Context: Recently, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved proposals to procure 26 Rafale Marine aircraft and three additional Scorpene submarines for the Indian Navy.

• Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

About Rafale Marine Aircraft  

• It will come with associated ancillary equipment, weapons, simulator, spares, documentation, crew training and logistic support. 
  • Their procurement from the French Government is on an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) basis.
  • 26 Rafale-M fighters include 22 single seater jets and four twin-seater trainers,
• For the Navy’s fighter jet deal, the competition was between Boeing’s F/A-18 , E/F Super Hornet and Dassault Aviation’s Rafale-M. 
  • While both fighters met the Navy’s requirements, the Rafale M had common spares and support as the Rafale operated by the Indian Air Force.
  • IAF operates 36 Rafale jets customised for Indian requirements procured under a €7.87 bn deal signed in April 2016.

About Scorpene submarines

• DAC also granted the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for procurement of three additional Scorpene submarines.
• Submarines will be procured under Buy (Indian) category and will be built by the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL).
• The MDL is already building six Scorpene class submarines under Project-75 under transfer of technology from Naval Group which was a $3.75-billion deal signed in October 2005. 
  • Five of these have already been commissioned and the sixth will likely be commissioned early next year.

News Source: HT