Rafale, the fighter jet with 7 lives, survives amid row

Between 2004 and 2015, the aircraft was often close to being ejected from IAF’s jet competition.

If a cat has nine lives, the Rafale jets deal has at least seven.

The aircraft manufactured by Dassault Aviation came dangerously close to being ejected from the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) fighter jet competition on multiple occasions during technical and price evaluation stages between 2004 and 2015, according to an audit report on capital acquisitions by IAF, only to claw its way back each time.

The technical evaluation committee (TEC) first rejected the Rafale aircraft in May 2008 after it could not meet nine Air Staff Qualitative Requirements (ASQRs) laid down in the tender for 126 jets and the French plane maker did not furnish data on engineering support package and the manufacturer recommended list of spares, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) said in a report tabled in Parliament on Wednesday.

Of the six jets evaluated, only the MiG-35 met all technical parameters. The other four aircraft in the fray — F-18, F-16, Gripen and Eurofighter -- had one or two deviations.

Courtesy : hindustantimes