SOURCE: AFI
The French-speaking military online portal, Avions Legendaires, has reported that Lockheed Martin is positioned as the primary challenger to Dassault in the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Medium Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) tender for 114 jets. The report claims that Lockheed Martin has offered its F-16V Viper, rebranded as the F-21 for India, as a strong competitor to Dassault’s Rafale fighter jet.
What makes Lockheed Martin the main challenger to Dassault is not entirely clear from the report, but the portal hints at significant backing from the U.S. administration, which is allegedly exerting diplomatic pressure on India to select the American fighter jet. The F-16V Viper, a modernized version of the legendary F-16, has already seen international success, with Taiwan purchasing 66 units from Lockheed Martin.
But French Portal is also the front runner according to the Portal and likely will win the deal from IAF due to the current lot of 36 Rafale fighter jets by IAF and 26 Rafale M that are to be procured by the Indian Navy for its Aircraft Carrier. F-21 on the other hand according to idrw.org reports is the lest favored jet due to various factors it is based on the older F-16 platforms and IAF doesn’t regard it as the best jet in the race since it was rejected in the previous MRCA tender where F-16 Block 70 failed to clear technical rounds.
In 2019, Taiwan signed a deal with the U.S. to acquire 66 F-16V jets, which came at a total cost of approximately $13 billion. Thus, the per-unit price of an F-16V for Taiwan is around $197 million. However, this price may include not only the aircraft but also associated training, spare parts, and weapon systems.
For comparison, the Rafale fighter jet has been priced differently in various international deals. India’s 2016 deal to acquire 36 Rafale jets from France was valued at approximately €7.87 billion (or about $8.8 billion USD at the time). Calculating the per-unit price Therefore, the per-unit price of the Rafale jet in this particular deal was approximately $244 million USD.
It is important to note that these figures are estimates and the actual prices may vary due to factors such as customisation, additional equipment, and negotiations between the buyer and seller.
The MRFA tender is a significant procurement for the IAF, and the decision will have far-reaching implications for India’s defense capabilities and strategic partnerships. Both Lockheed Martin and Dassault are expected to make compelling bids, and the final decision will likely be influenced by a combination of factors, including technical specifications, pricing, and geopolitical considerations.