Flight trials for India’s biggest defense procurement program, the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA), are underway. India will acquire 126 aircraft—86 single-seat and 40 twin-seat configurations.

The air force requirement for the MMRCA is based on a maximum all-up weight of 14,000-30,000 kg. (31,000-66,000 lb.). India plans to procure 18 aircraft in flyaway condition and produce 106 locally under license through technology transfer. Delivery starts within 36 months of contract signing and will be completed 48 months later.

The contenders are the Boeing F/A-18, Lockheed Martin F‑16IN, MiG-35, Dassault Aviation Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon and Saab Gripen NG (New Generation).

Flight trials will be held in Bengaluru (Bangalore) for humidity and Jaisalmer in the Rajasthan desert for heat. Trials in the Leh district of Ladakh will be the most challenging. “It will be a pure performance issue at 3,500 meters (11,483 ft.) [above sea level] and 50C (122F) in the summer,” says a vendor.

“Nobody can take off in Leh with a full weapons load, even with powerful engines,” adds a defense analyst.

The request for proposals (RFP) states the aircraft should be able to take off with a full internal fuel load and significant external load from a runway of 3,300 meters, in air-defense and strike configurations.

Vendors are not discussing the weapons their planes will carry during flight trials. Weapon trials will be held in the respective countries, most likely between November and January, and completed in late April when the bids are opened.

Initial weapons to be delivered with the flyaway aircraft include active beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles, antiship missiles with 100-km. (62-mi.) range, air-to-ground and medium-range missiles (with a range of more than 200 km.), and standoff precision-guided munitions (40-km. range).

The RFP requires that aircraft, components and accessories be of the latest manufacture and conform to the latest production standards.

A game-changer could be the requirement for multimode active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar with a wide band and “adequate growth potential.” Raytheon’s APG-79 AESA radar for the F/A-18 conforms to the requirement, as does Northrop Grumman’s APG-80 for the Block 60 F-16s in the United Arab Emirates’ fleet.