Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar: ‘A replacement (for the MiG-21) could be the LCA Tejas or another – I’ll not call it low end – but a single engine lighter aircraft. Tejas is a good aircraft but it has its limitations.’
After confusion over who would decide the commercial aspects of the order, the case is set to move to the Defense Acquisitions Council (DAC), headed by the defense minister, for Acceptance of Necessity (AoN).
The failure to consider the order by the DAC has wider implications as it is unlikely that any decision can be taken on this order by October 15, after which the value of the deal will see a 37 percent hike.