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Strengthening India's Military

In a bid to enhance its military capabilities, the Indian government is gearing up to finalize several significant defense contracts in the coming weeks. This includes the acquisition of crucial combat equipment for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Navy. At the forefront is the proposal to purchase 114 Rafale fighter jets from France, aimed at addressing the growing shortfall in the IAF's fighter squadrons. The urgency of this acquisition has intensified as the IAF prepares to retire its MiG-21 squadrons next month in Chandigarh, which will reduce the total number of active fighter squadrons to just 29, significantly below the sanctioned strength of 42.

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The central government is emphasizing the acceleration of the Rafale procurement process, with expectations of receiving the first squadron within 18 months of signing the contract. The IAF has already submitted its proposal to the Ministry of Defence, which is currently under review by various internal departments, including defense finance. Following internal approvals, the proposal will be forwarded to the Defence Procurement Board (DPB) and subsequently to the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) for Acceptance of Necessity (AoN), paving the way for formal commercial negotiations. Meanwhile, India is also advancing major defense agreements with the United States. The Indian Navy is set to acquire six additional P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft, with discussions now in the final stages. A high-level delegation from the U.S. Department of Defense is currently in India to finalize this agreement with Boeing officials.

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Concerns regarding U.S. trade policies arose during President Donald Trump's tenure; however, officials from the Ministry of Defence have confirmed that there has been no adverse impact on bilateral defense cooperation. In fact, a significant deal for 113 F-404 engines has already been completed with the U.S.

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