Rafale jets, pseudo satellites on Defence Ministry’s acquisition list this week

The council is scheduled to meet on February 12 under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Last month, the Defence Procurement Board, headed by the Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, approved the proposal to acquire 114 Rafale fighter jets from French plane maker Dassault. The Cabinet Committee on Security, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to give a final nod on the proposal.

India and France are looking to seal the deal for the fighter jets during the upcoming meeting between Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron, who will be in India from February 17 to 19.

In September last year, the Indian Air Force had moved the formal proposal to the Ministry of Defence, seeking 114 more Rafale jets as part of its multi-pronged plan to expand its fleets of fighter jets.

The IAF already flies 36 Rafale jets, while the Navy has ordered 26 marine variants of the same jet. Increasing its numbers would also reduce the maintenance costs.

A Rafale flight training, and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility is operational at the IAF base in Ambala. The Air Force has the capacity – space, spares, tooling and trained manpower — to immediately take-in two squadrons (36 to 38 planes).

The jets will be acquired under a ‘Make in India’ scheme, under which Dassault Aviation will partner with an Indian firm. The French plane maker will integrate Indian weapons, missiles and ammunition on all 114 jets and provide secure data links to allow digital integration of these jets with Indian radars and sensors sending imagery to ground-based controllers.

The French manufacturer will also provide transfer of technology (ToT) for making air frames. Its suppliers, including engine maker Safran and avionics provider Thales, will also be a part of the ToT. Consequently, the indigenous content in these jets is expected to be between 55 per cent and 60 per cent once the transfer of technology for air frames, engines and avionics is completed.

Meanwhile, sources said that DAC is also looking at solar- powered High-Altitude Pseudo Satellite Vehicle (HAPS). The National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) has already tested one, while the DRDO and Bangalore-based NewSpace Research and Technologies (NRT) have their respective versions.

An HAPS is a high-end version of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can operate in the stratosphere for long duration for surveillance and reconnaissance. It can operate at an altitude of about 20 km, much higher than the flight path of commercial planes. It is considered much cheaper to deploy and operate than satellites. Besides, no launch vehicle or rocket is needed to launch it.

Only a few global players like the US, the UK, Germany, South Korea, New Zealand and Japan have invested in such technologies.