Over the next two months i.e. in the period December 2021 to January 2022, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is scheduled to receive the last batch of six Rafale multi-role combat jets from the French aerospace and defence major Dassault Aviation. This will be last batch to be delivered against the order for a total of 36 platforms for which India and France had signed an inter-governmental agreement in September 2016 after due clearance from the Indian Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS). The first Rafale squadron, the No. 17 Golden Arrows, is based at Ambala under Western Air Command and the second Rafale squadron numbered as 101 Squadron is based at the Hasimara under the Eastern Air Command of the IAF.

According to sources in the IAF, the nation is set to get the final lot of six Rafale multi-role jets with India-specific enhancements in operational capability. While the India-specific enhancements in the capability of the Rafale jet is a classified matter, it is understood that these relate to long range air-toair missiles, low band frequency jammers, advanced communication system, more capable radio altimeter, radar warning receiver, flight data recorder, high-altitude engine start-up, synthetic aperture radar, ground moving target indicator and tracking, infra-red search and track, helmet-mounted display, missile approach warning systems and very high-frequency range decoys. A high level team from the IAF is already in France to assess the India-specific enhancements carried out on one of the last batch of six Rafale jets to be delivered to the IAF.

The first three Rafale combat jets with the enhancements specific to the IAF will arrive in December this year from Istres-Le Tube air base, North West of Marseille, a port city in Southern France, while the last three of multi-role fighters ordered will be flown into Ambala air base in January 2022. On arrival in the country, the enhancement specific to the IAF will once again be tested by the IAF to their satisfaction under the operating conditions in India. In addition, the related claims by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) will also be duly verified by the service. Once these are done to the satisfaction of the IAF, the fleet of 30 Rafale combat jets that are already in service with the IAF, will be retrofitted in the year 2022 with the same enhancements that the last batch of six Rafale jets will be endowed with. The exercise to upgrade the Rafale jets would be carried out at the Air Force base in Ambala which is the first air base in the country to host the Rafale combat jets.

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE INDUCTION OF THE RAFALE JETS

The IAF had initiated a programme in the year 2002 to induct 126 medium multirole combat aircraft (MMRCA) to replace the platforms in its fighter fleet that were due for retirement from service in the near future. The tender for 126 MMRCA was issued in August 2007 to which there was response from six global aerospace and defence majors offering their latest fourth plus generation combat platforms. As per the announcement by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of India on January 31, 2012, from amongst the six combat platforms that were in the race, the Rafale fighter jet emerged as the preferred platform. There also was an in-built option in the tender for 63 additional aircraft. As per the terms of contract, the first 18 aircraft were to be supplied fully built in France by the winning firm Dassault Aviation and the remaining 108 aircraft were to be manufactured under licence by the Indian aerospace and defence major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) with a transfer of technology from the OEM Dassault Aviation. However, the contract negotiations were rather prolonged on account of some unforeseen impediments, the primary one being that the firm awarded the contract for the 126 aircraft would be required to ensure the quality of aircraft produced by HAL and stand guarantee for it. Unfortunately, but quite understandably, Dassault did not agree to stand guarantee for the aircraft produced by HAL despite the fact that the terms of contract against which the French aerospace giant had bid for, carried this precondition. The Indian MOD too refused to budge on this issue leading to a stalemate situation that finally resulted in the cancellation of the tender in 2015 soon after the NDA government had come into power.

Compared to other types of combat jets currently in the inventory of the IAF, the operational capability of a single Rafale combat jet is considerably higher

Soon after the cancellation of the tender for 126 Rafale fighter jets, in response to an urgent requirement projected to the Government by the IAF, during a visit to France on April 10, 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally projected a request to Francois Hollande, President of France, for the direct purchase of 36 Rafale combat jets to which he readily agreed. A Memorandum of Understanding was formally concluded in January 2016 and in September 2016, an inter-governmental agreement with France was concluded for the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets valued at around 58,000 crore.

Thus it was that the acquisition of the 36 Rafale fighter jets for the IAF was finalised as a direct deal between the Governments of India and France thus eliminating the need for a middleman or any other procurement agency which obviated the possibility of allegations of a scam in the deal which appears to have become a frequent occurrence in recent times in deals with foreign companies for the purchase of military hardware. Unfortunately, even in a direct deal with the Government of France, the political parties in India in the opposition did not refrain from making allegations of corruption in the purchase of 36 Rafale jets. Such political conduct is decidedly detrimental to the morale of the Indian armed forces for whom urgently required military hardware is procured.

REVAMPING THE COMBAT FLEET OF THE IAF

As it stands today, the number of fighter squadrons authorised in the combat fleet of the IAF stands at 42 squadrons. Over the years, as the IAF has not been successful in its efforts at inducting modern combat aircraft in the numbers required both from foreign and domestic sources, the size of the combat fleet had dwindled to 31 squadrons. With the induction of two squadrons of the Rafale jets, the strength of the combat fleet has gone up to 33 squadrons as against the required strength of 42 squadrons. However, the increase in the strength of the combat fleet to 33 squadrons is only marginal and the IAF continues to be short of nine combat squadrons. With the retirement of the ageing fleets of MiG-21 Bison and Jaguars, there will be a drastic reduction he strength of the combat fleet of the IAF. As the procurement of combat aircraft from foreign sources is proving to be extremely difficult, the IAF has no option but to depend primarily on indigenous capability that is in a position to provide the light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk 1A of which 83 have been ordered. This will be followed by the Mark 2 version of the LCA which is still under development and by all assessments, its operationalisation is still a long way off.

In these circumstances, induction of the fleet of Rafale jets has been a significant development for the IAF. Compared to other types of combat jets currently in the inventory of the IAF, the operational capability of a single Rafale combat jet is several times higher. Thus for the time being, even with the induction of just 36 Rafale combat jets to equip two squadrons, there will be significant enhancement in the overall operational capability of the IAF. With the India-specific enhancements on the fleet of 36 Rafale combat jets on the flight line, the IAF will undoubtedly achieve a higher level of operational potency.