New Delhi: In a major boost for the Indian Air Force (IAF), the Rajnath Singh-led Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on Thursday (February 12) cleared a Rs 3.25 lakh crore deal to acquire 114 Rafale jets, according to media reports citing sources.
The development comes at a time when the IAF’s squadron strength has fallen to 29, well below the authorised strength of 42. The deal received DAC clearance ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to New Delhi. It will reportedly be a government-to-government deal.
As pert of the deal. 18 fighter jets will be delivered in ready to fly condition, while the remaining 96 will be assembled in India, reported India Today.
After clearance from the defence council, the proposal will now require the Cabinet Committee on Security’s (CCS) nod before it reaches the final stage. Following the deal, the IAF will have around 150 Rafale jets in its fleet.
So far, 36 Dassault Aviation Rafale jets are operational in the force. These fighter jets were inducted as part of the 2016 government-to-government agreement.
Notably, India also used Rafale fighter jets during Operation Sindoor launched by the Indian forces against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). The military operation was launched to avenge the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives.
On Wednesday, Vice Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor said that Rafale fighter jets were the "hero" during Operation Sindoor, and that the Indian Air Force aims to induct more Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA).
About Rafale Fighter Jet:
The Dassault Rafale is a French twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. It can be equipped with a wide range of weapons. The Rafale's glass cockpit was designed around the principle of data fusion, a feature in which a central computer selects and prioritises information to display to pilots for simpler command and control.
