IAF MMRCA trials to commence in July- August

After years of RFPs and bid submitting the Indian Medium Multi-role Fighter Aircraft (MMRCA) acquisition program is fast advancing towards the field trial stage. All six contenders for India’s $10 billion MMRCA competition will participate in the evaluation trails to commence in the July-August 2009 timeframe. Indian media quoting official sources said that there would two sets of trials conducted in summer and winter 2008-2009 in varying climatic and altitude condition in the cold Ladakh region of north India, the desert region of Rajasthan, the hot and humid South India. All six contenders have reportedly agreed to participate in the field trials on a no cost-no commitment basis. This means that contenders would bring their aircraft and crew and there would no cost the Indian MOD and no commitment to buy the aircraft. The six contenders are the Boeing F/A-18, the F-16 (Lockheed Martin), the Russian MiG-35 (United Aircraft Corporation), Swedish Gripen (Saab) and Eurofighter Typhoon. After the results of the field trials, the commercial bids will be examined and compared after a shortlist is made of two to three top contenders. It is not yet clear how the final evaluation will done to shortlist the winner out of the two or three short-listed contenders, considering that the short-listed companies would have met the technical and field trial requirements. The Indian MoD will also have to be prepared for complaints and other irritants from those firms that lose out in the short-list and later on, from those that lose the final bid. As has happened in the past, the losing bidders have raised various issues that has led to delays in acquisition.