The Defence Acquisition Council authorised bids to purchase 26 Rafale maritime combat jets and three more Scorpene submarines on the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Thursday.
While the deals are expected to be about Rs 80,000 crore, the defence ministry stated that the price and other terms of acquisition will be discussed with the French government after considering all relevant factors, including comparative procurement prices of similar aircraft by other countries.
Following extensive negotiations between Modi and Macron on Friday, India and France are poised to announce the two procurement deals. Union defence minister Rajnath Singh chairs the Defence Acquisition Committee (DAC), the top decision-making body in the military ministry that approves capital acquisitions for the three services. The large-ticket purchase is expected to boost the Navy’s capabilities significantly. The Rafale-M planes will improve India’s maritime air combat power, while the Scorpene submarines will improve the Navy’s underwater combat capabilities. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd will manufacture the submarines in collaboration with the Naval Group of France.
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