The ‘Mother of all Deals’ is no more. After almost exactly eight years of ups and downs, surprise and intrigue, the demise of the Indian Air Force (IAF) tender for 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) has finally been announced.
Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar informed the Rajya Sabha in response to a question from a Congress MP, “The RFP (Request For Proposal) issued earlier for procurement of 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) has been withdrawn.”Parrikar also clarified that the India has requested 36 Rafale aircraft from the French government ‘in fly-away condition as quickly as possible’ and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President François Hollande ‘agreed to conclude an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for supply of the aircraft on terms that would be better than conveyed by Dassault Aviation as part of a separate process underway, the delivery would be in time-frame that would be compatible with the operational requirement of IAF; and that the aircraft and associated systems and weapons would be delivered on the same configuration as had been tested and approved by IAF, and with a longer maintenance responsibility by France.’
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