In a major development, the Defence Ministry gave an initial nod to the plans to buy 26 Rafale fighter aircraft and three Scorpene class conventional submarines from France. The recommendations were approved by the Defence Ministry’s Defence Procurement Board and will now be discussed by the Defence Acquisition Council, according to official sources.
The agreements, if granted Acceptance of Necessity by the DAC, are expected to be disclosed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France this week, according to sources. 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.
Rafale-M Fighters
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to sign a deal for the acquisition of 26 Rafale-Marine fighters for the INS Vikrant aircraft carrier and a repeat order for the construction of three more Scorpene (Kalveri) class submarines at Mazagon Dockyards Limited (MDL) through the “Make in India” route during his two-day visit to France this week, according to people familiar with the matter.
While South Block remains tight-lipped about the defence deals to be signed during PM Modi’s July 13-14 visit to Paris, it is understood that India and France will sign a defence-industrial road map to push India to scale up its manufacturing of hardware platforms using indigenously developed engines and technologies. PM Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron will also present a bilateral Indo-Pacific road map that includes concrete initiatives to safeguard freedom of navigation and maritime security for water passages in the region challenged by a rising China.
Three Attack Submarines
According to South Block sources, defence minister Rajnath Singh has called a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on July 13 to approve the Indian Navy’s acquisition of 26 Rafale-M fighters as well as the construction of three more Kalveri class submarines at the MDL. The last of the six Kalveri class submarines, INS Vagsheer, is set to be commissioned next year, with tests and trials now underway.
The three further Kalvari class submarines will be outfitted with air-independent propulsion (AIP) developed by the DRDO but tested and confirmed by the French Naval Group. The AIP extends the endurance of a standard diesel attack submarine, allowing it to stay submerged for more than a week without needing to surface to charge its batteries. The repeat order for three Scorpene class submarines via the government-to-government route will not only strengthen the Indian Navy to meet the challenge of PLA expansion in the Indian Ocean but will also give MDL’s submarine manufacturing capacity a new lease on life after INS Vaghsheer is commissioned in 2024.
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