New Delhi: India will soon submit a request to the French government seeking financial quotes for the purchase of 26 Rafale maritime combat aircraft – also known as Rafale M – for the Indian Navy’s second aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, ThePrint has learnt. Letter (LoR) will be sent.
However, while the Indian Air Force (IAF) is also looking to buy 114 Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA), for which the Rafale is the natural choice, no joint acquisition has been planned.
French aviation major Dassault Aviation, the maker of the Rafale M, has already made it clear that it would need to order at least 100 Rafale fighter jets to be manufactured in India.
Aviation experts ThePrint spoke to said a joint acquisition of the planes would make sense as the IAF is already operating 36 Rafale aircraft procured on an emergency basis and it is better for the Navy and the Air Force to work together on the requirement It happens.
He said, the joint acquisition will mean that the cost will come down and India will have another opportunity to manufacture fighter aircraft besides Tejas fighter aircraft. This is because by then Dassault would have found opportunities to produce in India.
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Meanwhile, the Navy is hoping that the deal for the purchase of 26 Rafale M’s – which will be procured soon – will be completed expeditiously.
Sources in the defense and security establishment told ThePrint that once an acquisition project is cleared by the Defense Ministry, the next step involves issuing a request for proposal (RFP). The current acquisition deal was approved in July.
Sources said that since the Rafale M deal is going to be government-to-government, the LoR will be issued within six to eight weeks after approval.
The source said, “Soon a LOR will be issued. It is in the final stages of investigation by the Defense Ministry.” He said that it is expected that there will be a spurt in procurement. While a contract normally envisages delivery as early as three years from the date of signing, talks are underway with the French for faster procedures.
The sources said training could also be expedited as Indian naval pilots can train on French Navy fighter jets instead of waiting for the delivery of Indian fighter jets.
Elaborating further on the process for the Rafale M acquisition, sources said a negotiating team would be set up by both India and France to conclude a contract, as ThePrint reported last month, ahead of the 2024 general elections. It is likely to be signed only after.
The sources also said that INS Vikrant, which is currently undergoing a scheduled mandatory refit/maintenance process, will use MiG 29K fighter jets of the Navy to become fully operational in the meantime.
Rafale M on the F/A-18 Super Hornet
ThePrint had first reported the Indian Navy’s decision to shortlist the Rafale M over US-based Boeing’s F/A 18 Super Hornet in December last year. The Naval Headquarters then sent a report to the Defense Ministry that noted a “positive” decision – and that the Rafale M met all the criteria – while making no mention of the Boeing aircraft.
The Navy will buy 22 single-seat Rafale M and four trainer aircraft to equip INS Vikrant with weapons.
The deal, estimated to be worth 5 billion Euros (Rs 45,000 crore), will cover training and infrastructure costs, as well as a weapons package.
The new contract to procure 26 aircraft is an interim arrangement, given that India is building its indigenous Twin Engine Deck-Based Fighter (TEDBF) – a prototype of which is expected to be ready by 2026-27, followed by 2032 Its production will start around.
However, it is not yet clear how the Navy will operate three different fighter aircraft from its two carriers. Sources said that by the time TEDBF arrives, the MiG 29Ks operating from INS Vikramaditya will be on their way.
(Editing: Almina Khatoon)
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