New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), on Wednesday, cleared a Rs 63,000 crore mega deal for the purchase of 26 Rafale Marine fighter aircraft from France for the Indian Navy. The government-to-government deal is expected to be signed soon. Of the 26 aircraft, 22 will be single-seaters and four twin-seater trainers.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) already operates two squadrons of Rafale aircraft – 36 in number – from its air bases at Ambala and Hasimara. The 26 Marine Rafales to be ordered will operate from aircraft carriers along with the Mig-29Ks.
According to an official, this is the largest-ever fighter deal to have been cleared by the CCS. Recently, the Ministry of Defence placed two orders for 156 Light Combat Helicopters, worth Rs 62,000 crore, from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.
Apart from the aircraft, the deal with France will include a comprehensive package for fleet maintenance, logistical support, personnel training, and indigenous manufacturing components under offset obligations, it has been reported.
The Indian Navy presently has 36 Mig-29K fighters and nine trainers. These will be shared between the aircraft carriers INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant, till the Rafales start arriving, five years after the agreement is inked. India’s indigenous Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF) is expected to join the Navy only around 2038.
Defence sources said that the Navy will need to install specialised equipment on its aircraft carriers to support the operations of the 4.5-generation Rafale jets. The Rafale Marine deal will also help enhance and upgrade its “buddy-buddy” aerial refuelling or air-to-air refuelling (AAR) system, as per the report.
