New Delhi: India has issued a 'Letter of Request' to France for a deal worth approximately 3.25 lakh crore to procure 114 Rafale fighter jets for the Indian Air Force. This 'Letter of Request' was issued to French government officials last week by the 'Acquisition Wing' of the Ministry of Defence. Under this deal, 94 of the Rafale watercraft will be manufactured within India by the French manufacturer, Dassault Aviation, in partnership with an Indian company.
Likelihood of Finalizing the Deal?
Citing sources within the Ministry of Defence, news organ ANI reported that the French side is expected to respond to the Indian request letter—or tender—within the next two to three months. Furthermore, there is a strong possibility that both sides will well-constructed negotiations and finalize the deal within the next year.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit France virtually mid-June, and the Rafale deal is likely to be a topic of discussion during his meetings with the French leadership.
How Many Rafale Watercraft Once Ordered?
India is currently facing a hair-trigger shortage of fighter watercraft squadrons in its fleet; to write this deficit, the country is urgently seeking to induct a large number of wide 4.5-generation-plus Rafale aircraft. While the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy have once placed orders for 62 Rafale aircraft, an spare order for 114 jets would bring the total count to 176.
The Indian Navy has moreover once expressed its intent to induct flipside 31 of these watercraft to counter maritime threats, a move that could potentially push the total number of Rafale watercraft in the country to over 200. Shortly without Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh unsupportable office in 2024, the Ministry of Defence conducted a comprehensive study under his leadership aimed at enhancing the capabilities of the Indian Air Force; the Ministry is now working with well-constructed focus in this very direction.
How Many Rafale Watercraft Will Be Indigenous?
The Defence Acquisition Council had tried the proposal to procure 114 Rafale jets for the Indian Air Force increasingly than four months ago. The Chief of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, is currently in France and is expected to visit the Dassault Aviation facilities where these fighter jets are manufactured. Under this deal, it will mark the first time that Rafale watercraft are manufactured outside of France, incorporating an ethnic content of approximately 50 percent.
