Defence Procurement Board Clears 114 Rafale Multirole Fighter Project
Proposal to move to DAC and Cabinet Committee on Security for final approval
New Delhi: According to sources, the Defence Procurement Board, chaired by Defence Secretary R.K. Singh, on Friday approved the proposal to procure 114 Rafale fighter aircraft from French manufacturer Dassault Aviation.
The proposal will now be placed before the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Final approval will be required from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Sources said that once the final clearance is granted, the Indian Air Force (IAF) will receive 114 Rafale aircraft under the Medium Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) project. The deal will include access to critical source codes required for weapon integration and communication pairing with fighter jets from other countries.
One of the key factors favoring the Rafale is that the IAF already operates 36 Rafale fighter jets. According to a source, fleet commonality and savings in training, repair, and maintenance costs have strengthened the case for Dassault’s Rafale platform. Additionally, 26 Rafale Marine (M) aircraft are being procured for combat operations aboard Indian Navy aircraft carriers.
A source stated, “Once the project is launched, there will be multiple advantages in terms of cost efficiency and logistical ease, as a dedicated Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility will be established for the MRFA project.” The source added that significant revenue savings would also be achieved, as there would be no expenditure of foreign exchange for MRO services.
Sources emphasized that the transfer of source codes will be a non-negotiable condition in the upcoming MRFA contract for the IAF. This will allow the new jets to integrate indigenous weapons as per operational requirements and maintain seamless communication with foreign-origin aircraft, ensuring full interoperability.
Another source said, “Access to source codes is not just for the current fleet but also for future acquisitions, enabling weapon integration according to the evolving needs of the force.” The source further noted that with this access, no French assistance would be required for weapon integration or connectivity with aircraft from other manufacturers, ensuring complete operational autonomy.
