Northlines Newsdesk
New Delhi (India), July 13: On the first day of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day high-profile visit to Paris, India approved proposals to purchase 26 Naval variants of Rafale jets from France, as well as three French-designed Scorpene class submarines. According to the defence ministry, the procurement proposals were approved by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), which is chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
According to defence sources, four of the 26 Rafale-M jets, the naval variant of the deck-based platform, will be trainer aircraft.
The aircraft will be delivered within three years of the contract's signing, they said, adding that the final deal could take close to a year due to detailed price negotiations.
“The DAC granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) from the French Government for procurement of 26 Rafale Marine aircraft along with associated ancillary equipment, weapons, simulator, spares, documentation, crew training, and logistic support for the Indian Navy based on Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA),” the ministry said.
It stated that the purchase price and other terms will be negotiated with the French government after considering all relevant factors, including comparative procurement prices of similar aircraft by other countries.
“Further, integration of Indian-designed equipment and the establishment of a Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) hub for various systems will be incorporated into the contract documents after due negotiations,” the company said in a statement.
Following PM Modi's talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday, the defence procurement projects are expected to be announced.
The DAC, the defence ministry's highest procurement decision-making body, also approved a proposal to build three more Scorpene submarines in India.
“The DAC also granted the AoN for the procurement of three additional Scorpene submarines under the Buy (Indian) category, which will be constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL),” according to the ministry.
It stated that the procurement of additional submarines with a higher indigenous content will not only help the Indian Navy maintain the required force level and operational readiness, but will also create significant job opportunities in the domestic sector.
“It will also help the MDL in further enhancing its capability and expertise in submarine construction,” it added.
The MDL has already built six Scorpene submarines, five of which are in service.The sixth is expected to be completed in early 2024.
According to the ministry, the DAC approved another proposal to establish guidelines for achieving the “desired indigenous content in all categories of capital acquisition cases.”
“It will contribute to achieving ‘Aatmanirbharta' in critical manufacturing technologies and life-cycle sustenance of defence platforms/equipment through indigenous manufacturing,” the statement continued.
According to officials, the Indian Navy is looking to buy 26 deck-based fighter jets for the indigenously built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.
After a lengthy selection process, the Navy chose Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet and Dassault Aviation's Rafale M aircraft for procurement.
Later, Rafale-M emerged as the race's victor. The Indian Air Force has already purchased 36 Rafale jets from France.
The Rafale jets were India's first major acquisition of fighter planes in 23 years, following the importation of Sukhoi jets from Russia.
