NEW DELHI: The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on July 13 issued an Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for acqusition of 26 Rafale M fighter jets and 3 additional Scorpene submarines.
The acquisition of 26 Dassault Aviation made Rafale M fighters will meet immediate and critical requirements of the Indian Navy for aircraft carrier borne combat aircraft and will have an advantage of commonality with the 36 Rafale jets already in service with the Indian Air Force.
Three additional Scorpene submarines will extend the current line of boats being built at Mazagaon Dockyards Limited (MDL). These submarines will be more advanced versions of current class of boats built by the yard – five have been delivered and the sixth is expected next year.
India has relied on French fighter jets for four decades now. Much before buying Rafale in 2015, India bought Mirage jets in 1980s, which still comprise two squadrons of the air force.
