Why is India willing to buy 2nd hand Mirage and MiG, but not 2nd hand Rafale fighter jets?

When it comes to the development of India’s national defense strategy, global buying and buying seems to have always been an important measure for India to enhance its national defense strength. However when the Modi Govt came to power, the PM focused on “Atmanirbhar Bharat” to strengthen the homemade products.

Even so, India’s own defense industry is not so mature and still depends heavily on foreign products. For India, which is not short of money, although it purchases billions or even tens of billions of dollars in arms and equipment from other countries every year, it also buys many second-hand Mirage 2000 and MiG-29 fighters.

Many people may mistakenly believe that India buys second-hand Mirage 2000 and MiG 29 fighters in large quantities, and will incorporate them into active service to enhance its military strength. In fact, the reality is that India buys second-hand Mirage 2000 and MiG in large quantities every year.

The second-hand fighter is not to expand the size of its fighter squadron, but to provide parts for these Mirage 2000 fighters and MiG 29s in active service. After all, these second-hand fighters are very cheap, and the parts removed from them are not only universal, but also of stable quality. It is more cost-effective, and more importantly, it is more convenient and quick to dismantle where it needs to be.

Many people may find it inconceivable. Why doesn’t India just retire these Mirage 2000 and MiG 29 fighters, which require frequent replacement of parts, ahead of schedule? It’s not that India doesn’t want to, no country in the world really retires all models overnight.