The Ministry of Defence has started discussions on Indian Air Force’s proposal of buying 114 Rafale fighter jets. As per the media reports, the estimated cost of the project goes over Rs 2 lakh crore. Defence Procurement Board, headed by the Defence Secretary, will take up the discussion on the proposal within the next few weeks. These will be built by the French firm Dassault Aviation with the involvement of the Indian aerospace firms.
The jets will include over 60 per cent of Indian content, and when once done, will be the biggest defence deal of India. With the addition of these 114 Rafales, the total number of the fighter jet fleet will rise to 176. Thirty-six (36) Rafales are already operational in IAF, with the Indian Navy recently placing order of 36 under government-to-government deals.
"The Statement of Case (SoC) or the proposal for the 114 Rafale jets prepared by the Indian 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,” cited defence officials, concerned with the proposal.
The jets to be manufactured in India are expected to feature longer-range air-to-ground missiles than the current scalp, which was widely used to strike military and terrorist targets in Pakistan, during India’s Operation Sindoor.
Indian Air Force (IAF) currently operates a diverse fleet of fighter jets, including Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30MKI and MiG-29UPG, French-made Dassault Rafale and Mirage 2000, and indigenous HAL Tejas. Other aircraft in service include the aging MiG-21, the British-built Jaguar, and several trainer and transport aircraft. Though, this month, IAF is retiring MiG-21 from service.
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