India, Jan. 1 -- The defence ministry has paved the way for the Indian Air Force (IAF) to acquire six Boeing 767-based mid-air refuellers from Israel and 12 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) systems supported by platforms from Brazil and France, according to people aware of the matter, a move that will make the force a heavyweight by 2026.

The ministry will also expedite the acquisition of 114 multi-role fighter aircraft (MRFA) from France under the "Make in India" rubric, the people added.

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by defence minister Rajnath Singh, this week also cleared the purchase of 36 more Meteor air-to-air missiles for Rafale fighters from France. This follows the approval for 280 long- and short-ran...