The Narendra Modi government is looking at splitting the mega deal for 114 Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) for the Indian Air Force (IAF) into two separate orders, even as the Navy pursues its own fighter aircraft acquisition programme, Trend reports citing The Print.
Sources in the Indian defence and security establishment said that instead of acquiring 114 fighters in one go, as was planned earlier, the government is looking at going in for an initial order of 54 aircraft for the IAF.
This would involve 18 fighters being bought off-the-shelf from the foreign Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and 36 being built in India through a joint venture under Make In India.
This would be an order that will be placed with the foreign OEM directly.
Asked what happens to the subsequent need for the IAF, the sources said that a follow-on order will be placed to the joint venture and this deal would be in Indian currency.
While sources refused to speculate on whether there would be a global tender that will be issued, the main players for the IAF deal will be American firm Boeing, and Dassault Aviation of France.