IAF's search for jets to begin in B'lore

The field evaluation trial will begin from the Yalehanka air base in Bangalore where the aircraft’s performance, system and tolerance of humidity trials will be tested. The process is likely to commence in July.

The fighters in contention are USA’s F-16 Falcon from Lockheed Martin and F/A-18 Super Hornet from Boeing, Sweden’s Gripen (JAS-39), Rafale from France’s Dassault Aviation, Russian MiG-35 and Eurofighter Typhoon from European consortium EADS.
Barring Typhoon and Grippen, other four had flown in the Bangalore air show in February last.

The no-cost, no-commitment trials would be in sequence, starting from Bangalore, sources said, adding that it might take two years to complete the trials.
Each company will be asked to bring two-three planes for the trials.
From Bangalore, the planes will go to Jaisalmer for hot weather and weapon trials.
The final phase of the trials would be conducted at Leh to judge their performance in cold weather and high altitude conditions.

After the Indian leg of the trial is over, there could also be another weapon-firing trial outside India, possibly in the manufacturing country.
Interestingly, though one of the competitors, Rafale, reportedly went out of the race due an incomplete tender form, it is believed to be back in the race, thanks to the diplomatic intervention from France.

These 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft will be one of the mainstays for the IAF along with Su-30 and indigenous light combat aircraft (LCA).
The IAF targets to bolster its squadron strength up to the sanctioned position of 39.5 squadrons by inducting MMRCA, LCA and Su-30s.

Former IAF chief Fali Homi Major had admitted that the IAF force strength was down to 34 squadrons, which is expected to go out even further in the coming years due to phasing out of aircraft of old vintage.
However, if the MMRCA deal happens in time and the LCA comes to the service by 2010-11, the IAF can hope to have the sanctioned strength by 2017 and a little more by 2020.

While 18 MMRCA will be purchased in flyaway conditions, the remaining 108 will be manufactured at the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd under licence.  
The MMRCA deal will also aid the IAF to simplify its inventory management rather than maintaining a large number of different aircraft.