In a significant milestone, India plans to purchase 26 Rafale fighter planes and three Scorpene class conventional submarines from France. According to government officials, the ideas have been submitted to the Defence Ministry and are expected to be presented during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France this week.
According to the proposals, the Indian Navy will receive 22 single-seat Rafale Marine aircraft as well as four trainer aircraft. The Navy has been asking for these fighter planes and submarines to be acquired as soon as possible due to the country’s security issues. The aircraft carriers INS Vikramaditya and Vikrant have been using MiG-29s and require Rafales to operate on both.
Meanwhile, the Navy would acquire three Scorpene class submarines under the repeat clause as part of Project 75, where they would be built at Mazagon Dockyards Limited in Mumbai. The deals are believed to be worth more than Rs 90,000 crore, but the ultimate cost will be known only after contract talks, which will take place after the deal is revealed.
According to insiders, India is likely to seek price discounts in the deal and will demand on greater ‘Make-in-India’ content in the plan. According to industry sources, India and France are poised to form a combined team to negotiate the Rafale M agreement, as they did for the previous Rafale sale for 36 fighter aircraft. The plans have already been reviewed at high-level meetings in the defence ministry, and they are expected to be presented to the defence acquisition council in the coming days, with the government granting Acceptance of Necessity before the announcement in France.
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