CLOSE THE MMRCA DEAL NOW !!!!!

We all know IAF is desperately short of fighters with its strength now below 32
squadrons,and expected to go down further with more aircrafts being retired. Whi
le a sanctioned strength is 39.5 squadrons with healthy level of 44 squadrons wh
ich India reached only in mid 80s, the aging MiG21 retirement and delay in induc
tion of Tejas meant India had to go for MMRCA. With threat from China looming la
rge and people saying China likely to attack India in 2012, we need to get aircr
afts in the air very fast. Here is how we can make do without MMRCA :-
1. We are entering into US$2.1 billion TOT deal with Dassault for upgrading our
56 Mirage-2000 (a 4 generation aircraft) so that they continue flying till 2025
and beyond till our latest fighters start arriving (LCA,AMCA, FGFA, more Su-30MK
I). Few points should be noted -
a. UAE is reportedly exchanging all its 68 Mirage 2000 with Rafale and Dassault
will buy them back (as it did with 12 Mirage 2000 of Qatar, which India wanted t
o buy but backed out due to high price) to export to other countries.
b. A South American country which has Mirage 2000 kept in storage is planning to
sell (over 10 in nos) them back to Dassault.
2. India is going for US$ 12 billion MMRCA deal for 126 aircrafts (essentially 4
.5 generation) from 6 contenders with TOT to tide over our shortfall in aircraft
numbers. Few points should be noted -
a. India reportedly doesnâ t want to buy Mig 35, being wary of putting all eggs in on
e Russian basket.
b. India reportedly doesnâ t want to go for Gripen (it will not help forge greater po
litical/economic ties),
c. The Rafale/Eurofighter are both good aircrafts but very expensive.
d. F-16 is already 30 yr old platform and in service with PAF and F-18 Super Hor
net is very expensive.
e. India is wary of saying no to US as it can hamper our future deals and antago
nize the US with ramifications in political, economic and other areas.
Then what we should do -
1. Instead of going for MMRCA deal for 126 aircrafts (whoever will be lucky), th
e first of which will arrive only by 2014; we can easily buy the nearly 90 Mirag
e 2000 sold back to Dassault (by UAE, Qatar, and a South American nation) in rel
atively good flying condition before 2012. These will start arriving before star
t of 2012 if selected
2. With TOT for upgrading our own 56, we can have 146 Mirage 2000 by 2012 (if al
l buy backs for 90+ Mirage 2000 go well and we purchase them from Dassault). The
n we can steadily upgrade all of these for our requirement (to 4.5 generation),
the only thing missing
possibly will be a AESA radar, and thrust vectoring.
3. Once we start upgrading, we can sign a deal with Dassault to manufacture 100
more Mirage 2000 in India becoming sole manufacturer of these. We should remembe
r Dassault had offered Mirage 2000 TOT for production in India itself in 1980s a
nd but India refused. Its known that India is now the sole maker of Jaguars and
if its same for Mirage 2000 what is the problem.
4. We can also keep 40 Mirage 2000 exclusively for nuke strike mission as wanted
by SFC, and we know itâ s a top contender for the deal if RFP is given.
5. If we try to find which will be more costly? The MMRCA deal for 126+74 option
that will ultimately cost around US$17-18 billion or the upgrade of 56 Mirage 2
000 and buying the 90+ Mirage 2000 from other countries (through Dassault) + mak
ing 100 in India that will cost around US$10-11 billion at the maximum. It turns
out that the second option is a better option, so India should cancel MMRCA dea
l and go for Mirage 2000.