News Analysis India

Tag: Rafale

  • Cabinet Committee on Security likely to seal Rafale-M deal today

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to clear the multi-billion dollar acquisition of 26 Rafale Marine fighters at its meeting on Wednesday.

    Sources said that the Indian Navy has expressed its preference for the French fighter aircraft Rafale Marine over US’ F-18 Super Hornet. A proposal for the purchase of Rafale Marine has been sent to the CCS.

    The Indian Air Force has already acquired 36 Rafale fighters. The commonality of the fleet and the resultant savings on training, repairs and maintenance have reportedly tilted the scale in favour of Dassault’s Rafale Marine. The two versions of the aircraft have over 80 per cent common features.

    These aircraft will be deployed on India’s indigenously developed aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. According to sources, the Ministry of Defence has worked out a comprehensive contract, including Performance-based Logistics, which will ensure that the Original Equipment Manufacturer will be responsible for the overall maintenance of the aircraft and the supply of spares. Dassault will also build a maintenance facility for the Rafales on INS Vikrant, besides one in Goa. The company will train the naval aviation ground crew, besides training the pilots.

    The fighters will be fully loaded with all maritime systems, including the maritime search radar that is capable of detecting submarines and warships in the sea. The price of the aircraft has not been revealed yet, but sources said it will be considerably lower than the IAF version. The government has decided to make the acquisition through an inter-governmental agreement rather than going in for an open tender.

    Rafale-M has been locked in a tight fight with Boeing’s Super Hornet. Sources said the Indian Navy brass was mighty impressed by the Rafale’s capabilities during a joint exercise in India recently and asked the ministry of defence to close the deal with the French vendor.

    The Indian Navy has been exploring options to replace its ageing MiG-29K as a short-term solution. India has been working on developing its own twin-engine deck-based fighters as a long-term solution to its need for carrier-based fighters. But since there are still some years before the aircraft is indigenously developed, the Navy has decided to go in for the acquisition to meet its requirement. The CCS includes the ministers for defence, home, finance, and external affairs and the national security advisor.

    NEW DELHI: The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to clear the multi-billion dollar acquisition of 26 Rafale Marine fighters at its meeting on Wednesday.

    Sources said that the Indian Navy has expressed its preference for the French fighter aircraft Rafale Marine over US’ F-18 Super Hornet. A proposal for the purchase of Rafale Marine has been sent to the CCS.

    The Indian Air Force has already acquired 36 Rafale fighters. The commonality of the fleet and the resultant savings on training, repairs and maintenance have reportedly tilted the scale in favour of Dassault’s Rafale Marine. The two versions of the aircraft have over 80 per cent common features.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    These aircraft will be deployed on India’s indigenously developed aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. According to sources, the Ministry of Defence has worked out a comprehensive contract, including Performance-based Logistics, which will ensure that the Original Equipment Manufacturer will be responsible for the overall maintenance of the aircraft and the supply of spares. Dassault will also build a maintenance facility for the Rafales on INS Vikrant, besides one in Goa. The company will train the naval aviation ground crew, besides training the pilots.

    The fighters will be fully loaded with all maritime systems, including the maritime search radar that is capable of detecting submarines and warships in the sea. The price of the aircraft has not been revealed yet, but sources said it will be considerably lower than the IAF version. The government has decided to make the acquisition through an inter-governmental agreement rather than going in for an open tender.

    Rafale-M has been locked in a tight fight with Boeing’s Super Hornet. Sources said the Indian Navy brass was mighty impressed by the Rafale’s capabilities during a joint exercise in India recently and asked the ministry of defence to close the deal with the French vendor.

    The Indian Navy has been exploring options to replace its ageing MiG-29K as a short-term solution. India has been working on developing its own twin-engine deck-based fighters as a long-term solution to its need for carrier-based fighters. But since there are still some years before the aircraft is indigenously developed, the Navy has decided to go in for the acquisition to meet its requirement. The CCS includes the ministers for defence, home, finance, and external affairs and the national security advisor.

  • Return to status quo ante needed for situation to become normal in Eastern Ladakh: IAF chief

    “All preparedness in terms of infrastructure building, equipment, training and tactics is a continuous effort, irrespective of whether we see any belligerence on the part of the Chinese or not,” he ad

  • 5 Rafale, 70 other aircraft to feature in ‘grandest flypast ever’ on R-Day

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The Republic Day parade this year will showcase 75 aircraft as part of the flypast over the Rajpath with the Supreme Commander President Ram Nath Kovind taking the salute from the marching contingents.

    The culmination of the flypast will be with the “Amrit Formation” in which for the first time, 17 Jaguar fighters will fly in the shape of 75, to celebrate Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav. Speaking online to media, IAF’s Western Air Command PRO Wing Commander Indranil Nandi said, “The grandest flypast ever will take place over Rajpath during the Republic Day parade with 75 aircraft including the planes from IAF, Army, and the Navy. This is in line with the Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav celebrations.” 

    Newly-inducted Omni role combat aircraft Rafale will be showcasing its manoeuvers in three formations — Vinash, Baaz, and Vijay. While a total of five Rafale would take off from Ambala airbase to flypast over the Rajpath in Vinash formation, the other two formations will include one Rafale.

    Indian Navy’s aircraft carrier fighter jets — MiG-29K and surveillance aircraft P-8I — will participate in the Varuna formation.

    ALSO READ | Republic Day parade to see 24,000 people in attendance, foreign dignitary as chief guest unlikely

    Of the total of 75 aircraft of the three forces, there will be 28 helicopters including 8 Mi-17s, 14 ALH, 1 Mi-35, 4 Apache and 1 Chinook (transport). Among the eight aircraft in the transport category, one vintage aircraft Dakota, two Dornier 228, three C-130, one P-8I, and one AEW&C will be participating.  

    There will be a total of 39 fighter aircraft flying past — 19 Jaguar, seven Rafale, seven Sukhoi, four MiG-29, and two MiG-29K.

    Of the multiple formations flying on display — Tangail and Meghna formations will be dedicated to commemorate India’s victory over Pakistan during the 1971 war and liberation of Bangladesh.

    Meghna Formation, consisting of one Chinook and four Mi-IV, and Tangail formation which will consist of one Dakota flanked by two Dornier 228 will be in the memory of the successful Tangail airdrop of the Indian Army’s second Parachute Battalion at Tangail, in erstwhile East Pakistan on December 11, 1971.

    The battalion group under the command of Lt Col Kulwant Singh Pannu along with an Artillery Battery of 17 Parachute Field Regiment, platoon of 411 (Independent) Parachute Field Company, medical detachment, surgical team, and other administrative troops from the Shatrujeet Brigade was airdropped and tasked to cut off the retreat of the Pakistani troops from the north towards Dhaka.

  • 75 aircraft including 5 Rafale to feature in ‘grandest flypast ever’ during R-Day celebration

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: As a part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav commemorating 75 years of India’s independence, the “grandest flypast ever” with 75 aircraft will take place over Rajpath in Delhi during Republic Day celebrations, said Air Force PRO Wing Commander Indranil Nandi on Monday.

    These 75 aircraft will also include five Rafale.

    “The grandest flypast ever to take place over Rajpath during the Republic Day parade with 75 aircraft including the planes from IAF, Army, and the Navy. This is in line with the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations,” the IAF public relations officer (PRO) said.

    “Five Rafale to fly over the Rajpath in the Vinaash formation,” he added.

    17 Jaguar fighter aircraft will fly in the shape of ’75’ to celebrate Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.

    Navy’s MiG29K and P-8I surveillance aircraft will also fly in the Varuna formation, the PRO informed.

    India will celebrate its 73rd Republic Day on January 26 this year, honouring the historic date when the country completed its transition towards becoming an independent republic after the Constitution came into effect. As part of the celebrations, an annual Republic Day parade is held in Delhi’s Rajpath.

    Meanwhile, a contingent of five Central Asian nations – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, who will be chief guests for Republic Day 2022 celebrations, has arrived in Delhi to participate in the event. (ANI)

  • Operation cover-up by Modi government in Rafale deal once again exposed: Congress

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday accused the Modi government of conducting an operation to “cover-up” corruption in the Rafale fighter jet deal and asked why it did not initiate investigation into the role of a middleman despite recovering incriminating documents from him.

    Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera also alleged that the BJP government has sacrificed national security, jeopardised the interests of the Indian Air Force and caused loss worth thousands of crores of rupees to the state exchequer.

    French investigative journal Mediapart in fresh revelations in a report has exposed how middleman Sushen Gupta got hold of confidential documents belonging to the Indian Negotiating Team (INT) in 2015 from the ministry of defence, he said.

    The documents detailed the stance of Indian negotiators during the final lap of negotiation and in particular how they calculated the price of the aircraft. This gave clear advantage to Dassault Aviation (Rafale), Khera claimed, citing the Mediapart report.

    ALSO READ| INC should be named ‘I need commission’: BJP’s jibe at Congress on Rafale row

    “The ‘operation cover-up’ by the Modi government to bury the melting pot of corruption, kickbacks and collusion in Rafale deal is once again exposed. The BJP government undermined national security, jeopardised the interests of the Indian Air Force and caused loss worth thousands of crores to our exchequer,” Khera said at a press confrence.

    Each revelation in the “murky affair in the last five years, every single allegation and each piece of the puzzle leads right up to the topmost leadership of the country- the prime minister’s doorstep”, he said.

    Khera alleged that the latest revelations in “operation cover-up” reveal the “dubious nexus” between the Modi government-CBI-ED to bury the corruption in the Rafale deal. The Congress leader asked whether it is not correct that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) recovered “secret defence ministry documents” from the middlemen in a raid conducted on March 26, 2019.

    The documents, he claimed, included the ‘benchmark price document’ of August 10, 2015, the ‘record of discussions’ by the INT of the defence ministry, the ‘excel sheet of calculations made by defence ministry’ and ‘Eurofighter’s counter offer of 20 per cent discount to government of India’.

    Khera alleged that a note of June 24, 2014, sent to Dassault by Gupta, offering a meeting with “the political high command” was also recovered and asked if such a meeting had taken place with the “high command” in the Modi government. “This is nothing short of endangering national security, sedition and a gross violation of Official’s Secrets Act,” he alleged.

    “Why did the ED not pursue these evidences further to investigate the scam? Why did the Modi government then not take action against Dassault, the political executive or the defence ministry officers who leaked the documents? Which ‘Chowkidar’ sold India’s national secrets,” Khera asked.

    The Congress leader also alleged that Prime Minister Modi abrogated the anti-corruption clauses — “no bribery, no gift, no influence, no commission, no middlemen”. These are a mandatory clauses in defence contracts according to the defence procurement procedure and were part of the tender by the UPA for purchase of 126 fighter aircraft, he said.

    “Were the anti-corruption clauses deleted to escape responsibility from bribery and commission to be paid in the Rafale deal? Why was the deletion of anti-corruption clauses approved by the prime minister and the Modi government in September 2016, despite the defence ministry’s insistence upon including it in the inter-governmental agreement in July 2015,” Khera asked.

    “Is this the reason that CBI-ED refused to probe the corruption in Rafale deal since October 11, 2018, till date,” he asked.

    Khera claimed that on October 4, 2018, two former BJP Union ministers Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie and a senior lawyer submitted a complaint to director of the CBI citing massive corruption in the Rafale deal.

    On October 11, 2018, the government of Mauritius, through its attorney general, supplied documents to the CBI regarding alleged payment of commission connected to the Rafale deal, he said.

    But, on October 23, 2018, CBI Director Alok Verma was removed in a “midnight coup” after the CBI headquarters was raided by the Delhi Police, Khera said, alleging that this was part of a concerted conspiracy to bury the Rafale ghost through the CBI.

    “Why has the Modi government and the CBI not acted upon the evidence of commission and corruption for the last 36 months? Why has it been buried ? Why did the Modi government remove the CBI Chief in a midnight coup,” the Congress leader asked.

  • ‘INC-I need commission’: BJP’s jibe at Congress on Rafale row

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party national spokesperson Sambit Patra on Tuesday slammed Congress for corruption in the Rafale deal between 2007 to 2012 and termed the party as “‘I need commission”.

    Addressing a press conference at BJP headquarters, Patra said, “We all saw the way the opposition parties, especially the Congress party, tried to create a false atmosphere regarding Rafale before the 2019 elections. They felt that this would give him some political advantage.”

    “Today, we are going to put some important documents in front of you, so that it gives a clear picture on whose era the corruption happened. A French media organization some time ago revealed that there was corruption in Rafale. This whole matter happened between 2007 to 2012,” he added.

    Slamming the Congress party, Patra said, “Indian National Congress, in my opinion, should be renamed ‘I need commission’.”

    “We had seen kind of canards spread by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Congress before 2019 elections. Congress had done press conferences against PM Narendra Modi and BJP about allegations of corruption. Rafale was a story of commission. The article published in France media talks about Dassault aviation and 7.5 million euros, 65 crores rupees commission was paid by it. A middle man was paid this amount. Atleast, 7.5 million euros were paid, as per the article. This article states that a maximum of 11 million euros was paid as commission to SM Gupta. His name surfaced in the AugustaWestland case. This is not just a coincidence. There is a conspiracy. Rest, I believe is a matter of investigation,” he said.

    Patra further said that Rahul Gandhi is perhaps in Italy currently and should reply from there on how this corruption was done during the UPA tenure.

    “The Indian Air force required these aircraft and this deal was kept pending for 10 years. There was no conclusion of negotiations,” he said.

    “The article mentioned three words like corruption, influence peddling and favouritism. Congress is double-faced,” BJP spokesperson said.

  • INC should be named ‘I need commission’: BJP’s jibe at Congress on Rafale row

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party national spokesperson Sambit Patra on Tuesday slammed Congress for corruption in the Rafale deal between 2007 to 2012 and termed the party as “‘I need commission”.

    Addressing a press conference at BJP headquarters, Patra said, “We all saw the way the opposition parties, especially the Congress party, tried to create a false atmosphere regarding Rafale before the 2019 elections. They felt that this would give him some political advantage.”

    “Today, we are going to put some important documents in front of you, so that it gives a clear picture on whose era the corruption happened. A French media organization some time ago revealed that there was corruption in Rafale. This whole matter happened between 2007 to 2012,” he added.

    Slamming the Congress party, Patra said, “Indian National Congress, in my opinion, should be renamed ‘I need commission’.”

    “We had seen kind of canards spread by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Congress before 2019 elections. Congress had done press conferences against PM Narendra Modi and BJP about allegations of corruption. Rafale was a story of commission. The article published in France media talks about Dassault aviation and 7.5 million euros, 65 crores rupees commission was paid by it. A middle man was paid this amount. Atleast, 7.5 million euros were paid, as per the article. This article states that a maximum of 11 million euros was paid as commission to SM Gupta. His name surfaced in the AugustaWestland case. This is not just a coincidence. There is a conspiracy. Rest, I believe is a matter of investigation,” he said.

    Patra further said that Rahul Gandhi is perhaps in Italy currently and should reply from there on how this corruption was done during the UPA tenure.

    “The Indian Air force required these aircraft and this deal was kept pending for 10 years. There was no conclusion of negotiations,” he said.

    “The article mentioned three words like corruption, influence peddling and favouritism. Congress is double-faced,” BJP spokesperson said.

  • IAF inducts second squadron of Rafale fighters in Bengal’s Hasimara

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Wednesday formally inducted the second squadron of Rafale jets at West Bengal’s Hasimara airbase in Eastern Air Command (EAC).

    The 101 Squadron is the second IAF squadron to be equipped with the Rafale fighters. In September last year, the Rafale aircraft were inducted into the 17 “Golden Arrows” Squadron.

    Addressing the personnel at the air force station, Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria said the induction of the Rafale jets at Hasimara was carefully planned, keeping in mind the importance of strengthening the IAF’s capability in the eastern sector.

    Bhadauria said he has no doubt that the squadron would dominate whenever and wherever required, and ensure that the adversary would always be intimidated by its sheer presence.

    “The IAF formally inducted Rafale aircraft into No.101 Squadron at Air Force Station Hasimara in Eastern Air Command on July 28,” an IAF statement said.

    Air chief Bhadauria said: “The induction of Rafales had been carefully planned at Hasimara keeping in mind the importance of strengthening IAF’s capability in the Eastern Sector.”

    “I have no doubt that the Squadron would dominate whenever and wherever required and ensure that the adversary would always be intimidated by their sheer presence,” he added.

    ALSO READ | More than 90,000 job openings lying vacant in Indian Army: Defence Ministry

    He recalled the glorious history of the 101 Squadron, which earned it the title of “Falcons of Chamb and Akhnoor”.

    India and China have been locked in a border standoff in eastern Ladakh since May last year. In the northeast, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh share borders with China.

    The induction event included a fly-past heralding the arrival of the Rafale aircraft at Hasimara, followed by a traditional water-cannon salute, according to a statement issued by the IAF.

    India has so far received 26 of the 36 Rafale aircraft it has ordered from French firm Dassault Aviation, Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

    “CAS urged the personnel to combine their zeal and commitment with the unmatched potential of the newly-inducted platform (Rafale),” the IAF said.

    The multi-role Rafale jets, built by French aerospace major Dassault Aviation, are known for air superiority and precision strikes.

    The first batch of five Rafale jets arrived in India on July 29, 2020, nearly four years after the country signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to procure 36 aircraft at a cost of Rs 59,000 crore.

  • IAF likely to operationalise second squadron of Rafale fighter jets by July-end

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force (IAF) is likely to operationalise its second squadron of the Rafale combat aircraft by the end of July and it will be based in Hasimara air base in West Bengal, officials said on Tuesday.

    The first squadron of the Rafale jets is stationed at Ambala Air Force station in Haryana.

    The first batch of five Rafale jets arrived in India on July 29, 2020, nearly four years after India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to procure 36 of the aircraft at a cost of around Rs 59,000 crore.

    Currently, the IAF has around 25 Rafale jets and the remaining ordered aircraft are expected to be delivered by 2022.

    The first squadron will look after Pakistan border on western frontier and the northern frontier.

    The second squadron will look after the eastern frontier of India, the officials mentioned.

    The formal induction ceremony of the Rafale fleet had taken place at Ambala on September 10 last year.

    Later on, other batches of the fighter jet also arrived in India.

    The IAF officials said the second Rafale squadron would be operationalised at the next main operating base at Hasimara by July-end.

    A squadron comprises around 18 aircraft.

    The Rafale jets are India’s first major acquisition of fighter planes in 23 years after the Sukhoi jets were imported from Russia.

    The Rafale jets are capable of carrying a range of potent weapons.

    European missile maker MBDA’s Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile, Scalp cruise missile and MICA weapons system will be the mainstay of the weapons package of the Rafale jets.

    The IAF is also procuring a new generation medium-range modular air-to-ground weapon system Hammer to integrate with the Rafale jets.

    Hammer (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) is a precision-guided missile developed by French defence major Safran.

    The missile was originally designed and manufactured for the French Air Force and Navy.

    Meteor is the next generation of BVR air-to-air missile designed to revolutionise air-to-air combat.

    The weapon has been developed by MBDA to combat common threats facing the UK, Germany, Italy, France, Spain and Sweden.

  • Induction of Rafale aircraft into Indian Air Force by 2022: IAF Chief 

    By PTI
    HYDERABAD: IAF Chief RKS Bhadauria on Saturday said the induction of 36 Rafale aircraft into the Indian Air Force would take place by 2022.

    The IAF is absolutely on target with respect to the Rafale induction plan, he said while responding to a reporters’ query on timeline for receiving the 36 fighter jets from France.

    “The target is 2022. It is absolutely on target. I mentioned earlier. Except for one or two aircraft, minor delays because of COVID related issues, but, in fact, some deliveries have been ahead of time. So, broadly, we are absolutely on target on the Rafale induction plan.

    “On the operationalisation plan, you are aware, we are fully operational..so, in terms of time, we will be absolutely on time,” he told reporters after reviewing the Combined Graduation Parade (CGP) at the Air Force Academy in Dundigal here.

    In 2016, India had signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to procure 36-Rafale jets at a cost Rs 59,000 crore.

    Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had in February said the country would have the entire fleet of the fighter aircraft by April 2022.

    Asked for his assessment on the situation in eastern Ladakh on the Indo-China border, the IAF Chief said talks are on between the two sides and the first attempt is to continue with the parleys and carry out the disengagement at the “balance friction points.”

    “The first attempt is to continue with the talks and do the disengagement at the balance friction points. And, of course, follow it up with de-escalation,” he said.

    “However, in parallel, the ground realities are being monitored closely.

    Whatever is the reality across, in terms of current leftover locations, deployments, any changes, that is being monitored closely and whatever actions are required on our part, we are taking, Bhadauria said.