of upgrades and new equipment.
Saab has committed to fully transfer the Gripen E technology to India if it wins the contract. However, some in India are concerned about the high level of hardware supplied by the United States, such as electronics, armaments and the GE-F414 engine.
The countries currently operating are Brazil, Czech Republic, Hungary, Thailand and South Africa. Sweden is the only country to have a significant number of pilots, over 100. The UK's Empire Test Pilots' School operates one for training.
SAAB tied up with the Adani group as a partner for production in India in 2017, but then the agreement was interrupted in 2023, although it could certainly be resumed. . The Swedish government supports the proposal. If India were to start producing the GE F414 in India, this could be an advantage.
Boeing F/A-18IN
The Boeing F/A18E/F Super Hornet is a twin-engine multirole fighter. The aircraft evolved from the YF-17, which had lost the competition to the USAF, to the F-16 in the mid-1970s.
The F-18 first flew in 1978 as the Hornet and is used by the US Marines and US Navy, the Royal Australian and the Spanish Air Force, among others. Nearly 1,500 Hornets were built.
The Hornet and Super Hornet successfully participated in the Gulf and Middle East wars. The Super Hornet has a new, larger airframe and has undergone extensive avionics upgrades. The aircraft is powered by 2 General Electric F414-400 turbojets. The variant likely to be offered will be customized for India and will be called the F/A-18IN, and will have a newer AESA radar.
The joint venture between Boeing and Tata, the Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL) plant in Hyderabad, supports India as a global exporter of aerospace products. The 14,000-square-meter facility produces the aerostructures of Boeing's AH-64 Apache helicopter for customers around the world.
This is the first time the Super Hornet has been offered for production in a foreign country. The Indian Navy also needed a twin-engine deck fighter. It appears to have chosen to purchase 26 Rafale-M jets, preferring them to the F-18.
Boeing F-15EX Eagle II
The Boeing F-15EX Eagle II is an advanced two-seat variant of the F-15E Strike Eagle and made its maiden flight in February 2021. Enhancements include the Advanced Missile and Bomb Ejector Rack (AMBER) system to carry up to to 16 air-to-air missiles, AESA radar, infrared search and track, advanced avionics and electronic warfare equipment, conformal tanks and revised structure with a lifespan of 20,000 hours. The USAF proceeded with these aircraft to maintain fleet size as F-22 production ended. The USAF has ordered approximately 80 aircraft.
The Israeli Air Force has ordered 25 F-15IA fighters and plans to upgrade 25 F-15Is to F-15IA standard. The aircraft's maximum take-off weight is 36.7 tonnes, similar in class to the Sukhoi Su-30 MKI's 38.8 tonnes.
With over 260 Su-30 MKIs in the IAF's supply, India will have to decide whether it needs such a large aircraft in greater numbers than the USAF.
Eurofighter Typhoon
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine canard-delta wing multirole fighter produced by a consortium of Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo established in 1986. The aircraft entered operational service in 2003 and to date approximately 600 have been built, used by 10th Air Force.
The fighter is powered by two Eurojet EJ200 engines. It is an agile fighter that has seen operations in Libya. The Eurofighter, along with the Rafale, was one of two aircraft selected after a technical evaluation during the MMRCA tender, but lost the commercial tender.
Despite being a consortium, India will need to have a lead partner to enter into a contract. Aircraft upgrades include the integration of MBDA Meteor, Storm Shadow and Brimstone. Upgrades to the AESA radar and electronics suite are also planned.
Lockheed Martin F-21
The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine, multirole fighter aircraft that first flew in 1974 and has since been used by 26 countries. It has been repeatedly updated, including with changes to the airframe.
Today the aircraft features the latest technologies and the modularity makes it easily upgradeable. The F-21 will be an India-specific Block 70 variant .
The aircraft will be equipped with Northrop Grumman's advanced APG-83 AESA radar and enhanced avionics for battlespace awareness. Numerous weapons are also planned, including the latest versions of the AIM-120 AMRAAM.
The aircraft is powered by a GE F110-132A engine. Its structural life has been extended to allow it to fly until 2040. Operational capabilities are improved thanks to an advanced data link, targeting pod and weapons, precision GPS navigation and automatic collision avoidance system at soil (Auto GCAS).
At one point, the offer was to move the entire F-16 production line to India and make India the hub of the global supply chain. With 2,250 F-16s still flying in 26 countries, this would be a very significant move.
Lockheed Martin has a joint venture with Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), which has a proven track record of producing airframe components for the C-130J and S-92 helicopter. The F-16 wings are manufactured in India for global customers. Lockheed Martin and Tata will produce the F-21 in India, for India.
Mikoyan MiG 35
The Mikoyan MiG-35 is a Russian multi-role fighter that is essentially a further development of the MiG-29M2. It was first showcased internationally during Aero India 2007.
The single-seat version is called MiG-35, while the two-seat version is called MiG-35D. The fighter is equipped with improved avionics and weapons systems, including a new AESA radar and precision-guided targeting capabilities.
Since the IAF has already upgraded the MiG-29s, India has already partially absorbed its technologies.
Sukhoi Su-35
The Sukhoi Su-35 is yet another upgrade of the Su-27 family of air defense fighters. It is a single-seat, twin-engine, super maneuverable and multi-role aircraft. The two-seat version resembles the Su-30MK family, already in use in the Indian armed forces.
The Su-35 has a redesigned cockpit and weapons control system, variable thrust engines and no canards. It made its first flight in February 2008. It is currently used by the Russian Air Force and the People's Liberation Army (PLAAF).
Since India has a large number of Su-30MKIs and has proposed to upgrade them, the Su-35 may not be that attractive.
Rafale
After a grueling selection process, the omni-role Rafale was the winner of the MMRCA tender. It has been operationally tested in Afghanistan, Libya, Mali, Iraq and Syria.
The fleet is fully operational in the IAF. India has infrastructure for two air bases and has paid for India-specific one-off improvements.
The F4 is the latest variant, with upgrades to radar and sensors that facilitate long-range stealth targeting and improved communications equipment for more effective network-centric warfare.
It is a variant on offer. In light of the IAF's depleting numbers, albeit expensive, one school of thought is to order more Rafales. The Indian Navy is likely to order the Rafale-M. These additional numbers would support Make-in-India.
Complexity of multiple fleets
While the trend worldwide is to have a limited fleet of types, the IAF continues to be mired in a multiplicity of fighter fleets with Jaguar, Mirage 2000, Su-30, MiG-21 and 29, LCA and Rafale.
Adding more types would mean continuing to have a logistical nightmare. Larger fleets can amortize costs and maintain decent reserves. Ideally, the IAF would be content with a fleet of SU-30 MKIs, Rafales and LCAs in the long run, with a new fighter and an AMCA later.
Nearly 65% of the IAF is of Russian origin. This dependence on a single country must be reduced, and this has become clearer after the conflict in Ukraine.
India will likely aim for a multiple fleet in the future using indigenous, Russian and Western aircraft.
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The article The great race for the next Indian fighter begins: eight candidates, Gripen in an excellent position comes from Scenari Economici .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/parte-la-grande-gara-per-il-prossimo-caccia-indiano-otto-i-candidati-gripen-in-ottima-posizione/ on Thu, 31 Oct 2024 09:00:21 +0000.