A crucial meeting will be held on the deal for 114 Rafale fighter jets, with the Ministry of Defence preparing a plan ahead of the French President's visit.

News Topical, Digital Desk : The Defence Ministry is likely to discuss the Rs 3.25 lakh crore proposal to procure 114 Rafale fighter jets for the Indian Air Force ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron's visit in the third week of February.

The Indian Air Force's proposal was given preliminary approval by the Defence Acquisition Board last month. Defence sources said the proposal will be taken up for discussion at a high-level meeting of the Defence Ministry next week.

What is the approved number of squadrons ?

The deal is considered crucial to meet the operational requirements of the Indian Air Force in light of the current security scenario. Currently, the Indian Air Force operates only about 30 fighter aircraft squadrons, against its sanctioned strength of 42 squadrons.

With the growing nexus between Pakistan and Bangladesh and Pakistan and China, the threat perception has now increased further. The project is expected to help the Indian Air Force meet its long-standing requirement for a 4.5-generation-plus multirole fighter aircraft.

80 % of the 114 fighter jets will be manufactured in India.

About 80 percent of the 114 Rafale fighter jets are planned to be manufactured in India. Sources said the Indian Air Force will receive 88 single-seater and 26 twin-seater aircraft under the project, most of which will be manufactured in India in collaboration with Dassault and Indian private sector companies.

Once the deal is completed, the Indian Air Force will have a fleet of 150 Rafale aircraft, including 26 from the Indian Navy. These aircraft are deployed on aircraft carriers. The French President is expected to be present for the AI ​​Summit in Delhi on February 18.

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