Amid China’s ever-expanding naval forays into the Indian Ocean Region, the PM-led Cabinet Committee on Security has cleared a £6.38bn mega deal with France for the acquisition of 26 Rafale-Marine fighter jets. These will primarily operate from the deck of aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.
The govt-to-govt contract for 22 single-seat Rafale-M jets and four twin-seat trainers -including weapons, simulators, crew training and a five-year performance-based logistics support - will be inked “within this month”, officials said. All 26 jets - manufactured by Dassault Aviation, with Thales as the weapon systems integrator - will be delivered by 2031, an official said.
Sebastien Lecornu, the French defence minister, is likely to attend the signing, which also includes some spares and equipment for the 36 Rafales already inducted into IAF as part of a 2016 deal.
IAF has deployed 18 Rafales each at Ambala and Hasimara to counter threats from Pakistan and China.
The two Rafale deals, neither of which involve transfer of technology, will automatically make the French fighter jets the frontrunner in India’s long-pending project to manufacture 114 multi-role fighter aircraft (MRFA) with foreign collaboration. Initially estimated to cost £12.5bn, the project is now being fast-tracked.
As part of the latest agreement, the 26 Rafale-M fighters, designed for maritime strike, air defence and reconnaissance missions, will be delivered in 37 to 65 months after signing of the contract, which will see India paying an initial 15% of the total cost.
“The new IGA [inter-governmental agreement] mirrors the one inked in the [earlier] IAF deal,” an official said.
The Rafale-M deal also includes a commitment from France to help integrate Indian missiles -like the short and medium-range anti-ship missiles (NASMs), and BrahMosNG, being developed by DRDO - into the Rafale-M fighters in the future. With the indigenous twin-engine deck-based fighter (TEDBF) likely to take at least a decade to become operational, Indian Navy had pushed for 26 Rafale-M jets as an interim measure.
