The Defence Ministry on Thursday cleared the long-pending proposal to procure 114 Rafale fighter jets from France under a government-to-government framework, as part of capital acquisition projects worth ₹3.6 lakh crore approved to boost India’s military preparedness.
The approvals were granted by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, in one of the largest defence procurement clearances in recent years.
The green signal for the Rafale acquisition comes nearly 13 years after a similar Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) deal had almost been finalised but eventually collapsed. The fresh clearance is aimed at significantly strengthening the Indian Air Force (IAF), whose fighter squadron strength has declined to 31 against the sanctioned strength of 42.
The decision also comes just days ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to India, underscoring the strategic depth of India–France defence ties.
However, the formal contract is unlikely to be signed before the end of the year. The Defence Ministry will now begin detailed negotiations with French aerospace major Dassault Aviation to finalise pricing, delivery timelines and the weapons package.
Also read: India set to buy 114 Rafales for ₹3.25L cr
The 114 jets are to be procured under the Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) programme. In April 2019, the IAF had issued a Request for Information (RFI) for the acquisition, which was estimated to cost around USD 18 billion at the time, making it one of the world’s largest fighter jet procurement programmes.
Apart from Dassault’s Rafale, other contenders had included Lockheed Martin’s F-21, Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet and the Eurofighter Typhoon.
In 2015, the Modi government had signed a government-to-government agreement with France for 36 Rafale jets in a separate deal, deliveries of which have been completed. The IAF currently operates the Rafale aircraft, which are deployed at Ambala and Hasimara air bases.
Officials said the broader ₹3.6 lakh crore approvals include various acquisition proposals aimed at enhancing combat capability across the armed forces.
The clearances come amid evolving regional security challenges and ongoing efforts to modernise the armed forces with advanced platforms and technology.
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