Indian Air Force will buy 20 Mirages

sandy

Active member
NEW DELHI: Faced with an unprecedented depletion in its fighter fleet and a possible delay in the contract for 126 new fighters, the Indian Air Force is proposing to buy 20 new Mirage fighters from France and overhaul its existing Mirage fleet.
The entire contract would cost over Rs7,000 crores.
Sources told DNA that the Ministry of Defence conveyed its proposal to the top brass of Dassault Aviation, manufacturers of Mirage, when French President Jacques Chirac visited India in February. The decision comes at a time when the government has slowed down the procedure to acquire 126 new fighters, contracts for which could be gifted to the US, if the US Congress approves the nuclear deal. DNA reported on Monday the government is toying with the idea of using the fighter contract as a leverage and reciprocity with the US.
Each of the proposed new Mirage 2000-5 fighters would cost over Rs 200 crores. Mirage 2000-5 fighters are the latest version of the fabled French fighters, some 50 of which are in service with the IAF. The new version would carry Israeli and Russian avionics and ammunition, sources said. The IAF, which presently has three Mirage squadrons, would add a fourth squadron with the new Mirages, sources said.
The proposal seeks to overhaul the entire Mirage 2000 fleet of IAF to bring them at par with the Mirage 2000-5. The overhaul for each fighter would cost over Rs70 crores, and the entire overhaul budget for Mirages could be over Rs3,500 crores, sources said. The overhaul would be carried out at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
“The fleet strength is going down. We are not looking at a very rosy future,” says a source involved in the deal. The IAF has an authorised strength of 39.5 squadrons but presently it has only around 35 in operation. “It has been depleting for quite sometime. The 126 fighters were projected in 2001 and approved by the government, but today the requirement is much more. When I retired the strength was already down by two or three squadrons. Now it would be more. The depletion is steady,” says former IAF chief Air Chief Marshal S Krishnaswamy.
The unusual and urgent proposal to acquire the 20 state-of-the-science Mirage 2000-5 comes at a time when its manufacturer Dassault Aviation is planning to stop production of Mirage 2000-5. They have already pulled out Mirage 2000-5 model from the race for 126 fighters, offering its new Rafale fighters instead.
Without commenting directly on the proposal, Krishnaswamy says the Mirages are “good aircrafts and the air force is very happy with it”.
 
well. how will it take for india to make a plane by themself. buying weapon cannot support a long and large scale of wars
 
Hi,

phoenix80 said:
I heard they were going to buy F-16s
Never ;) ........ No India is Not ........ Never Trust the yanks ...... Let me try and Explain this ..... Whenever India needs to Buy Somethig we Float a Global tender .. In India it's Illegal to Buy Weapons From one Bidder ........ you have to have at least 2 Bidding Contendrs for teh deal to be finalised........ Otherwise No deal ....... Now anybody can bid for it even you can ;)........ India Floated a Tender for 126 Fighter Jets ......... and For the Fist Time Two American Companies Send the Offer Boieng with it's F/A 16Super Hornets and the Other Was F-16 .......... Including Mig with their Latest Mig 35 (Mig 29 OVT) and Mig 29 and Drassul with Mirage2000 and Possibaly Rafale...... the Deal is Still being Finalised .....India will Choose from one of these Bids .... But F-18 and F-18 Don't stand a Chance i the Deal due to several Fectors Like their Price and Age ....... I was reading Interview of Fighter Pilots and they overmeingly Voted For Mirage 2000 and Rafale.

And Sandy can you Give me link .... If it's Really Mirage 2000-5 the latest Twin Seater Verson ? then it's a new Development

zhjsg said:
well. how will it take for india to make a plane by themself. buying weapon cannot support a long and large scale of wars
Make Peace not War :D ........ Well you have to Look it this way We still are a Developing Country ........ YOu have to maintain the Fragile balance Between Indegenious Production and Buying Weapons From Abroad ........ you can't straight was making Planes To counter F-18 or SU 30 ........ so you have to Buy weapons from abroad and Aslo Put Money in the Indegenious Production ......... Because R& D is Not Cheap

Peace
-=SF-13=-
 
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I heard India was going with the F-16 (bock 52?) to get there hands on a AESA radar.
 
SwordFish_13 said:
Hi,


Never ;) ........ No India is Not ........ Never Trust the yanks ...... Let me try and Explain this ..... Whenever India needs to Buy Somethig we Float a Global tender .. In India it's Illegal to Buy Weapons From one Bidder ........ you have to have at least 2 Bidding Contendrs for teh deal to be finalised........ Otherwise No deal ....... Now anybody can bid for it even you can ;)........ India Floated a Tender for 126 Fighter Jets ......... and For the Fist Time Two American Companies Send the Offer Boieng with it's F/A 16Super Hornets and the Other Was F-16 .......... Including Mig with their Latest Mig 35 (Mig 29 OVT) and Mig 29 and Drassul with Mirage2000 and Possibaly Rafale...... the Deal is Still being Finalised .....India will Choose from one of these Bids .... But F-18 and F-18 Don't stand a Chance i the Deal due to several Fectors Like their Price and Age ....... I was reading Interview of Fighter Pilots and they overmeingly Voted For Mirage 2000 and Rafale.

And Sandy can you Give me link .... If it's Really Mirage 2000-5 the latest Twin Seater Verson ? then it's a new Development


Make Peace not War :D ........ Well you have to Look it this way We still are a Developing Country ........ YOu have to maintain the Fragile balance Between Indegenious Production and Buying Weapons From Abroad ........ you can't straight was making Planes To counter F-18 or SU 30 ........ so you have to Buy weapons from abroad and Aslo Put Money in the Indegenious Production ......... Because R& D is Not Cheap

Peace
-=SF-13=-

Okay, I don't understand why Indian don't trust the Americans?
 
It makes sense. In addition to MiGs, India already operates a fleet of Mirages and these spare parts are interchangeable (some of them). If India were to purchase US aircraft that would mean it would have to deal with the logistics of supporting aircraft from 3 different manufactuers (France, US, Russia). A logitics nightmare to say the least.

The only thing surprising is their choice of the Mirage 2000-5 an aircraft that Dessault admits is nearing obsolence. It would be a far better move to get some Rafales instead.
 
Hi,

To add to that Mirage also has Operational assembly lines In India ... So Production can start Instantly ..........

Rafale Does pack a Mean Punch But at $70 Million Per Piece ......It aren't Cheap :-(........ Mirage is Much Much Cheaper Compared to Rafale .......... And IAF Pilots Seem To be happy With Mirage as Stated In this Article

Mirage 2000-5 is Indeed a Strange Choice ..... I would Have Prefered Mirage 2000 than Mirage 2000-5 ...... Apart from India France has 110 , Taiwan 60 aircraft, Qatar 12 and Greece some 12 MIrage 2000-5 ..... France Didn't get many Buyers for Mirage 2000-5 ...... It's a Fine Aircraft never the less .

mirage200013ez.jpg

Mirage 2000-5 Mk2
 
I think in the late 80's Australia off loaded their Mirage III's to Pakistan!!!
Nice to see India one upping the neighbours! TIC.
 
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