New Delhi. India is going to sign a deal for 114 Rafale fighter planes with France for Rs 3.25 lakh crore. French President Emmanuel Macron’s three-day visit to India is starting from February 17. During this time this deal will be finalized. Out of these 114, 24 aircraft will be Super Rafale, which is being manufactured by French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation under the name F-5. Currently, the Indian Air Force has F-3 Rafale, which is a 4.5 generation fighter aircraft. These have stealth capability and the power to fire nuclear weapons, but the new aircraft are of the F-4 generation. That is why they are being called 5th generation.
According to media reports, according to European standards, the F-5 Rafale will actually be the sixth generation jet. After France, the Indian Air Force will have the best such aircraft. F-5 is still in the development stage. Supply of F-4 will start from 2028-29. Whatever aircraft will be available after 2030, they will be F-5 class Super Rafale. An Indian Air Force official said that Super Rafale will be the next generation fighter compared to America’s F-35 and Russia’s Sukhoi-57. Under this deal, there will be 88 Rafale single seater and 26 double seater, which can be used in both training and combat roles.
According to the report, 18 aircraft will be available from Dassault Aviation in a ready-to-fly condition. The remaining 96 will be made in India. 60 percent of their spare parts will be indigenous. This is India’s biggest defense deal. Now this proposal will be sent to the Cabinet Committee on Security for final approval. The proposal was approved by the Defense Procurement Board in January. According to the Defense Ministry, the purchase of new Rafale aircraft will strengthen the capability of deployment in air defense and border areas. According to the Defense Ministry, the committee headed by Rajnath Singh has also approved the proposal of 6 American Boeing P8-I surveillance aircraft, combat missiles and air-ship based high altitude pseudo satellites for the Navy. The total value of all these deals is Rs 3.60 lakh crore.