India’s Ministry of Defense, through the Defense Acquisition Council chaired by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, has formally approved the purchase of 114 Dassault Rafale multi-role fighter jets from France’s Dassault, in what is believed to be the largest arms procurement deal in India’s history. Its value is estimated at around US$28 billion, and could reach $35-40 billion if weapons and logistics are added.
The approval was part of a total defense procurement package worth about $40 billion that also includes Boeing’s P-8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft, advanced missiles and other systems.
The move marks a qualitative leap in the modernization of the Indian Air Force, which is suffering from a lack of modern combat squadrons amid intensifying security challenges on the China-Pakistan border.
The contract includes the purchase of 18 off-the-shelf aircraft from France, while the remaining 96 aircraft will be manufactured within India within a strategic partnership model that strengthens the ‘Made in India’ program and transfers advanced technology to the local defense industry.
The Rafale is a 4.5 generation French multi-mission fighter aircraft characterized by high capability in air-to-air and ground combat, long range, and a diverse weapons loadout including long-range Meteor and Scalp missiles for precision strikes.
India had previously purchased 36 Rafale aircraft worth 7.8 billion euros in 2016, which performed well in field operations such as Balakot in 2019.
Approval of the new deal comes after years of delays in the multi-role fighter jet program, which has included 114 aircraft since 2007, and comes against the backdrop of India’s strategy to strengthen its air defense deterrent against regional threats, particularly the build-up of China’s air force and the modernization of Pakistan’s aircraft.
The decision to award this contract follows a series of phased retirements of older aircraft, in particular the retirement of MiG-21 fighters in September 2025, in addition to future plans to retire early MiG-29, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 aircraft over the next decade.
Analysts believe Rafale’s choice was not a political decision but a response to clear operational needs. The French twin-engine aircraft offers high flexibility in air superiority missions, long-range attack, ground support and reconnaissance, and is equipped with AESA radar and SPECTRA electronic warfare systems, making it highly capable of operating in complex combat environments.
The Indian Ministry of Defense, through the Defense Acquisition Council chaired by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, has formally approved the purchase of 114 Dassault Rafale multi-role fighter jets from France’s Dassault. The deal is considered the largest arms procurement in India’s history, with a total value of about $28 billion, which could rise to $35 billion to $40 billion with the addition of weapons and logistics.
The approval comes as part of an overall defense procurement package worth about $40 billion, which also includes Boeing’s P-8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft, advanced missiles and other systems.
The move marks a qualitative leap in the modernization of the Indian Air Force, which is suffering from a lack of modern combat squadrons amid intensifying security challenges on the borders with China and Pakistan.
The deal includes the purchase of 18 completed aircraft from France, while the remaining 96 aircraft will be manufactured in India under a strategic partnership model, strengthening the ‘Make in India’ program and transferring advanced technology to the local defense industry.
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The Rafale is a 4.5 generation French multi-role fighter aircraft characterized by high capability in air-to-air and ground combat, long range, and a diverse weapons load including long-range Meteor missiles and SCALP for precision strikes.
India previously purchased 36 Rafale aircraft for 7.8 billion euros in 2016, and they demonstrated superior performance in field operations such as Balakot in 2019.
Approval of the new deal comes after years of delays in the multi-role fighter jet program, which has sought to introduce 114 jets since 2007, and is part of India’s strategy to strengthen its air defense deterrent against regional threats, especially as China’s air force builds up and Pakistan modernizes its aircraft.
The contract decision follows a series of phased retirements of older aircraft, particularly the MiG-21 fighter jets, which will be phased out by September 2025, and future plans to retire earlier MiG-29s, Jaguars and Mirage 2000s over the next 10 years.
Analysts believe Rafale’s choice was not a political decision but a response to clear operational needs. The twin-engine French aircraft offers high flexibility in air superiority missions, long-range attack, ground support and reconnaissance, and its equipment with AESA radar and SPECTRA electronic warfare systems provides advanced capabilities to operate in complex combat environments.
