A meeting of the Defense Acquisition Council (DAC), held under the chairmanship of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh, approved three proposals on 13 July 2023. The DAC granted acceptance of need (AoN) for procurement of 26 Rafale Marine aircraft along with related ancillary equipment, weapons, simulator, spares, documentation, crew training and logistics support for the Indian Navy by the French Government on the basis of the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA). The price and other purchase conditions will be negotiated with the French government after taking into account all relevant aspects, including the comparative purchase price of similar aircraft from other countries. In addition, the integration of Indian-designed equipment and the establishment of a maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) hub for various systems will be incorporated into the contract documents after due negotiations.
The DAC has also granted the AoN the procurement of three additional Scorpene submarines in the Buy (Indian) category to be built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL). Procurement of additional submarines, with higher local content, will not only help maintain the required force level and operational readiness of the Indian Navy, but will also create significant employment opportunities in the domestic sector. It will also help the MDL further enhance its capability and expertise in submarine construction.
In addition, the DAC approved the proposal to define guidelines for achieving the desired Indigenous content in all categories of capital acquisition cases. It will help to achieve ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in critical manufacturing technologies and life cycle sustenance of defense platforms/equipment through local manufacturing.
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ABB/Anand/Savvy