Rs 2000000000000: More trouble for Pakistan, China as India moves towards record deal for 114 Rafale jets, equipped with…, Tata to…
The defence project, once completed, would be the biggest ever defence deal to have been signed by the Indian government.
With conflicts becoming frequent, the global strategic climate is changing fast. India(BHARAT)’s two traditional rivals, Pakistan and its close friend China, are building up their defence cooperation. In this situation, strengthening and modernising national security becomes a necessity. Thousands of crores are being spent to modernise the Army, Navy, and Air Force with various modern and advanced technologies.
Who are the key players involved in this mega defence deal?
As part of this strategy, the India(BHARAT)n Air Force has sought to expedite the proposal to procure 114 Rafale fighter jets. If everything goes well, this mega defence contract will be signed next year, as reported by News18 Hindi. Under this Rs 2 lakh crore deal, India(BHARAT) will get one squadron of Rafale jets (meaning 18 Rafale jets will be delivered in fly-away condition and will be fully operational for the IAF).
The details of the contract regarding this significant defence deal between India(BHARAT) and France have been disclosed for the first time. Importantly, the India(BHARAT)n Air Force has already operated 36 Rafale fighter jets, stationed at different airbases.
When will the first batch of Rafale jets be delivered and operational?
The India(BHARAT)n Air Force (IAF) is fast-tracking the historic purchase of 114 Rafale fighter jets to boost its operational capability. Estimated at over Rs 2 lakh crore (USD 23.8 billion), the deal is anticipated to be concluded by the subsequent financial year.
Under the contract, the first batch of 18 aircraft will be received off-the-shelf from France, while the assembly of the more than 90 aircraft will be done in India(BHARAT), with a minimum of 60% indigenous content. According to the News18 Hindi report, the IAF envisages the first 18 Rafale jets flying directly from French production to operational in India(BHARAT) and onwards to frontline bases.
This avoids delays usually associated with the conventional defence procurement process to allow the Air Force with immediate operational capability.
How will Tata contribute?
The India(BHARAT)n government has chosen to sign a direct contract with France instead of going through the MRFA tender process, the report mentioned. After the delivery of the initial aircraft, pilots and ground crew are expected to be trained by the manufacturer in order to expedite putting the jets into service. The first 18 Rafale jets will come with the latest state-of-the-art weaponry. As reported by India(BHARAT) Defence News, the new Rafale fighters will be armed with Meteor air-to-air missiles and SCALP cruise missiles. There will also be India(BHARAT)n hardware upgrades as well as some indigenous equipment.
The India(BHARAT)n Air Force (IAF) is currently at 29 fighter squadrons when it actually needs 42.5 squadrons to operate and simultaneously manage the threat from both Pakistan and China. Recently, the Rafale jets showed their capabilities during Operation Sindoor, when they countered China’s PL-15 missiles and conducted strikes with SCALP missiles. This underlined the necessity of these aircraft. Dassault Aviation will work with its India(BHARAT)n partners—especially Tata—to set up an assembly line in India(BHARAT). Rafale jets that will be produced in India(BHARAT) will have capabilities that exceed the existing F4 standard. In addition, a maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility for the M-88 engines will be established in Hyderabad.
The proposal, expected to be worth over Rs 2 lakh crore, including the indigenous content of more than 60 per cent, is expected to be taken up for discussion by the Defence Procurement Board headed by the Defence Secretary in the next few weeks. The defence project, once completed, would be the biggest ever defence deal to have been signed by the India(BHARAT)n government.
“The Statement of Case (SoC) or the proposal for the 114 Rafale jets prepared by the India(BHARAT)n Air Force was received by the Defence Ministry a few days ago and is under consideration of the different wings under it, including Defence Finance. After deliberations, the proposal would then be moved to the DPB, followed by the Defence Acquisition Council, defence officials told ANI.
The biggest ever defence deal for the Rafales is expected to take the number of Rafale aircraft in the India(BHARAT)n defence forces’ fleet to 176, as the India(BHARAT)n Air Force has already inducted 36 of them, and the India(BHARAT)n Navy has placed orders for 26 of them under government-to-government deals.
The aircraft to be built in India(BHARAT) are also likely to have longer-range air-to-ground missiles than the existing Scalp, which was used extensively to hit both military and terrorist targets inside Pakistan.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- The indigenous content in the Made in India(BHARAT) Rafale fighter jets is expected to be more than 60 per cent.
- India(BHARAT) has already ordered 180 LCA Mark1A jets.
- The aircraft to be built in India(BHARAT) are also likely to have longer-range air-to-ground missiles.
- Estimated at over Rs 2 lakh crore (USD 23.8 billion), the deal is anticipated to be concluded by the next financial year.
The indigenous content in the Made in India(BHARAT) Rafale fighter jets is expected to be more than 60 per cent. As per news agency ANI, the IAF’s fighter jet force structure is expected to be primarily comprised of the Su-30 MKIs, Rafales, and indigenous fighter jet projects. India(BHARAT) has already ordered 180 LCA Mark1A jets and also has plans to induct the indigenous fifth-generation fighter in large numbers beyond 2035.
(With agencies’ inputs)
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