RAFALE AGAIN?

As India looks for a Medium Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA), AMIT GUPTA argues why the country should make the calculated choice of buying a second order of the French Rafale fighter

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Indian arms procurement efforts are marked by lengthy delays, a complex and opaque acquisitions process, and a resulting arsenal that is overly complex and difficult to maintain. It took, for example, over a decade to procure the Rafale for the Indian Air Force (IAF). The decision-making process led to the inevitable charges of financial misconduct, and the IAF ended up with yet another type of plane to add to its fleet of aircraft, thus making maintenance efforts even more complicated and expensive for the service.

Now the Air Force wishes to procure Medium Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) and it is repeating the same pathologies that mark India's weapons acquisition efforts instead of making a simple decision, which would hasten procurement, make practical sense in terms of logistics, and lead to a quick buildup of squadrons in the Indian air fleet. For a variety of reasons, the simple solution is to buy a second order of the Rafale.

The logic of weapons procurement

The logic of weapons procurement comes from multiple factors: the need for an effective defence; weaponry that is logistically and maintenance-friendly, as well as operationally effective; and one that can help build a relationship with the arms provider. In the past, the need for an effective defence was constrained by the unwillingness of suppliers to give India weapons and by the fact that the country could not afford the high costs of certain weaponry.