MMRCA 2.0: News & Discussions

[Cheepek]

View: https://x.com/ani_digital/status/1851194878660653540

Lolipop for Trumpwa, i guess

 

[Gessler]

These tenders are nothing but time-pass. Have long said we can't afford 114 foreign 4.5 gens. Best we can do is buy 36 more off the shelf, then press full send on Tejas Mk2.

The problem now is, we waited too long to order the follow-on 36 off the shelf. Now unless we go with full 100+ jet order we aren't gonna get the local production line which means we've no option but depend on the line in France which is fully booked out.


View: https://x.com/alpha_defense/status/1851283005483958579?t=NoEReNiss5a22YYEMtFRow&s=19

I've long maintained that we just don't have the kind of CAPEX needed for 114 jet order and aren't gonna have it till next few years at the least thanks to impending large expenditures on Tejas Mk1A follow-on order (97) and Rafale-M for Navy (26). But by the time we do have the CAPEX in hand, we'll be in the run-up to 2029 elections and no deal with foreign OEM on this scale will be possible due to fear of corruption allegations. But by 2030 the time for ordering large numbers of Tejas Mk2 and funding AMCA Mk1 production will come up. Back to square one.

The only way to get more squadrons in hand in the meantime was through off the shelf batch orders but we didn't go through with them in time. It's been over 8 years since first Rafale deal but we kept waiting.

Now I'm wondering what this timeline means for Navy's intended deal.