India to buy hundreds of Rafale fighter jets from France
India is preparing to approve a landmark government-to-government defence deal with France to acquire 114 Dassault Rafale F4 multirole fighter jets, a purchase estimated at around Rs 3.25 lakh crore and set to become the country’s largest combat aircraft acquisition to date.
Officials say the clearance could align with an upcoming visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to India, highlighting the growing strategic and defence partnership between New Delhi and Paris. The deal comes at a critical time for the Indian Air Force (IAF), whose squadron strength has dropped well below the sanctioned level of 42 amid the phased retirement of ageing MiG aircraft.
India currently operates 36 Rafale jets of the F3R variant inducted between 2020 and 2022, while the Navy has already placed an order for 36 Rafale Marine aircraft for deployment on its aircraft carriers. The proposed acquisition of 114 additional jets would significantly expand the Rafale fleet and form the backbone of India’s air combat capability for decades.
The new order will feature the advanced Rafale F4 standard, which includes upgraded active electronically scanned array radar, enhanced electronic warfare systems, improved connectivity for network-centric warfare, and next-generation air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons. Plans are also in place to upgrade India’s existing F3R jets to the F4 configuration to ensure fleet-wide commonality.
Defence analysts say the expanded Rafale fleet will strengthen India’s deterrence posture amid rising regional security challenges, particularly along its borders with China and Pakistan.
.png "Advertisement")
