As Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Paris later this week as Chief Guest at the Bastille Day parade, deals for Rafale-M fighters and three more Scorpene-class submarines for the Navy and a co-development of fighter jet engine are on the agenda. Ahead of this, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) is expected to hold a crucial meet in the next couple of days where it is likely to take a call on the procurement of 26 Rafale-M fighters for the Navy’s aircraft carriers and the proposal for additional Scorpene submarines that is in the pipeline. Prior to this, the Rafale-M proposal has been cleared by the Defence Procurement Board (DPB) for the Navy’s carrier jet race in which Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet has also competed.
The DPB decision clears the process for the case to be put for a decision by the DAC, the highest decision-making body in the Defence Ministry. There is still a long process which includes price negotiations and in the final step goes to the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) for approval before the deal can be signed.
