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NEW DELHI: To boost IAF’s strength, India is acceptable to reason respective large contracts successful the fiscal twelvemonth 2026-27, including deals for buying 114 Rafale combatant jets, up to 60 mean transport craft (MTA) and further airborne aboriginal informing and power (AEW&C) systems, the defence ministry has told a parliamentary panel.“There is an summation of 37.03% successful IAF’s superior fund arsenic compared to fund estimates for 2025-26. The allotted funds are planned to beryllium utilised against immoderate of the large caller schemes similar multi-role combatant craft (referring to projected Rafale deal), combat enablers (AEW&C, Tejas MK1A), Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) and medium-altitude long-endurance RPA (remotely piloted aircraft), successful summation to the ongoing committed liabilities,” the ministry told the parliamentary lasting committee connected defence, which submitted its latest study successful Lok Sabha past week.
In Feb this year, Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) cleared the acquisition of 114 Rafale jets nether the Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) programme; the projected woody for the jets on with subject hardware is expected to outgo astir Rs 3.25 lakh crore. Under the MRFA model, the caller Rafales volition beryllium made successful India by French institution Dassault Aviation successful collaboration with an Indian partner. “Keeping successful presumption the modernisation of the equipped forces, particularly successful the existent geo-political scenario, the committee urges the aerial unit to gainfully utilise the allocated funds for modernisation and technological upgradation successful armament and successful the procurement of different captious platforms,” the study said.
The Defence Acquisition Board precocious cleared a program to procure 60 Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) for IAF, estimated to outgo Rs 1 lakh crore. The programme aims to regenerate the aging An-32 fleet, requiring 12 craft successful alert distant information and 48 to beryllium manufactured locally. Top contenders see Embraer C-390 Millennium, Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules and European Airbus Defence and Space with its A-400M.“Critical combat enablers similar AEWACs, formation refuellers and peculiar physics quality and surveillance platforms are vital... These systems not lone heighten our quality and battlefield transmission but besides supply commanders with modern warfare's physics bid of conflict information. All these combat quality systems are highly effectual platforms for enhancing the combat capableness of each 3 services,” the ministry informed the committee.The committee was besides told that IAF is committed to self-reliance and is providing full-fledged enactment to nationalist objectives. “In bid to spearhead innovation and indigenisation, the IAF has formed a caller directorate, named Directorate of Aerospace Design (DAD). This directorate actively interacts with industries, R&D institutions and academia to ascertain niche technologies successful the aerospace domain and germinate modus operandi to person them into tactical and strategical warfare warring solutions, utilising indigenous resources,” the study said.
