New Delhi: The government has approved the procurement of 26 Rafale-M fighter jets from France for the Indian Navy. According to reports, the nearly Rs 63,000-crore deal was cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on 9 April.
Reports stated that the contract is expected to be signed later this month during the scheduled visit of the French Defence Minister to India.
The deal marks the final approval for the long-awaited government-to-government purchase, which includes 22 single-seater Rafale-M aircraft capable of operating from aircraft carriers, along with four twin-seater trainer versions not compatible with carrier operations.
The Rafale-M jets are intended to operate from the Indian Navy’s two aircraft carriers, INS Vikramaditya and the indigenously built INS Vikrant, which was commissioned in 2022.
The acquisition is seen as a critical move to counter growing Chinese naval activities in the Indian Ocean Region, where India is looking to strengthen its strategic deterrence.
The delivery of the jets is scheduled to begin three-and-a-half years after the contract is signed, with all 26 aircraft expected to be delivered within a total of six-and-a-half years.
This will be the second major Rafale deal between India and France. The Indian Air Force already operates a fleet of 36 Rafale jets procured under a Rs 60,000 crore agreement signed in 2016.
The Indian Navy had recently evaluated the Rafale-M’s capabilities during the bilateral ‘Varuna’ naval exercise, which included joint operations aboard the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.
While this deal has received the green light, another significant contract with France, for the procurement of three additional Scorpene-class conventional submarines, is still awaiting CCS approval.
The initial nod for both the Rafale-M and Scorpene submarine deals had been granted by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) in July 2023, setting the stage for final negotiations and cabinet-level clearance.
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