The central government announced on Saturday a selection of Rafale fighters to equip the Indian Navy with advanced combat jets. This move will equip the Indian Navy with the latest-generation fighter.

According to French aerospace company, Dassault Aviation, 26 Rafale fighters for the Indian Navy will add to the 36 advanced fighters that are already in service. “This decision comes after a successful trial campaign held in India, during which the Navy Rafale demonstrated that it fully met the Indian Navy’s operational requirements and was perfectly suited to the specificities of its aircraft carrier,” Dassault Aviation said.

“This selection confirms the excellence of the Rafale, the exceptional quality of the link between Dassault Aviation and the Indian Forces, and the importance of the strategic relationship between India and France,” it added.

India on Thursday announced a new multi-billion-dollar deal for French fighter jets as Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Paris for a two-day trip that saw him feted as the guest of honour during France's national day celebrations.

India’s Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the procurement of 26 Rafale Marine aircraft for the Indian Navy on Thursday.

DAC, which held a meeting here on Thursday, also granted the AoN for the procurement of three additional Scorpene submarines under the Buy (Indian) category, which will be constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL).

A Defence Ministry release informed that the acceptance of Necessity for Rafale Marine aircraft has been approved along with associated ancillary equipment, weapons, simulator, spares, documentation, crew training and logistic support for the Indian Navy from the French Government, based on Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA).

It said the price and other terms of purchase will be negotiated with the France government after taking into account all relevant aspects, including comparative procurement price of similar aircraft by other countries.

Further, the integration of Indian-designed equipment and establishment of a Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO) Hub for various systems will be incorporated into the contract documents after due negotiations.

The release said the DAC also approved the proposal to lay down guidelines for achieving the desired indigenous content in all categories of capital acquisition cases.

“It will help in achieving ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in critical manufacturing technologies and life-cycle sustenance of defence platforms and equipment through indigenous manufacturing,” the release said.

India is one of the biggest buyers of French arms, and Modi announced a landmark deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets during a 2015 trip to Paris that was worth around 4.0 billion euros at the time, as per AFP reports. 

Some of those Indian-piloted Rafales also took part in a flypast on Friday during France's Bastille Day military parade where Modi sat alongside French President Emmanuel Macron as guest of honour.

Image source: TOI