Six Bids to Supply 110 Fighters for IAF

• 09 Jul 2018

Six global aircraft manufacturers have responded to a Request for Information (RFI) from the Indian Air Force to supply 110 fighter aircraft.

• Of the 110 fighter jets, 85% will have to be built in India under the ‘Make in India’ programme in partnership with a “Strategic Partner/Indian Production Agency.”
• The procurement will be processed through the Strategic Partnership (SP) model under the Defence Procurement Procedure.

Defence Procurement Procedure

• Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) came into effect in 2016. It focuses on institutionalizing, streamlining and simplifying defence procurement procedure to give a boost to ‘Make in India’.
• The key feature of the revised DPP is to ‘Buy (Indian)’ and ‘Buy and Make (Indian)’.

Strategic Partnership

• The Strategic Partnerships in Defence sector was promulgated as part of the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP).
• The policy is intended to institutionalize a transparent, objective and functional mechanism to encourage broader participation of the private sector, in addition to  DPSUs / OFB, in the manufacture of defense platforms and equipment.
• It will serve to enhance competition, increase efficiencies, facilitate faster and more significant absorption of technology and trigger innovation thereby leading to the reduction in dependence on imports and greater self-reliance in meeting national security objectives.
• The following four segments have been identified for acquisition under Strategic Partnership (SP) route: Fighter Aircraft; Helicopters; Submarines and Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFVs) / Main Battle Tanks (MBTs).