Saab
believes co-developing Tejas Mark II with DRDO would end IAF's need for Rafale
By Ajai
Shukla
Business Standard, 17th June 14
More than
two years after India’s defence ministry (MoD) chose to buy 126 Dassault Rafale
fighters for the Indian Air Force (IAF), the world’s biggest fighter contract twists
in the wind. With no deal in sight after 28 months of haggling with Dassault, two
of the losing vendors --- Eurofighter and Saab --- believe they could yet come
out tops.
Eurofighter
GmbH, whose Typhoon fighter narrowly lost out to the Rafale, still retains a
senior executive in New Delhi. This is to allow Eurofighter --- the official
runner-up --- to quickly step in should negotiations with Dassault collapse.
Swedish
company, Saab, whose Gripen-D light fighter was evaluated but not selected, similarly
believes the contract remains open. Saab places hope in a proposal that it
formulated with the Defence R&D Organisation (DRDO) to co-develop and co-manufacture
the improved Tejas Mark II Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). This affordable, indigenous,
single-engine fighter could be built in numbers, providing the IAF a more
economical and effective option than limited numbers of enormously expensive,
twin-engine Rafales.
Saab
believes that a successful Tejas Mark II would erode the need for the Rafale.
The Swedish company has offered co-development and co-manufacture of the Tejas
Mark II, even whilst fielding the cheapest and most economical fighter of the
six in the fray.
As IAF
officers confirm, India had intended to buy a cheap, light fighter to replace
the IAF’s MiG-21s as they were phased out of service. In late 2004, the IAF
sent out a “request for information”, to four manufacturers of small, cheap
fighters --- the Russian MiG-29; the American F-16; the French Mirage-2000-5,
and the Saab Gripen.
Only in
August 2007, when the IAF issued a formal tender --- termed “request for
proposal”, or RfP --- were expensive, twin-engine fighters like the Eurofighter,
Rafale and F/A-18 regarded as options. Today, with the economy stuttering, the daunting
prospect of paying Rs 1,00,000 crore for 126 fighters could mean that low cost
becomes decisive.
Saab sees
further advantage in backing the indigenous horse, the Tejas Mark II. The
Swedish company claims it is best suited for upgrading the Tejas Mark I, since
it is currently upgrading the Gripen-D by fitting a new engine, the General
Electric F-414 power pack. Upgrading the Tejas Mark I to Mark II specifications
involves exactly the same upgrade.
The last
DRDO chief, Dr VK Saraswat, was convinced that Saab’s assistance would be ideal
for the Tejas programme. In 2012, the DRDO sent Saab a “Request for
Information” asking for a rough estimate of costs, which Saab duly submitted.
In Jan
2013, DRDO followed up with a “Request for Proposal”, or RfP, asking for
technical and financial bids for Saab to jointly audit the Tejas design with
DRDO. Saab had proposed an 8-10 month long audit, after which a fresh design
would be finalised and a manufacturing line established.
MoD sources
tell Business Standard that Saab proposed in 2011 to co-develop the Tejas Mark
II and roll it out from a new manufacturing line within five years. Saab wanted
at least 51 per cent ownership of the joint venture company that built the new
Tejas, to be free of government controls and procedures.
By May
2013, a joint design contract seemed imminent, says Saab. But, on June 1, a new
DRDO chief, Dr Avinash Chander, took charge and Saab was unofficially told that
DRDO could not co-develop the Tejas with a foreign company without an
international tender to select the partner.
Contacted
for comments, a DRDO spokesperson told Business Standard that design work on
the Tejas Mark II is proceeding satisfactorily without a foreign partner.
In fact, MoD
sources admit the Tejas Mark II programme faces significant design challenges
beyond merely fitting a new engine. The Tejas Mark I was not designed with
operational availability in mind, with important systems placed in inaccessible
places that take time for technicians to reach. The Gripen-D, in contrast,
requires just 5 man-hours of maintenance for an hour of flying. (The figure for
the Tejas in not available, but the Rafale is estimated to require 15
man-hours).
Furthermore,
the new F-414 engine would require the Tejas’ length to be increased by half a
metre. In addition, experts say the air intakes will have to be redesigned,
since they do not allow in sufficient air for even the F-404 engine, far less
the more powerful F-414 that will be fitted.
Aerospace
analysts acknowledge Saab’s expertise in building economical and effective
fighters. The Gripen-D costs half as much as a Rafale. International expert,
Jane’s, puts the operating cost of a Gripen at $4,700 per flight hour, while
flying a Rafale for an hour costs $15,000.