DAC meeting: When French President Emanuel Macron lands in New Delhi on Monday, February 16, his main focus may not be the artificial intelligence meeting planned for February 18. Instead, his attention is likely on a very big defence deal worth about ₹3.25 lakh crore. This deal is about buying 114 Rafale fighter jets for India. By the time Macron arrives, an important defence meeting in India may have already approved this purchase.
The Defence Acquisition Council, also called the DAC, is led by the defence minister. This group is expected to meet around February 12. If the DAC gives its approval, the plan will then go to another top group called the Cabinet Committee on Security, which is headed by the prime minister. Only after that will the deal get final clearance.
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Indian Air Force Needs more Planes
If India buys these 114 Rafale jets, the Indian Air Force will get about 6-7 new fighter squadrons. Even with this, the Air Force will still not have enough planes. Right now, the IAF should have at least 42 squadrons, but it only has around 30. This is the lowest number it has had in many years.
To fill the gap of seven to eight more squadrons, India is depending on its own fighter jet called the LCA Tejas. However, the Tejas program has faced many delays. One Tejas squadron usually has 20 aircraft, including four kept aside as backup.
Navy Plans
The DAC is also expected to discuss a plan for the Indian Navy. The Navy wants 6 more P-8I Poseidon aircraft. These planes are used to watch large sea areas and track enemy submarines. They are made by Boeing Defense and are already in service. The Navy currently has 12 of these aircraft and they have flown for more than 40,000 hours without any accidents.
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Apart from aircraft, the DAC may also look at a long-term plan to build marine gas turbine engines inside India. These engines are very important for making Indian warships. Government companies like GTRE, HAL, and BHEL are working on making such engines for military ships.
