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India Rafale deal 114 fighter jets News (Img Google)
New Delhi: India’s ambitious plan to strengthen the Indian Air Force (IAF) has taken a major step forward, with French aerospace giant Dassault Aviation submitting its technical and commercial proposal for the supply of 114 Rafale fighter jets.
The proposed deal, estimated at around ₹3.25 lakh crore, aims to enhance India’s combat capabilities while promoting domestic manufacturing under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
The proposal was submitted in response to India’s Letter of Request issued in May. The deal includes plans for extensive local production, technology transfer and aircraft manufacturing in India through a government-to-government agreement.
Earlier in February, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, had granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the procurement.
After completion of remaining procedures, the proposal will require approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Indian Air Force has been facing a shortage of fighter squadrons for several years. While indigenous fighter programmes like Tejas Mk-2 and the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) are under development, their operational deployment will take time.
The acquisition of 114 Rafale jets is expected to bridge the gap between India’s current fighter strength and future indigenous aircraft capabilities.
Under the proposed arrangement, 18 Rafale aircraft will be delivered in ready-to-fly condition, while the remaining 96 jets will be assembled in India.
More than 80% of the aircraft production is expected to take place domestically. The indigenous content is also likely to increase gradually from around 30% initially to over 60% as manufacturing progresses.
The Rafale is a twin-engine, multi-role fighter aircraft capable of carrying out air superiority missions, interception, ground attacks, reconnaissance and maritime strike operations.
Its advanced capabilities allow it to perform multiple missions during a single sortie, making it valuable for India’s security requirements along the western and northern borders as well as maritime zones.
The Indian Air Force currently operates 36 Rafale fighter jets, deployed at Ambala and Hasimara air bases with the 17 Squadron and 101 Squadron.
Although these aircraft have significantly improved India’s air combat capabilities, the fleet size remains limited considering the country’s extensive security challenges.
With older aircraft like the MiG-21 being phased out and newer indigenous fighters still under development, the additional 114 Rafales are seen as a critical requirement to maintain India’s air strength.
