'Power projection': India inks Rs 63,000 crore deal with France to buy 26 Rafale fighter jets for Navy

New Delhi: India and France on Monday inked an intergovernmental agreement to procure 26 naval variants of Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 64,000 crore for the Indian Navy. The pact provides for setting up of a production facility for Rafale fuselage as well as maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities for aircraft engines, sensors and weapons in India, according to the defence ministry. The agreement will also facilitate the transfer of technology for the integration of indigenous weapons in India, it said without elaborating.

The ministry said the delivery of the aircraft would be completed by 2030, with the crew undergoing training in France and India. India is procuring the jets for deployment on board aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. Manufactured by French defence major Dassault Aviation, the Rafale-Marine is a carrier-borne combat-ready aircraft with proven operational capabilities in the maritime environment. The sealing of the mega deal came three weeks after the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi cleared the procurement. Under the terms of reference, the delivery of the jets will have to start around five years after the signing of the contract. In July 2023, the defence ministry accorded the initial approval for the mega acquisition following a series of deliberations and evaluation tests of the platform. Under the deal, the Indian Navy will also get associated ancillary equipment including weapon systems and spares from Dassault Aviation.

The defence ministry said that the Rafale-Marine has commonality with the Rafale being operated by the Indian Air Force (IAF). "Its procurement will substantially enhance joint operational capability, besides optimising training and logistics for the aircraft for both Indian Navy and IAF," it said in a statement. "The induction would lead to the addition of a potent force multiplier to the Indian Navy's aircraft carriers, substantially boosting the nation's air power at sea," it said The intergovernmental pact has been signed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and France's Minister of Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu. The signed copies of the agreement, aircraft package supply protocol and weapons package supply protocol were exchanged by Indian and French officials, the defence ministry said.