India’s Defence Ministry has granted approval for the acquisition of 26 Rafale fighter aircraft and three Scorpene class submarines from France.
A meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), held under the chairmanship of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh, approved three proposals on July 13, 2023. The DAC granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for procurement of 26 Rafale Marine aircraft along with associated… pic.twitter.com/7M1ajs8VFa
— ANI (@ANI) July 13, 2023
The decision was made during a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, service chiefs, and senior officials.
The deals, which have received the Acceptance of Necessity by DAC, are expected to be announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France.
The Indian Navy is set to acquire 22 single-seated Rafale Marine aircraft and four trainer aircraft. The acquisition of these fighter aircraft and submarines is urgent due to security challenges faced by the Navy.
The INS Vikramaditya and Vikrant aircraft carriers require Rafales for operations. The Scorpene class submarines will be built at the Mazagon Dockyards Limited in Mumbai under Project 75.
Although the initial estimate of the deals exceeds Rs 90,000 crore, the final cost will be established through contract negotiations. India is likely to negotiate for price concessions and increased ‘Make-in-India’ content.
Joint negotiations are expected to take place between India and France, similar to the previous Rafale deal. The finalization and implementation of the deals will occur after negotiations between the two sides.
(With inputs from ANI)
Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.