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The Centre on Monday said French firm Dassault must ensure the quality of the Rafale aircraft it delivered to India matched those supplied by it to the French air force.
Speaking on the multi-million dollar Rafale fighter jet contract with Dassault, Rao Inderjit Singh, minister of state for defence, said, “Of the 126 aircraft, 18 are to be delivered by them and the rest are to be manufactured here…The aircraft that will be made here have to be with the help of the OEM (original equipment manufacturer), that is, Dassault. Dassault must ensure what is being produced in India is of the same standard and as good as the ones supplied to France.”
According to a request for proposal issued in 2007, the first 18 jets are to be imported and 108 manufactured here, under a licence by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).
“We do not want IAF (Indian Air Force) pilots flying some defective machines. Our capability in assembling the machines may not be as good as the OEMs. Therefore, one should expect that they, according to the contract, should help out HAL make it as well as the original,” Singh said.
He added the three arms of the defence forces had agreed on having a chief of defence staff for the armed forces.
