Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government will insist on making a deal with a company that will set up manufacturing facilities in India for full production of the up to 114 aircraft

by Jim Morris

Here’s a cautionary note to Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Dassault or anyone else who wants to bag one of the biggest defence deal in recent years – if you’re hoping to win the $20 billion contract to build India’s Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft, you’ll have to build the entire plane there, reported Warrior Maven.

According to the Indian Express, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government will insist on making a deal with a company that will set up manufacturing facilities in India for full production of the up to 114 aircraft. The government is also said to be insisting on the winning partner setting up a joint venture with an Indian company. Additionally, there must be a transfer of technology.

Modi’s government has pushed a “Make in India” initiative for defence procurement, but that has meant that only parts of foreign-made weapons systems be made there. This change in policy is likely to further delay the plane’s acquisition.

A number of fighters are said to be in the running. Lockheed has proposed building the F-21, a joint project with India’s Tata that it says would create tens of thousands of jobs in India.( F-21 - Lockheed Martin) Other planes being considered are Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet, Dassault’s Rafale, SAAB’s Gripen, the Russian MiG-35 and the Eurofighter Typhoon.

Indian has already bought 36 French-made Rafale jets. But Dassault is said to be less than enthusiastic about the idea of transferring technology so a new fighter plane could be built in India.

India is in a race to replace aging planes bought from the old Soviet Union at a time when two possible foes, China and Pakistan, have upgraded their air forces. China has deployed its J-20 fighter near the contested border with India, while Pakistan has shown interest in buying the Chinese-made FC-31, which is similar to the US F-35, and the Turkish KAAN – both of which are stealth fighters.

(With Inputs From International Agency)