DAC clears purchase of 114 Rafales for IAF, and six P-81 aircraft for Navy

DAC clears purchase of 114 Rafales for IAF, and six P-81 aircraft for Navy

The Defence Acquisition Council, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on Thursday accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for capital acquisition proposals worth approximately ₹3.6 lakh crore.

The proposals include 114 Rafale fighter jets from France for the Air Force and six P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft from the United States for the Navy.

The Defence Ministry said that for the IAF, the AoN was approved for the procurement of 114 multi-role fighter aircraft (MRFA), combat missiles, and an air-ship-based high-altitude pseudo satellite (AS-HAPS). The Rafale jets are expected to significantly enhance the IAF’s air-dominance capability across the full spectrum of conflict and strengthen its long-range offensive and deterrence posture.

Manufacturing in India

A majority of the aircraft will be manufactured in India, providing a boost to domestic defence production.

The Ministry further said that the combat missiles would enhance the IAF’s stand-off ground attack capability with deep-strike precision and high accuracy.

The AS-HAPS platform will be deployed for persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), electronic intelligence (ELINT), telecommunications and remote sensing for military applications.

For the Army, the DAC accorded AoN for the procurement of anti-tank mines (Vibhav) and the overhaul of vehicle platforms of armoured recovery vehicles (ARVs), T-72 tanks and infantry combat vehicles (BMP-II).

The Vibhav mines will serve as an anti-tank obstacle system to delay and disrupt advancing enemy mechanised forces. The overhaul of existing armoured platforms is aimed at extending their service life and ensuring operational readiness, it added.

The Navy received AoN for six additional P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft from the U.S., along with a 4 MW marine gas turbine-based electric power generator. The P-8I aircraft will significantly bolster the Navy’s long-range anti-submarine warfare, maritime surveillance and maritime strike capabilities.

Reducing dependence

The induction of the marine gas turbine-based generator under the Make-I category of the Defence Acquisition Procedure, 2020 is expected to reduce dependence on foreign manufacturers and enhance self-reliance in naval power generation systems.

For the Indian Coast Guard, the AoN was granted for the procurement of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) systems for its Dornier aircraft. The systems will enhance maritime surveillance and strengthen coastal security operations.

The approvals mark one of the largest capital acquisition clearances in recent years, underlining the government’s thrust on force modernisation.