Problematic all the way
In cancelling the original tender and going for the outright purchase of a mere 36 Rafale fighters instead of the projected requirement of 126, the government has imperilled national security and prevented India from building its defence industry capabili
THE ACQUISITION OF 36 RAFALE FIGHTER aircraft has been extremely problematic in all possible ways, perhaps bar the selection of the aircraft itself well before the present government took office. In the ongoing brouhaha over the deal, with a lot of media noise and emphasis on likely corruption, much attention has been focussed on the quest for the proverbial smoking gun and on the strained rebuttals thereof from government spokespersons. Defence hardware deals the world over are known to be a hotbed of shady transactions and highly complex kickback routes, so it should surprise no one if any quid pro quo is difficult to prove. In the
D. RAGHUNANDAN
meantime, however, issues vital to the national interest that the Rafale deal has thrown up, especially those relating to the armed forces’ technological self-reliance, are in danger of being overshadowed.
It needs reiteration that the acquisition itself, the way it was structured and the manner in which crucial decisions were taken were all deeply flawed, with grave implications for national security, the country’s technological self-reliance, defence industry capabilities and transparency and accountability in governance, all of which are the stated objectives of defence procurement policies in India. The strong smell of cronyism that also