India will soon seal the proposed procurement of 26 naval variant of Rafale jets and three additional Scorpene submarines, said Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi on Monday.
Addressing the media at the eve of Navy Day, Admiral Tripathi also indicated that government's nod to two SSNs (nuclear-powered submarines) signified it's reposing faith in the indigenous capabilities of this country to build such boats.
The Navy chief also said that 62 ships and a submarine are currently under construction within the country as part of efforts to boost its naval power.
A large number of platforms are waiting for induction in the next one year and at least one ship will be inducted into the Navy, he said.
"We have redoubled efforts to bring in niche technologies into the force," Admiral Tripathi said.
The procurement of Rafale-M (naval variant) and the Scorpene submarines is likely to be finalised next month, he added.
The defence ministry had cleared the purchase of the Rafale-M jets from France last July, primarily for deployment on board the indigenously built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.
Pakistan's efforts to increase its maritime prowess have been told by Admiral Tripathi as ready to deal with any possible threat from neighboring countries.
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