Two mega deals with France await Cabinet approval.

• Two mega defence deals worth nearly $11 billion are awaiting final approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).
• The deals include 26 Rafale-M fighter jets and three more Scorpene-class conventional submarines.
• The Indian Navy will observe the performance of the Rafale-M jets on the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle during the bilateral Varuna exercise in Goa.
• The Rafale-M deal is expected to be concluded in April, with deliveries expected to begin in four years.
• The Scorpene deal is complete and follows the earlier deal for six Scorpene submarines procured under Project-75.
• The Indian Navy will receive the Rafale-M jets and MQ-9B, an unmanned aerial vehicle, from 2029.
• The Defence Acquisition Council approved the procurement of 26 Rafale-M fighters and three additional Scorpeneclass diesel-electric submarines on July 13, 2023.