DAC Approves Procurement Of 26 Rafale Aircraft, Three Submarines From France

A meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), held under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, approved three proposals on Thursday, accordion to the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The DAC granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for procurement of 26 Rafale Marine aircraft along with associated ancillary equipment, weapons, simulator, spares, documentation, crew training and logistic support for the Indian Navy from the French government based on Inter-governmental Agreement (IGA).

As per the ministry’s statement, the price and other terms of purchase will be negotiated with the French government after taking into account all relevant aspects, including the comparative procurement price of similar aircraft by other countries. 

Further, the integration of Indian-designed equipment and establishment of a Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO) Hub for various systems will be incorporated into the contract documents after due negotiations.

The DAC also granted the AoN for the procurement of three additional Scorpene submarines under Buy (Indian) category which will be constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL).

The government believes that the procurement of additional submarines, with higher indigenous content, will not only help in maintaining the required force level and operational readiness of the Indian Navy but also create significant employment opportunities in the domestic sector. It will also help the MDL in further enhancing its capability and expertise in submarine construction, the media release added.

The DAC also approved the proposal to lay down guidelines for achieving the desired indigenous content in all categories of capital acquisition cases. It will help in achieving ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in critical manufacturing technologies and the life-cycle sustenance of defence platforms and equipment through indigenous manufacturing.