India's Largest Fighter Jet Deal Moves Forward
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, cleared procurement proposals worth nearly ₹3.60 lakh crore on February 12, 2026, to enhance the capability of India's Armed Forces.
The centrepiece of the approval was the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the Multi Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) programme, understood to be the Rafale, for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The Ministry of Defence stated that the majority of the MRFA fleet will be manufactured in India, in line with the government's push to combine urgent capability enhancement with domestic industrial participation.
Officials said the acquisition will significantly boost the IAF's air dominance role across the spectrum of conflict and strengthen deterrence through long-range offensive strike capability.
Combat Missiles and a High-Altitude Pseudo Satellite
Alongside the fighter jets, the DAC also accorded AoN for Combat Missiles, intended to enhance the IAF's stand-off ground attack capability with deep-strike power and very high accuracy, and for an Air-Ship Based High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (AS-HAPS) — a lighter-than-air platform that can loiter at high altitude for extended periods to provide persistent surveillance, communication relay, or early-warning functions, effectively acting as a low-cost substitute for a satellite in some roles.
This February clearance follows a series of large DAC approvals through 2025 and early 2026, and it came shortly before French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to India later that month, during which defence cooperation, including the Rafale programme, featured prominently in bilateral discussions.
Analysts note that an AoN is only an in-principle administrative clearance — the ceiling value of proposals permitted to proceed to tendering and contract negotiation — and does not represent money already spent, an important distinction frequently tested in competitive exams.
Remember for exams: the ₹3.60 lakh crore figure, the term Acceptance of Necessity (AoN), and the three approved items — MRFA (Rafale), Combat Missiles, and AS-HAPS.
Source: newsonair.gov.in
