India progresses procurements of additional Rafale, P-8I aircraft
The IAF has already inducted 36 Rafale fighter aircraft between 2019 and 2022. (Indian Air Force)
After years of delay, the Indian government has injected new momentum to its Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) acquisition programme, with the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approving the procurement of additional Dassault Rafale fighter aircraft on 12 February.
Separately, India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a new contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to acquire Dornier 228 (Do228) aircraft for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
The Rafale decision formed part of a broader package of acceptance of necessity (AoN) approvals, cleared by the DAC covering Indian acquisition proposals worth a total of INR3.60 trillion (USD39.7 billion).
In addition to the Rafales for the Indian Air Force (IAF), the approvals included additional Boeing P-8I Neptune maritime patrol aircraft for the Indian Navy, the overhaul of Indian Army armoured vehicles, as well as new air-to-surface missiles and Air-Ship Based High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (AS-HAPS) platforms for the IAF.
The AoN approval is the first step in India's capital procurement process, indicating that the DAC – headed by the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh – has formally accepted the need for specific defence equipment, marking the initiation of procurement processes.
The Indian MoD said, “The procurement of MRFA will enhance the capability of undertaking air dominance roles across the spectrum of conflict and significantly boost the deterrence capabilities of IAF with long-range offensive strikes.”
According to the MoD, the majority of Rafales to be acquired under the MRFA programme will be manufactured in India.
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