Onlykashmir.in News Desk
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on Thursday approved the procurement of 114 Rafale fighter jets, combat missiles, ASHAPS and other defence equipment at a total cost of Rs 3.6lakh crore.
The approval comes days ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron’s planned visit to India from February 17 to 19. The DAC also approved the procurement of six additional P&I maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft for the US Navy. According to top officials, 90 of the 114 Rafale aircraft are planned to be manufactured domestically, with about 50 per cent of the material being indigenous.
New Delhi has long relied on importing machinery and weapons for its armed forces, but recent efforts by Prime Minister Narendra Modi have given a significant boost to domestic defence production.
The era for the Indian Air Force began in the 1980s, but the real breakthrough came in the last decade when the indigenously developed Tejas fighter jet was inducted as a replacement for the Soviet-era MiG-21s.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited has domestic orders for about 180 of the advanced Mk 1A model of the Tejas, but deliveries have not yet begun due to engine supply chain issues at GE Aerospace.
The Defence Acquisition Council has given preliminary approval for more Rafale fighter jets and missiles for the Air Force, anti-tank missiles for the Army and P&I surveillance aircraft for the Navy, according to the Defence Ministry.
