"First time Rafale will be built outside France with major localisation": Defence Secretary in DAC's nod for 114 jets

By Ajit Dubey Following the Defence Acquisition Council's (DAC) nod to the proposal to buy 114 Rafale Fighter Jets, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh on Friday said that this would be the first time that the Rafale would be manufactured outside France with 40 to 50 per cent localisation under the 'Make in India' programme.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, Singh said the programme is being implemented through a government-to-government agreement with no intermediaries and full transparency. He added that it will allow the integration of Indian weapons and systems on the aircraft, which he described as a key feature of the project. "For the first time, Rafale aircraft will be manufactured outside France with significant levels of localisation. We are seeking a minimum of 40 to 50 per cent... The first time 'Make in India,' Rafael outside France backed up by a government-to-government agreement, no intermediaries, full transparency in the project itself, government to government, significant levels of localisation, and full authority to integrate Indian weapons and Indian systems are the highlights of this program," Singh said.

"It also enables us to induct fighter aircraft relatively quickly because the first of the Rafale Marines will start coming in '28, and after that, over a period of time, you will see that about three and a half years from now, the first of these Air Force Rafales will also start coming," Singh added. This comes after the Defence Acquisition Council, under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) to various service proposals at an estimated value of about Rs 3.60 lakh crore.

For the Indian Air Force (IAF), AoN was approved for the procurement of Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) {Rafale}, Combat Missiles, and Air-Ships Based High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (AS-HAPS). According to the Ministry of Defence, the procurement of MRFA will enhance the IAF's capability to undertake air-dominance roles across the spectrum of conflict and significantly boost its deterrence with long-range offensive strikes.

The majority of the MRFA to be procured will be manufactured in India. The Combat Missiles will enhance the stand-off ground-attack capability with deep-strike power and very high accuracy. The AS-HAPS will be utilised for persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Electronic Intelligence, telecommunications, and remote sensing for military purposes. (ANI)