JOIN USCentre clears deck for upgradation of Mirage
The Cabinet Committee on Security chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh cleared the proposal which was being debated for quite sometime primarily due to high cost involved in the process.
Though the financial details would be clear once the individual contracts are signed, the deal may be as big as $ 3 billion (Rs 13,000 crore). India will now sign commercial contracts with MBDA, Dassault and Thales for executing the contract.
While two planes will be upgraded in France, another two would be reworked in India with the help of French firms. The upgradation for the remaining 48 aircraft will be undertaken by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. The entire process will take nine years to complete.
IAF currently has three squadrons of Mirage 2000 based in Gwalior. The first fighter was bought in 1982 and the entire fleet was inducted into IAF by 1986. The fighter showed its mettle during the Kargil war.
IAF's opinion was in favour of the mid-life upgradation as the structural life of a fighter aircraft is much more than other systems like radar, weapons, avionics and electronic suite. With upgradation, the fleet can serve the IAF for a few decades more, Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar said.
The cost of the upgradation may reach $7.9 million per aircraft, which, the opponents of the deal contend, is the same as that of a new fighter jet that India is buying under the $10.4 billion medium multi-role combat aircraft tender.
Those supporting the deal argue that once upgraded, these aircraft will be as potent as a new combat plane.
The upgradation planned for Mirage 2000 include night vision goggle compatible glass cockpit, advanced navigational systems, identify friend or foe system, multi-mode multi-layered radar, fully integrated electronic warfare suite and beyond visual range missiles.
The upgraded Mirage 2000 along with Su-30 will be the two key platforms for the IAF in the intervening period before it completely shifts to the medium multi-role aircraft, indigenous light combat aircraft and Indo-Russian fifth generation jets .