India moves to acquire 114 Rafale fighter jets in major defence push

India has formally issued a Letter of Request (LoR) to France for a major government-to-government defence agreement valued at approximately 3.25 trillion rupees (around $39.98 billion), aimed at acquiring 114 Rafale fighter jets for the Indian Air Force.

Top Defence Ministry sources told ANI that the LoR was sent last week by the Acquisition Wing to French government counterparts, marking the initial formal step in advancing the large-scale procurement. Under the proposed structure, 94 of the 114 jets are expected to be manufactured in India by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation in collaboration with an Indian partner.

The French government is expected to respond to the LoR or tender within the next two to three months, after which both sides are likely to enter detailed negotiations with the aim of concluding the deal within about a year, according to officials.

The development comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s expected visit to France in mid-June, where the Rafale acquisition is likely to feature in high-level discussions with French leadership.

India has been working to address a critical shortage in fighter aircraft squadrons and is seeking to strengthen its air combat capability through the induction of advanced 4.5-generation-plus Rafale jets.

The Indian Air Force and Navy have already ordered 62 Rafales, and the new 114-jet proposal would take the total fleet to 176. The Navy has also signalled interest in acquiring 31 additional aircraft for maritime operations, which could push India’s total Rafale inventory beyond 200.

The Defence Ministry had earlier conducted a capability review under Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh following his appointment in 2024, with a focus on strengthening the Air Force’s operational readiness. The Defence Acquisition Council cleared the proposal for the 114 Rafales around four months ago.

Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh is currently in France and is expected to visit Dassault Aviation facilities, where the aircraft are manufactured.

As part of the proposed agreement, this would mark the first time Rafale jets are produced outside France, with around 50% localisation planned under the manufacturing arrangement.

By Jeyhun Aghazada