Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) has issued a clarification on receiving Defense Council approval for the purchase of 114 Rafales. He said the company has not received any official communication in this regard. The clarification comes despite the MoD’s announcement of the deal on Thursday.

“In relation to the aforementioned article, we would like to clarify that the company did not receive any official communication from the Ministry of Defense or Dassault in this regard,” he said in a document, referring to a report on the agreement.

Meanwhile, shares of HAL rose 2.05 percent to Rs 4,244 in Friday trade. At this level, the stock is up 15.96 percent in the past year.

THE MOTHER OF ALL DEFENSE OFFERS

The government had claimed that the Rajnath Singh-led Defense Acquisition Council (DAC) approved the acquisition from France, just days before French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to India. The amount is expected to be worth Rs 3.60 crore.

The procurement of multi-role fighter aircraft (MRFA) under the Rafale program for the Indian Air Force is aimed at strengthening the force’s ability to undertake air dominance roles, the government said. Most of these fighter jets are to be manufactured in India, supporting the nation’s focus on national defense production and self-sufficiency. The Rafale deal is critical to this plan, providing the IAF with long-range offensive strike capabilities and strengthening deterrence, he added.

Alongside the Rafale aircraft, the Council approved the acquisition of advanced combat missiles. These systems will increase ground attack capability, providing deep strike power and precision targeting.

For the Indian Army, acceptance of need for anti-tank mines (Vibhav) and revision of armored recovery vehicles, T-72 tanks and BMP-II infantry fighting vehicles was granted. Indian Navy received approval for induction of 04 MW marine gas turbine based electric power generators and P8I long range maritime reconnaissance aircraft. For the Indian Coast Guard, procurement of electro-optical/infrared systems for Dornier aircraft was sanctioned.