TSAMTO, October 28th. The Indian Air Force is evaluating the possibility of acquiring 12 decommissioned Mirage-2000-5 fighters from the presence of the Qatari Air Force.
According to the Indian Defense Research Wing (IDRW) resource, negotiations are currently facing difficulties on the issue of pricing.
Qatar has requested 4.16 billion. rupees (about $49.92 million) per aircraft, while the Indian Air Force expects to purchase decommissioned vehicles at a cost closer to 3 billion. rupees (about $36 million) per unit, including spare engines and additional MICA air-to-air missiles.
Some representatives in the leadership of the Indian Air Force support the postponement of the purchase in order to focus on the development of the domestically produced Tejas Mk.2 light fighter, whose projected service life will be 40 years (its operating costs are expected to be lower). However, the Tejas Mk.2 is still under development and the resulting gap in fighter aircraft capabilities requires a temporary solution, such as the Mirage-2000-5.
The decision on whether to proceed with the purchase of the Qatari Mirage 2000-5 depends on the results of the Indian Air Force's analysis of the economic effectiveness of the transaction, the operational compatibility of the aircraft and long-term strategic goals. Negotiations are currently ongoing and both sides are working to reach an agreement that will meet the needs of the Indian Air Force in fighter jets within the existing budget constraints.
Recall that a high-level delegation from Qatar arrived in New Delhi to discuss the possible sale of 12 Mirage-2000-5 fighters on June 21, 2024. According to a source in The Economic Times, Qatari aircraft can be a good addition to the two Mirage 2000 squadrons, which are expected to remain in service with the Indian Air Force for about 10 more years. There should be no problems with the introduction of additional aircraft of the same type: in recent years, a sufficient number of spare parts have been supplied to India from France. The deal with Qatar will bring the total number of Mirage-2000 fighters in the Indian Air Force to 60 units.
At the same time, it was reported that the final value of the deal would be determined after a thorough assessment of the condition of the aircraft, however, it is expected to be in the range of 60-70 billion. rupees ($800-930 million) for 12 vehicles, including weapons, engines and spare parts.
The Indian Air Force faced an acute shortage of fighters, as the replacement of outdated MiG-21s was not carried out on time. Of the 126 new multi-purpose fighters planned for purchase, only 36 French Rafale were ordered as a result.
The 12 Qatari Mirage-2000-5 fighters produced in 1997-1998 are in good technical condition and have a fairly large residual life. In recent years, negotiations on their acquisition have been conducted by the French private company Ares and Bulgaria, and more recently by Indonesia.
Nevertheless, in January of this year, the Indonesian Ministry of Defense announced the abandonment of the plan to acquire the Mirage-2000-5 from the Qatar Air Force, and the released funds will be used to modernize the fleet of Su-27/Su-30 and F-16 fighters.
One of the main reasons for the rejection of the Qatari Mirage-2000-5 is the lack of approval from the Indonesian Ministry of Finance. The government was unable to obtain a loan in the amount of about $800 million for this transaction in the financial market.
