₹63k-cr deal for Rafale fighters for Navy cleared

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has cleared a ₹63,000-crore deal to buy 26 Rafale Marine aircraft for the country's first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, a move aimed at boosting the Indian Navy's capabilities in the Indo-Pacific, officials aware of the matter said on Wednesday.

- Rahul Singh

NEW DELHI:

The government-to-government deal for 22 single-seat Rafale M fighters and four twin-seat trainers is expected to be signed soon, the officials said, asking not to be named. The aircraft, manufactured by French plane maker Dassault Aviation, is being imported as an interim measure to meet the navy's urgent requirements until India develops its own twin-engine deck-based fighter (TEDBF).

The Rafale M procurement will include weapons, simulators, spares, associated ancillary equipment, crew training and logistics support for the Indian Navy from French government.

In July 2023, India's defence acquisition council (DAC), headed by defence minister Rajnath Singh, approved the navy's proposal to buy 26 Rafale M fighters to sharpen its operational capabilities.