New Delhi, February 12 The Ministry of Defence on Thursday cleared a long-pending proposal to procure 114 Rafale fighter jets under a government-to-government framework with France, nearly 13 years after a similar acquisition was almost finalized but could not be sealed.
In total, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, approved capital acquisition of military hardware worth Rs 3.60 lakh crore to enhance the combat readiness of the defence forces, according to an official statement.
Under the project, 18 aircraft will be supplied by Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of Rafale, in a ready-to-fly condition, and the rest will be manufactured in India, with over 50 per cent indigenous components, sources said.
While the Ministry of Defence did not disclose the cost of the procurement, it is expected to be in the range of Rs 2.90 lakh crore to Rs 3.15 lakh crore.
The approval for the Rafale jets came just four days before French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to India.
However, a formal contract to finalize the deal is unlikely before the end of the year, as the Ministry of Defence will now have to negotiate with Dassault Aviation to finalize the cost and other details of the weapons package.
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will also have to give final approval to the acquisition programme.
In April 2019, the Indian Air Force issued an RFI (Request for Information), or initial tender, to acquire 114 Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) at a cost of around USD 18 billion.
This was billed as one of the world's largest military procurement programmes in recent years.
Other contenders for the mega project included Lockheed Martin's F-21, Boeing's F/A-18, and the Eurofighter Typhoon.
The decision to procure the jets comes at a time when the number of the Indian Air Force's fighter squadrons has fallen to 31 from the officially sanctioned strength of 42.
Nearly 13 years ago, the Ministry of Defence had completed the groundwork for procurement of a fleet of Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA).
However, the project did not go through.
In 2015, the Modi government announced a government-to-government deal for 36 Rafale fighters in response to the rapidly declining squadron strength of the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The IAF currently operates these Rafale jets.
"The Defence Acquisition Council, under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, has accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for various proposals of the Services at an estimated value of about Rs 3.60 lakh crore," the Ministry of Defence said.
"For the Indian Air Force, AoN was approved for the procurement of Multi Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) Rafale, combat missiles, and air-ship based high altitude pseudo satellite (AS-HAPS)," it said.
The ministry said that procuring MRFA will enhance the capability of undertaking air dominance roles across the spectrum of conflict and significantly boost the IAF's deterrence capabilities with long-range offensive strikes.
"The majority of MRFA to be procured will be manufactured in India. The Combat Missiles will enhance the stand-off ground attack capability with deep strike power and very high accuracy," it said.
The ministry said that the AS-HAPS will be used for persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, electronic intelligence, telecommunication, and remote sensing for military purposes.
For the Indian Army, AoN was approved for the procurement of anti-tank mines (Vibhav) and overhaul of Vehicle Platforms of Armoured Recovery Vehicles (ARVs), T-72 Tanks, and Infantry Combat Vehicles (BMP-II).
Vibhav mines will be laid as an anti-tank obstacle system to delay the advance of enemy mechanized forces, the ministry said.
The overhaul of vehicle platforms of ARVs, T-72 Tanks, and BMP-II will enhance the service life of equipment, ensuring readiness and operational effectiveness of the Indian Army, it said.
For the Indian Navy, approval was accorded for four MW Marine Gas Turbine based electric power generator and P8I Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft.
The induction of four MW marine gas turbine based electric power generator under Make-I category of Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020 will minimise the dependency on foreign manufacturers and ensure self-reliance in power generation requirement of the Indian Navy.
The acquisition of P8I aircraft will significantly boost the Navy's war-fighting capability of long-range anti-submarine warfare, maritime surveillance, and maritime strike capability.
