With all the three top contenders of the MRCA - Super Hornet (from the Carrier Groups), Rafale and EFT set to take part in the Libyan War, I think the IAF will be licking its fingers and waiting for the perfomance of these fighters and maybe they can even play a decisive role in deciding the fate of the competition.
What say ppl ?
Don't think so, because Indian forces already knows about the MMRCA fighters through the infos they got in the RFIs and the trials. These infos are way more important for them, because they give detailed infos on what weapons and techs could be available for India and when, also how these fighters perform under Indian conditions.
For MMRCA all these points are way more important than what happens in Libya, the only interesting point for India is that we can see which countries really are political influential and can take the lead. France (although for debatable reasons) showed this together with the US and UK, but even the latest news that Qatar, or UAE are ready to send their Mirage 2000s to Libya, would not be possible without French politics playing a role.
Germany showed that they want to be a leading country, but are not ready to take the neccesary steps, Sweden has no point at all, Russia (like all BRIC countries) gave a clear no. So if there is any effect on MMRCA, it is the confirmation that the US, Russia, France and to some extend UK are most politcaly influential countries in the world.
The Libyan bombing by the West has two objectives: to take over the Libyan oil and show off the aircraft to India mega procurement deal-MRCA. That's why France has been prompt in sending the Rafale to bomb Libya just to make a demonstration of the capacity of the aircraft to India. It is France's last chance to find an export customer for this aircraft.
Both has nothing to do here, because Libya supplied the west with it in the past and had even close connections with western, especially European countries.
France / Sarkozy just showing that they are a strong and leading country, mainly aimed on their internal politics, because that distracts from other problems they have and might have a positive effect in the next ellections.
The most important reason is, that although Gaddafi turned to the western countries in the last years, he is still a dictator that is not under control of the west and this is a good chance to get rid of him. It's even the easiest way, because the western countries hope that getting air superiority and providing the rebels with weapons will be enough that Gaddafi and his troops will loose.