India’s quest for procuring 110 fighter aircraft for its air force is progressing with six global aviation majors having responded to the Request for Information for the program according to Times of India. Friday was the last day for responding to the RFI. The six firms which are competing for the IAF contract are Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Lockheed Martin’s F-16 Fighting Falcon, Dassault Aviation’s Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, Saab’s Gripen and Russian United Aircraft Corporation’s MiG-35. 
 

Same six firms had competed in an earlier attempt to provide 126 fighter aircraft to the IAF, known as the Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) program. The MMRCA was scrapped however India decided to procure 36 French Rafale jets in a government to government deal. 

 In April, the defence ministry issued a RFI to procure 110 fighter jets open to both single and twin-engine fighter aircraft.

According to the RFI, first 16 aircraft will be of the shelve while remaining 94 will be made in India by a Strategic Partner.