India seeks tech control in 114 Rafale deal

The Indian Air Force is in negotiations with Dassault Aviation for the purchase of 114 Rafale fighter jets, with a critical new focus on technology transfer. India's key demand is access to the Interface Control Document (ICD), a software and technical key that would allow the IAF to integrate its own domestically developed weapons onto the aircraft without requiring foreign approval for each upgrade. The weapons India seeks to integrate include the long-range Astra Mk2 air-to-air missile, the BrahMos-NG precision strike missile, and the Rudram anti-radiation missile. This push for the ICD is seen as a major step toward greater self-reliance in defense technology under the 'Make in India' initiative.