Enhanced Capability

Acontract for the supply of 36 Rafale jets for the IAF in flyaway condition from Dassault Aviation of France was signed on September 23, 2016. The aircraft will be equipped with the potent RBE2AA AESA radar. The deal includes the supply of Meteor BVRAAMs with 100-km plus range, Scalp air-launched subsonic cruise missiles with 560-km plus range, MICA missile from MBDA, towed decoys, ECM packages, Israeli developed helmet-mounted sight and possibly an array of other weapon systems yet to be disclosed.

The support package caters for operation of the aircraft from two airbases in India. Guarantees by Dassault include a minimum of 75 per cent fleet serviceability. Delivery of the aircraft will begin by end 2019 and will be completed by mid-2021. As the number is currently restricted to just 36, it will add a limited but powerful punch and enhance the operational capability of the IAF in the conventional role. However, its contribution in the nuclear weapons delivery role will be significant. The state in which the combat fleet of the IAF is in today, it would have made more sense to induct the originally projected 126 platforms as the IAF certainly needs many more platforms with similar or better capability. However, at this point in time, something is perhaps better than nothing!