RFP for 126 MRCA to Take Some More Time: IAF Chief

New Delhi, Apr 9 (UNI) The wait for the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the 126 Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) that India wishes to purchase shall have to continue for yet some more time, according to new Indian Air Force Chief Fali Homi Major.

''Even I don't know when the RFP shall be out,'' admitted Air Chief Marshal Major to mediapersons here today when questioned about this very first stage of any defence purchase that India makes.

The IAF Chief -- in his first media interaction since assuming office on March 31 -- pointed out that the Indian Defence Purchase Policy -- enunciated last year -- laid down stringent conditions of Offsets in all acquisitions where the purchase exceeded Rs 3 Billion. The MRCA order -- touted as the largest defence purchase globally -- is anticipated to be of the order of some US Dollars 7 to 10 Billion.

ACM Major said the resolution of all the related issues involved in the MRCA deal was ''taking some time'' but hoped it would be finalised soon.

The RFP issue has been on the anvil for more than the past two years and the immediate previous IAF Chief ACM SP Tyagi -- concerned over the falling strength in the country's air power -- had during his tenure written to the Government drawing its attention to the urgency to bring the IAF fighter strength back to a level of 39 squadrons.

ACM Tyagi had even suggested that -- prior to induction of the 126 Multi-Role Combat Aircraft -- the Government consider interim acquisition of about 30 to 40 fighters to enable his force meet operational preparedness.

According to highly-placed sources in the Defence Ministry, the Government -- wary of going though the process of acquisitions twice -- was considering compressing the process of acquisition of the 126 fighters.

The Ministry, according to the sources, was considering converting the Request for Proposals (RFP) into a full-fledged Request for Quotations (RFQ) to cut short the time interval between the evaluation and price negotiations.

UNI