Despite speculations on contenders for the $ 11 billion Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) deal, it could be atleast four more weeks before such a list is finalised.
The technical team of the Indian Air Force (IAF) is still in the process of finalising the trials reports, sources in the ministry of defence told FE.
?Technical evaluation report of the field trials, during which the six foreign contenders in the race were tested by IAF pilots both in India and abroad under different weather conditions.?
?We still have a long way to go before short listing the fighters that have done well in the trials. There was actually no set date for the trial results to be out. Its all speculations and it will take IAF several weeks for submitting the exhaustive report,? said a source.
Recent changes in India?s requirements are changing the relative rankings of the contenders. Geopolitical considerations will also have a crucial role to play, as most of these choices have the potential to improve relations with an important potential ally.
In what started as a lightweight fighter competition to replace India?s shrinking MiG-21 interceptor fleet has now divided into two categories. The multi-billion dollar fighter deal is a contest between the American F/A-18 ?Super Hornet? (Boeing) and F-16 ?Falcon? (Lockheed Martin), Swedish Gripen (Saab), French Rafale (Dassault), Russian MiG-35 (United Aircraft Corporation) and Eurofighter Typhoon (consortium of British, German, Spanish and Italian companies), India is likely to extend its competition for a year, because competitor flight trials could not be completed in May as planned and then two years after accepting price quotes the bids expired and the MoD asked manufacturers to submit offers for an additional year.
Flight trials were carried out at 3 key locations: near Leh, high in the Himalayas; a desert base in Rajasthan; and Bangalore?s tropical climate.
Lockheed Martin (F-16 Block 60+) and Boeing (F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet) have said that they have modified their bids, Sweden?s Saab (JAS-39NG) extended its bid unchanged, and Dassault (Rafale), EADS (Eurofighter), and RAC-MiG (MiG-35) have made no public commitment one way or another. While the one year delay could raise costs, it would however, give the contenders more time to deepen Indian partnerships the ability to revise that information in their offer.