By N. C. Bipindra

New Delhi: In a major push to strengthen India’s air and maritime combat capabilities, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on February 12, 2026, approved capital acquisition proposals worth approximately INR 360,000 crore.

The high-value clearances include the procurement of Multi Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA), officially acknolwedged as the French Dassault Aviation’s Rafale jets, for the Indian Air Force (IAF), and additional P-8I Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft for the Indian Navy.

The Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) granted by the DAC marks a critical step toward enhancing India’s deterrence posture amid evolving regional security challenges in the Indo-Pacific and along its contested borders.

Rafale MRFA to Bolster IAF’s Air Dominance

For the Indian Air Force, the DAC cleared the procurement of Multi Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA), a programme that has long been associated with the acquisition of additional Rafale jets.

The move is aimed at significantly enhancing the IAF’s ability to conduct air dominance missions across the full spectrum of conflict.

The MRFA procurement will strengthen India’s long-range offensive strike capability and provide a decisive edge in both conventional and high-intensity warfare scenarios.

Equipped with advanced avionics, precision-guided munitions, and beyond-visual-range missile systems, Rafale-class aircraft are expected to play a pivotal role in ensuring air superiority and deep strike capability.

Importantly, the majority of the MRFA aircraft are slated to be manufactured in India, aligning with the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliance) push in defence production.

Local manufacturing and technology transfer are expected to boost India’s aerospace ecosystem and reduce long-term dependence on foreign suppliers.

Alongside MRFA, the DAC also cleared combat missiles to enhance stand-off ground attack capability with high precision and deep strike power.

Additionally, the approval of Air-Ship Based High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (AS-HAPS) systems will enable persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), electronic intelligence, and secure military communications.

P-8I Plane to Strengthen Maritime Surveillance, ASW

For the Indian Navy, the DAC cleared the acquisition of additional P-8I Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft, a critical asset in India’s anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and maritime domain awareness architecture.

The P-8I aircraft, based on American Boeing’s P-8 platform and customised for Indian requirements, has already proven instrumental in tracking submarine movements in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

The new procurement will significantly enhance the Navy’s long-range maritime surveillance, maritime strike, and anti-submarine warfare capabilities.

With increasing Chinese naval deployments in the Indian Ocean and expanding submarine activity, the P-8I fleet plays a crucial role in safeguarding sea lines of communication (SLOCs) and monitoring strategic chokepoints.

The aircraft’s advanced sensors, sonobuoys, radar systems, and anti-ship and anti-submarine weapons make it one of the most potent maritime patrol platforms in the region.

The Navy also received AoN for a 04 MW Marine Gas Turbine-based Electric Power Generator under the Make-I category of Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020.

This initiative is expected to reduce dependency on foreign manufacturers and enhance indigenous capability in naval power generation systems.

Broader Modernisation Across Services

While the Rafale MRFA and P-8I aircraft headline the INR 3.60 lakh crore package, the DAC approvals span all three services and the Coast Guard.

The Indian Army received AoN for Anti-Tank Mines (Vibhav) to strengthen defensive obstacles against mechanised forces, along with overhaul programmes for Armoured Recovery Vehicles (ARVs), T-72 tanks, and BMP-II Infantry Combat Vehicles to extend service life and ensure operational readiness.

The Indian Coast Guard will procure Electro-Optical/Infra-Red systems for its Dornier aircraft, improving maritime surveillance and coastal security.

Strategic Implications for Indian Security

The DAC’s sweeping approvals signal India’s intent to fast-track military modernisation in response to a volatile security environment in its immedite neighbourhood involving Pakistan and China.

The twin emphasis on Rafale MRFA fighters for air dominance and P-8I aircraft for maritime surveillance underscores New Delhi’s focus on securing both continental and maritime frontiers.

By combining high-end combat platforms with indigenisation under the Make-in-India framework, India is seeking to build credible deterrence while strengthening its domestic defence industrial base.

As the proposals move toward contract negotiations and eventual induction, the Rafale MRFA and P-8I acquisitions are poised to become cornerstone elements of India’s air power and maritime security architecture in the coming decade.

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