Hard-nosed tech evaluation, not clout, decided shortlisting of Eurofighter

This is a "Go to market" case

Publication: The Times Of India Mumbai;

Date: Apr 29, 2011;

Section: Times Nation;

Page: 17

Hard-nosed tech evaluation, not clout, decided shortlist

New Delhi: From a US versus Europe battle, it has become a Europe versus France tussle. The US did mount a high-voltage campaign over the last four years, with even President Barack Obama making a strong sales pitch for American fighters in the final stages but in the end India went “purely'” by the grueling technical evaluation.

Officials, in fact, said both PM Manmohan Singh and defence minister A K Antony had made it clear that the selection process for the gigantic $10.4 billion project to acquire 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) should be guided solely by IAF’s operational requirements, not by “any other extraneous factor”, as also the prospect of further modernizing the jets during their 40-year lifespan.

This came even as representatives of only Eurofighter Typhoon (EADS) and French Rafale (Dassault) jets were called to the defence ministry on Thursday to extend the validity of their yet-to-be-opened commercial bids, within two weeks, till December 31. Rejection letters, in turn, have already been handed over to the other four contenders, American F/A-18 ‘Super Hornet' (Boeing) and F-16 ‘Super Viper' (Lockheed Martin), Swedish Gripen (Saab), and Russian MiG-35 (United Aircraft Corporation).  

Though the Europeans were apprehensive that the Americans might use their clout to swing the MMRCA project, like US has done in other defence deals in the past, their fears have now been laid to rest.  The Eurofighter, followed closely by Rafale, “came closest” to meeting the 643 technical attributes specified by India during the long-drawn field trials held by IAF test pilots both in India and abroad under different weather conditions. “The other four fell below the base line of minimum air staff qualitative requirements to be met,” said the official.

It is, of course, no secret that India remains unhappy with US for supplying more F-16s to Pakistan on the pretext of the war against terror.

Discussion : What are your reflections on the purchase behavior of the Indian Air Force ? Who are the parties involved ? What are the purchase considerations ?