Confirming CNBC-TV18's exclusive report from yesterday, India's defence ministry on Thursday approved the proposed procurement of 26 Rafale marine aircraft. The Defence Acquisition Council under Union Minister Rajnath Singh's chairmanship also cleared the acquisition of three additional Scorpene submarines.

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This development comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins a two-day visit to Paris. While in France, Modi is expected to announce these mega defence projects after wide-ranging talks with President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Friday.

An exclusive report by CNBC-TV18 on Wednesday shared that the Defence Procurement Board (DPB) had approved a proposal to buy 26 Rafale fighters for the Indian Navy. The story also reported that Mazagon Docks Ltd. would build the three Scorpene submarines which received initial approval.

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The DAC’s approval of the projects comes after a meeting that took place today, July 13, a week after the projects were cleared by the DPB.

The Indian Navy is looking for procurement of these 26 deck-based fighter jets for the indigenously-built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.

After a lengthy process, the Navy had narrowed down on Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet and French aerospace major Dassault Aviation’s Rafale M aircraft for procurement.

Later, Rafale-M, the naval variant of the lethal jet, emerged as the winner in the tight race. India has already procured 36 Rafale jets from France for the Indian Air Force.

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The Rafale jets are India’s first major acquisition of fighter planes in 23 years after the Sukhoi jets were imported from Russia.

Under Project 75, six Scorpene submarines have already been made in India. The sixth Scorpene submarine, Vaghsheer, was launched in April last year and undertook its first sea sortie in May this year.

With agency inputs.

First Published:Jul 13, 2023 3:24 PM IST