Of the total reported amount,
€3.42 billion is for the cost of the platform;
another €1.8 billion is for support and infrastructure supplies;
€1.7 billion will be spent to meet India-specific changes on the aircraft;
€710 million is the additional weapons package;
and €353 million is the cost of performance-based logistics support, the MoD official said.
The first of the jets from France is to be delivered in 36 months, by September 2019, and the entire lot over the following 30 months.
According to an Indian Air Force (IAF) official, Dassault will make India-specific changes to the aircraft and mount new-generation missiles, like Meteor and Scalp, adding extra capability beyond India's immediate adversaries.
The Meteor is a beyond-visual-range, air-to-air missile with a range of more than 150 kilometers, whereas Scalp is a long-range, air-launched cruise missile with a range of 300 kilometers.
Under a logistics-support agreement,
Dassault will ensure that at least 75 percent of the fleet remains operational or air worthy at any given time.
"This would mean at any given time there will be 27 Rafale aircraft ready for operation," an IAF official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
IAF has not procured any new fighter jets since the start of this century, the last one being the Sukhoi 30-MKI from Russia that was first ordered in the mid-1990s and later produced under license at state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited facilities in India.
"There is an option of repeat clause for 18 Rafale aircraft. Thirty-six is [the] first batch, which could be repeated again. India is short on inventory and more could be ordered," the IAF official said.
T
he service's fighter aircraft strength is depleting against the required strength of 44 squadrons (one squadron is 18 aircraft). India has 33 squadrons with planes like MiG21s and MiG27s, due to retire in the next 10 years.
"There is an option of repeat clause for 18 Rafale aircraft. Thirty-six is [the] first batch, which could be repeated again. India is short on inventory and more could be ordered," the IAF official said.
Ankur Gupta, a defense analyst with Ernst and Young India, said: "There is obviously a requirement of at least 100 more, but that is a question to be debated sometime later. As of now, this is what we have and we will make do with. Let us not forget the options for 18 more that could be signed anytime over the next three-odd years."
Singh says induction of Rafale in to the IAF would tremendously enhance the IAF operational preparedness and capability as it would have excellent operational availability.
