Gaps galore in original Rafale deal, CAG blames IAF for purchase delays too

Report dwells on ills in India's acquisition policy not just in Rafale, but other purchases as well, such as Apache attack helicopters, Chinook heavy lift helicopters, C-130 planes

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), in its report on capital acquisitions by the Indian Air Force, criticised the air arm for being as responsible as the bureaucracy for delays in crucial purchases. It has also found inconsistencies in every step of the original 126-jet Medium Multi-role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) deal.

The report, tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, had said the Narendra Modi government’s 36-jet Rafale deal was 2.86 per cent cheaper than the 2007 MMRCA deal, which was finally scrapped in 2015.

Leaving aside that headline, the report offers a deep-dive into the ills and complexities plaguing