India to sign multi-billion dollar MMRCA deal in a year: IAF

BANGALORE: India will sign a contract to acquire 126 fighter jets under the USD 11 billion medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) project within a year, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal P V Naik said today.

"Contract signing, I would say, will be within a year," he told reporters on the sidelines of DARE (Defence Avionics Research Establishment), a Defence Research and Development Organisation ( DRDO) lab based here, Raising Day.

"It (flight evaluation trials report) will be ready by the end of the month," the Air Chief said.

Thereafter, it would go to the Defence Ministry for clearance, he said.

Naik said feedback from IAF pilots who test-flew all the aircraft which were in contention for the contract (estimated to be valued at around Rs 42,000 crore) was "very good".

F/A-18 `Super Hornet' and F-16 `Falcon', Gripen, Rafale, MiG-35 and Eurofighter Typhoon are in the race for the contract.

Asked if merit alone would count in selection of aircraft or geo-strategic interests would also be factored in, the IAF Chief said: "As far as I am concerned, my decision will be on technical evaluation".

He also said India would soon order another 42 Sukhois. Asked if it's a matter of concern that China was reportedly building an airbase in Tibet, he said: "Of course, it is. (But) Sovereign country can build its own airbase. You can build one wherever you want to. It's your right as a sovereign country".