NEW DELHI: In good news for the Indian Air Force, defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said on Thursday that the govt is planning to conclude the contract for 114 Rafale jets by the end of this financial year and the govt is looking for a higher level of integration of Indian armaments in such 4-5-generation fighter jets.Confirming that bids submitted under the request for proposal (RFP) stage are undergoing formal assessment, the defence secretary said, “We should be able to reach some conclusion in that procurement cycle before the end of this year.”“They had agreed to integrate Indian weapons even in the already-contracted Rafale Marines that we had bought. In this case, of course, we are going one step ahead, in the sense that it’s a buy-and-make programme, with the bulk of the aircraft to be assembled in India, with significant levels of indigenisation and integration of Indian systems and weapons,” Singh, who is also DRDO chairman, told ANI. India had contracted 26 Rafale Marine jets from France for Rs 63,000 crore in April 2025 for the Indian Navy.On the fifth-generation fighter jet AMCA programme, Singh said it has reached a stage where requests for proposals (RFP) have been invited from shortlisted vendors. “We haven’t taken a decision to go in for any global or outside fifth-generation fighter aircraft programme. Our programme is AMCA. They’ve (vendors) sought more time because of the complexity…. We are going to give them some more time.”On the indigenous LCA Mk2 fighters, the defence secretary said, “As of now, LCA Mk2 is still on, with the first flight scheduled for the middle of next year. Let the prototypes come and let the Air Force evaluate them, and thereafter, we will see.”As India’s combat squadrons have been depleted to an alarming 29, the air force is desperately seeking to raise the strength of its advanced fighters. The IAF is therefore waiting eagerly for the induction of the 180 LCAMK1A aircraft, being manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd under two different contracts. It is also eagerly waiting for the acquisition of 26 Rafale Marine jets and hopes for the early approval of the Indo-French contract for 114 Rafale jets.A few days ago, the defence secretary said, “HAL has 27 airframes ready, 11 engines from GE have come, and the other 16 airframes have been fitted with canopy engines and flown. GE has promised four engines per month during this year, so we will get 12 engines in the rest of the year. We will be able to induct at least one squadron of LCA MK1A at the end of the year. Only some residual issues are left. Weapon integration is almost done... With radar, there are still performance-related issues that are being tackled. HAL has promised 24 LCAs every year thereafter. We hope to get 83 LCAs and 97 jets as part of the second order by 2033.”