NEW DELHI: In a big boost for the Indian Air Force, the Defence Procurement Board, headed by defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, has reportedly cleared a proposal to acquire 114 Rafale fighter jets from French manufacturer Dassault Aviation.The “clearance” by the Defence Procurement Board, as per some agency reports, marks the first formal step towards finalising the mega deal for the IAF, which is expected to be India’s largest-ever defence acquisition. The media reports said the deal could be valued around Rs 3.25 lakh crore. The proposal will now be placed before the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by defence minister Rajnath Singh. The final approval will be required from the Cabinet Committee on Security, headed by PM Narendra Modi.
The Defence Procurement Board’s approval came just ahead of French President Emmaunel Macron’s visit to India next month. If all other approvals and price negotiations happen on time, there is a possibility that India and France may sign the deal for 114 jets during President Macron’s visit next month.The procurement will proceed under an inter-governmental agreement, ensuring direct deliveries without any intermediaries. Last year, the IAF had moved a formal proposal to the defence ministry, seeking 114 more Rafales.If the agreement is signed, around 80% of the combat French aircraft could be built in India itself. The proposed project may also see some of the manufacturing facilities getting shifted from France to India. The proposed project will entail procurement of 18 aircraft in fly away condition and the rest made in India with up to 60% indigenous content. If the deal is signed soon, the delivery of the first 18 in fly away condition will start from 2030 onwards.With India facing the threat of a two-front conflict with Pakistan and China, and Bangladesh also becoming a security concern, IAF is desperate to increase its squadrons of advanced fighter jets to simultaneously handle security threats on three border fronts.The IAF’s fighter squadron strength has depleted to 29 squadrons from its authorised strength of 42, primarily due to the retirement of older fighters like MiG-21s, creating a critical gap in air defence capabilities. The country’s indigenous fighter project, LCA Mark 1A (Tejas), aircraft is also getting delayed due to issues with import of GE engines as well as integration of foreign-made equipment. At present, India has 36 Rafale fighters in service with the IAF.If the jet deal happens, the final assembly line for Rafale jets will come up at Dassault Reliance Aerospace Ltd (DRAL), Nagpur facility, which is now a subsidiary of French aviation major Dassault Aviation that manufactures the fighter jet. Multiple Indian companies like TATA, Mahindra, Dynamatic Technologies Limited are likely to become part of the project.
