Rafale deal: The Defense Ministry on Thursday approved a plan for the Indian Navy to buy 26 Rafale fighter jets and three Scorpene class conventional submarines from France. The Defense Acquisition Council (DAC) approved the proposals at a meeting, which was attended by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defense Staff General Anil Chauhan and the three service chiefs and other senior officers.
As per the proposals, the Indian Navy will get 22 single-seated Rafale seaplanes along with four trainer aircraft. The Navy has been pressing for immediate acquisition of these fighter jets and submarines as the force is facing shortage in the wake of security challenges across the country. The aircraft carriers INS Vikramaditya and Vikrant are operating MiG-29s and Rafale is required for operations on both carriers.
India may demand price concessions in this deal
Meanwhile, the three Scorpene-class submarines will be acquired by the Navy under the repeat clause as part of Project 75 and will be built at Mazagon Dockyards Limited in Mumbai. According to sources, India may demand price concessions in the deal and will insist on having more ‘Make-in-India’ content in the plan.
It is to be mentioned here that the deals which have been given the approval of the requirement by the DAC are likely to be announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France. PM Modi left for a two-day visit to France on Thursday morning.
Further, the DAC approved a proposal to lay down guidelines for obtaining desired indigenous content in all categories of capital acquisition cases. It will help in achieving ‘self-reliance’ in critical manufacturing technologies and life-cycle sustenance of defense platforms/equipment through indigenous manufacturing.
The DAC also granted AoN for the procurement of three additional Scorpene submarines under the Buy (Indian) category, to be constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL).
The procurement of additional submarines with high indigenous content will not only help in maintaining the required force level and operational readiness of the Indian Navy, but will also generate significant employment opportunities in the domestic sector. This will also help MDL to further enhance its capability and expertise in submarine construction.
with ANI input