A recent Indian Air Force (IAF) tender seeking a temporary support arrangement for all 36 Rafale fighter jets acquired from France has contradicted Pakistan's repeated claims that several of the aircraft were lost during Operation Sindoor last year, reports TOI.
While Indian military officials had previously dismissed the assertions, Pakistan continued to maintain that multiple Rafale fighters had been shot down during the conflict.
Tender seeks support for entire Rafale fleet
According to an Air Headquarters Request for Proposal (RFP) issued in June, the IAF has invited bids for a five-month bridge support package covering all 36 Rafale aircraft in service.
The document, accessed by TOI, outlines a requirement for continued operational and technical support after the current maintenance arrangement expires in September.
A bridge support package is a short-term contract intended to ensure uninterrupted aircraft availability, logistics assistance and maintenance support until a longer-term sustainment agreement is finalised.
Current support agreement nearing expiry
France's Dassault Aviation delivered 36 Dassault Rafale fighter jets to India under a Euro 7.87 billion inter-governmental agreement signed in September 2016.
The deal included weapons packages, simulators and maintenance support for a period of 10 years.
With the existing support programme scheduled to expire in September, the IAF has sought a five-month extension through the bridge support arrangement.
According to the RFP, the proposed contract is intended to sustain the fleet beyond September 18, 2026, until a new long-term support package is put in place.
Maintenance support to continue during transition
The RFP specifies that the proposal should support the operation of all 36 Rafale aircraft at a utilisation rate of 150 flying hours per aircraft annually.
Until a fresh long-term sustainment agreement is signed, the bridge support package will be responsible for meeting the maintenance and operational support requirements of the Rafale fleet.
India plans further Rafale acquisitions
The Indian Air Force currently operates 36 Rafale fighter aircraft. The Indian Navy has placed an order for 26 carrier-borne Rafale-M jets and has also expressed interest in inducting 31 additional aircraft.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence has issued a Letter of Proposal for the acquisition of 114 more Rafale jets in a deal estimated to be worth Rs 3.25 lakh crore. France is expected to respond to the proposal.
This placement works because the report first covers the tender and bridge support package, then concludes with the wider context of India's expanding Rafale fleet.
(With inputs from TOI)
