All invited firms submit bids for IAF's 126 MMRCA tender
29 Apr 2008
New Delhi: The race for India's biggest ever military tender for 126 medium range multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA), worth at least $11 billion over its lifetime is now officially underway with all six invited firms submitting their bids.
Those from whom a Request for Proposal was sought were American firms Lockheed Martin (F-16 Fighting Falcon), Boeing (F/A-18E/F Super Hornets), Eurofighter (Typhoon), Dassault Aviation (Rafale), Russian UAC (Mig-35) and Swedish Saab (Gripen NG).
Indian defence ministry officials said that sealed bids from all competing firms were received by Monday before closing time.
According to officials, technical bids would first be opened for evaluation by IAF experts and only after contenders were shortlisted would financial bids be taken into consideration.
It is expected that 18 of the selected fighters would be bought off the shelf while the remaining 108 would be manufactured in partnership with Indian companies under a mandated offset programme.