Govt explores 'non-controversial' path to acquire multirole fighters

New Delhi: The government is looking for a "non-controversial" model to acquire new multirole fighter jets for IAF after the Rafale fighter jet deal raised a massive political row, eventually leading to the sharing of confidential information with the Supreme Court to bring a closure to the issue.

Sources said that the 36 Rafale jets were acquired in good faith by the government in 2016 but the ensuing row brought the deal under the scanner. They added the requirement of 114 multirole fighters has been accepted by the government and the process is on to select an acquisition model that wouldn't attract controversy.

Questions like how the selection process would proceed, the amount of indigenous content in the aircraft and other issues have to be sorted.


Earlier this month, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh made it clear that IAF urgently requires new multirole jets beyond the planned induction of indigenous light combat aircraft. He said the multirole fighter aircraft are 'needed as of yesterday' and that the force has been 'waiting for the decision to be taken as to what route we will follow'.

IAF has been trying to convince the government to process acquisition of 114 multirole jets for over six years, but hasn't yet got the go ahead to issue the formal selection process with a tender and flight trials.

The Air chief said that while 83 LCA Mk1 aircraft have been ordered and another 97 are in the pipeline, the promised timelines of delivery and development have to be followed and orders placed under the MRFA programme.