It’s the biggest defence deal since independence: over 30 billion Euros (Rs 3.25 lakh crore approx.) for 114 Rafale fighter jets. And along with it, a separate deal for Scalp air-to-air missiles that the Rafales would be armed with.
Both deals and other issues will be before the Defence Acquisition Council headed by Rakshya Mantri Rajnath Singh in a couple of hours. Other members of the DAC are the chief of defence staff, the three armed forces chiefs, the defence secretary and the Defence Research and Development head.
The Rafale deal (reported by this website on January 20 this year) will be a 30 billion Euro one, but keeping aatmanirbhar Bharat or self reliance in mind, the planes will have a lot of indigenous content. In fact, the defence ministry is trying for 50-60 percent, at least. How that works out remains to be seen.
Also Read -‘Rafale Was The Hero Of Operation Sindoor’: IAF Vice Chief Ahead Of Mega 114-Jet Deal
The Indian Navy is keen on additional P8I maritime surveillance aircraft— it already has them and six more are in the anvil. This was not going forward during the tough negotiations with the United States of America on free trade, but was being used as “leverage.” Boeing was asking for too much, but now that it will be cleared by the DAC, negotiations can begin seriously.
Besides, a very important decision on gas turbine engines for naval ships is on the anvil. While it is not a much talked about project, it is important.
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The writer is national affairs editor, Times Now
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