The Indian Air Force is pressing for a government-to-government agreement with France to procure additional Rafale fighter jets under the long-delayed Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) programme.
The MRFA project aims to acquire 114 fighter jets, with most to be manufactured domestically in partnership with foreign companies.
According to defence sources, the IAF plans to place the MRFA proposal before the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, for initial Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) within the next one to two months. The AoN is the first key step in India’s defence procurement process.
“The government will take the final decision when the MRFA case comes before the DAC. But yes, the IAF has projected an urgent need for additional Rafales to stem the depletion in the number of its fighter squadrons,” a source told the newspaper.
The IAF has also projected the requirement for two to three squadrons of fifth-generation fighter aircraft—considering platforms such as Russia’s Sukhoi-57 and the United States’ F-35—until the indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) becomes production-ready by 2035. However, no formal talks have begun with either Moscow or Washington.
Officials argue that procuring more Rafales via a direct government-to-government arrangement under the MRFA programme would be more cost-effective, logistically efficient and faster than issuing a global tender.
Existing infrastructure at the Ambala and Hasimara air bases—currently home to the 36 Rafales acquired under a ₹59,000 crore inter-governmental agreement signed in September 2016—can accommodate at least one additional squadron each.
The Indian Navy is also set to receive 26 Rafale-Marine jets for deployment on aircraft carrier INS Vikrant between 2028 and 2030 under a separate ₹63,887 crore contract with France, signed in April this year.
Expanding the Rafale fleet across the services would enhance platform commonality and simplify logistics.
This procurement push comes on the heels of a high-level committee report led by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, which called for accelerating the IAF’s modernisation by boosting private sector involvement alongside the DRDO and defence public sector units.
The renewed demand for Rafales follows Operation Sindoor, conducted from May 7–10, during which Rafales carried out long-range precision strikes across the Pakistan border. Islamabad claimed it downed six IAF aircraft, including three Rafales, though New Delhi has denied the losses.
During the operation, Pakistan deployed Chinese-made J-10 fighters armed with PL-15 beyond-visual-range missiles capable of striking targets over 200 kilometres away.
The IAF currently operates 31 fighter squadrons, each comprising 16–18 jets. This number is expected to drop to 29 after the retirement of the remaining MiG-21 aircraft next month—well below the sanctioned strength of 42.5 squadrons needed to meet potential threats from both China and Pakistan.
Beijing is also expected to supply Islamabad with about 40 J-35A fifth-generation stealth fighters in the coming years, further heightening strategic concerns.
Follow us
