NEW DELHI: India has advanced in negotiations for a significant defense agreement involving the acquisition of 114 Rafale fighter jets from France. The government has finalized the Letter of Request (LoR) for the 4.5-generation multirole aircraft intended for the Indian Air Force (IAF). According to defense sources, the LoR is complete and is expected to be dispatched to France in the coming weeks.
The LoR serves as a formal government-to-government document to initiate substantial defense acquisitions under international agreements such as foreign military sales. The preliminary estimate for this substantial deal is approximately ₹3.25 lakh crore.
Under the proposed agreement, nearly 90 of the 114 fighter jets are planned for domestic production in collaboration between French manufacturer Dassault Aviation and an Indian firm, pursuant to the Make-in-India initiative. The remaining 24 aircraft will be supplied in fly-away condition from France, with the indigenous component of the jets projected to be about 50%.
IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal A P Singh is scheduled to visit France in early June, ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s trip from June 15 to 17 for the G7 Summit. Singh’s visit is anticipated to provide crucial momentum for the deal. The final contract is expected to be finalized by the end of this year, following price negotiations and approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).
In addition to the 114 Rafale jets, the Indian Navy is procuring 26 Rafale Marine aircraft from Dassault designed for aircraft carrier operations, as per an agreement signed on April 28 last year. The IAF currently operates 36 Rafales, which were acquired under a bilateral agreement made in September 2016.
The Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) program, under which these 114 fighters will be purchased, seeks to address the critical capability shortfall within the IAF. Current fighter squadron strength has decreased to 29, significantly below the ideal figure of 42.5 squadrons required to effectively respond to potential security threats from Pakistan and China.
Simultaneously, Pakistan is reportedly in the process of acquiring 40 J-35 fifth-generation fighters, prompting India to expedite the delivery of Tejas aircraft through its contracts with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Defense Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh expressed optimism that HAL would deliver 10 Tejas Mk-1A fighter jets during the current financial year.
The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program, expected to be operational by 2035, has reignited interest in Russia’s Su-57 as an immediate need for a stealth platform. The Indian government has shortlisted three private-sector candidates for the development and manufacture of AMCA prototypes: Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), a consortium led by Larsen & Toubro (L&T), and one led by Bharat Forge.
